Hi everyone,
I am sure that all of you who joined us on Monday evening 18th July, will want to join me in thanking Han and Millie for sharing their thoughts and experiences on coping with the Summer holiday period with an eating disorder.
There are so many challenges that carers and their loved ones with an eating disorder can face in the lead up to the Summer holiday period including unstructured time at home and going away on holiday with friends or family. With an already precarious relationship with food, eating, and body image, holiday events that frequently centre around meals can be especially difficult. Contingency planning in advance of the holiday period can be invaluable.
In the capsule below I have included two lists of tips that can help make navigation of these occasions easier and more enjoyable.
The first list comes from our discussions with Millie and Han. The second is a list I have created from many years of discussing this topic with families of loved ones with all types of eating disorders, and all ages. There is some overlap of course.
The second button contains a really poignant piece of artwork kindly provided by one of Han’s clients. It describes the Anorexia interpretation of the holiday season, as compared to a Recovered viewpoint. It really gives some insight into the mind of somebody consumed by an eating disorder, and how the disorder can taint the holiday experience.