| Planning Ahead Helps People With Eating Disorders During the Holidays |
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Philadelphia, PA, December 15, 2009 -- While the holiday season may be short on sunshine, it overflows with delicious food—pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, potato latkes at Hanukkah, eggnog at Christmas. Combine the endless buffet lines with the stress of family gatherings, and “you have a formula for challenging anyone with an eating disorder,” says Judy Freed, LCSW, an inpatient psychotherapist at Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment. A recovering anorexic patient who’s regained weight, for example, may struggle with well-intentioned compliments from family members who haven’t seen her for a long time, says Freed. “When someone says, ‘You look so healthy,’ the person with anorexia may hear that as ‘You look fat.’ Likewise, people with bulimia and/or binge-eating may encounter foods that trigger urges to eat compulsively. “Despite these challenges, friends and family don’t have to walk on egg shells around people in recovery. Behaving normally and offering support are the best strategies,” says Freed. It’s a good idea for people with eating disorders to plan ahead for how they will cope with parties and get-togethers where food may be the focus. Coping strategies may include calling on a support person, taking a break from a gathering and walking around the block to get composed, and getting plenty of rest. “If people with eating disorders find that they are struggling and need more help, they can contact Belmont’s Access Center where intake specialists will do an evaluation and determine what services may be appropriate,” says Freed. Sometimes referrals can’t be made soon enough. “It’s easy for people to underestimate the dangers of these illnesses, but they can be fatal,” says Freed. To learn more about Belmont services for eating disorders, call 1-800-220-HELP (4357). CONTACT: Judy Horwitz |