The Phipps Family have circulated this opinion piece about eating disorders during isolating times.
Do YOU think that it is harder or easier to live with eating distress when you are isolated at home with your family?
What ELSE can you tell us about your eating disorder thinking right now.
Here is what some people might be thinking. What can you do to help them; if you have these thoughts, how can you soothe yourself
“If there is a shortage of food in the shops then I’m not worthy to eat any of the food within the family/to take food from the shops which people like nurses and doctors need more than I do.”
“If I can’t get the food that I need then I won’t be able to eat anything, so I won’t eat!”
“With you all at home, I can’t do my secret exercise routine as there is no space to do this. How am I supposed to manage?”
“How can I make you understand that the alternative you have offered is not an alternative in my mind?”
“How, if I can’t get out and run my normal 15km each day am I going to be able to eat my second snack?!”
“If the gym is closed and I can’t do my normal work-out then I haven’t earnt the right to eat so I can’t.”
“Having you at home means I can’t skip my meals.”
“How can I cope with eating if with everyone at home I can’t then secretly purge?”
“There are too many people at home now everyone has come back home to be together because of the virus. There is no way I can eat with so many pairs of eyes on me, everyone will be judging me”
“I’m sure that all my peers are doing more exercise than I am as ‘Judith’ has a treadmill at home and ‘Daniel’ keeps posting videos of using his rowing machine. I’m so fat and lazy”
“I’m different to other people so it doesn’t matter if I go out, I’ll be fine. What’s more important is that I get out for all my runs”
The Phipps family says: We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to challenges you and your loved ones will be facing in your homes, possibly even as you read this message, but help is already in your hands; remember to take that step back and breathe.
They suggest: Try to be as calm as you can; show your loved one you understand and then try to walk calmly alongside your loved one, to ease the pain. This will not only ease your loved one’s pain but it can help ease yours too because you know you will have done the best you can in the difficult situation we all find ourselves in.