Q:
My teenage daughter has an eating disorder. I don’t want to stress her by over-supervising her diet and daily life, but I do want to support her during this difficult period towards a recovery. What can I do?
A:
For younger children, parents are often the primary source of support and guidance. They directly supervise meals, monitor behaviour at home, and provide emotional support. While parents may be less involved in older children’s day-to-day activities, their role remains vital. They offer emotional support, encourage regular meals, and promote help-seeking behaviour.
Many parents find this experience challenging and exhausting. Eating disorders can be difficult to understand, and privacy concerns may limit parents’ ability to share their worries with others.
The impact on parents’ lives can be significant. They may need to adjust work schedules to supervise meals, and can become targets of their child’s eating disorder behaviours. Some parents might face restrictions on their own social activities.
Emotionally, parents often grapple with feelings of anger or guilt. Assurance and validation are important for them, as long-term care-giving can lead to stress and burnout. It is crucial for parents to prioritise their own well-being, as a caregiver’s health directly impacts the child’s recovery.
Throughout this challenging journey, it is important to recognise that parents are key partners in the recovery process.Their involvement, support and well-being are integral to their child’s path to health.
Ms Patricia Jin
Senior Medical Social Worker, Singapore General Hospital
