Recovery is Possible… Words of Wisdom from friends and family members.

Judy Phillips spoke about her experience of supporting her daughter towards recovery at the Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Professional Development Event hosted by the Eating Disorders Network Qld and EDA September 2009.  Here is some snippets of what she had to say:

1. There are happy endings!  Recovery is possible.  Put a happy photo of your child/family member where you can see it often, and focus on remembering the happiness.
2. Knowledge is power!  Read, join groups, get support, it helps to know what you’re dealing with- make sure you pick people to help you that you feel really understand.
3. Separating the Problem from the Person.  You need to separate the person from the problem or you’ll end up disliking the person you’re trying to help and support.  Fight with them against the eating issue- not against them (or the treatment team).
4. Communication!  Learn to communicate with the child/person.  Understand that we all have bad days- and we might need to leave the past behind and focus on the future.
5. Couple and Family Therapy.  You need to have a team approach with your partner and family- avoid ostracizing family members- get everyone on side.  Remember that the eating issue likes to split and separate, to isolate (divide and conquer)- don’t buy into it or scapegoat anyone- stick together in working towards recovery.
6. Self Help.  Do some self monitoring- do you have a fear of letting go- are you trying to control everything or be over responsible? I had to remember it’s not my job to heal my daughter- my job is to heal myself.