Does my child have an eating disorder?

Are you constantly worrying about your son or daughter’s eating habits? Do you feel like meals have become a constant stressor within your family? When adolescents suffer from an eating disorder it impacts the entire family, making it feel as if you are constantly walking on eggshells in order to prevent from starting another fight over food. You don’t want to be the food police, but you are terrified that you are slowly losing your child to this silent but deadly disease. You can’t understand why they simply can’t eat more or stop using food to cope. When you try to talk to them about it, they pretend that there is no problem or promise they have it under control. Not being able to help your adolescent who is struggling physically and mentally with unhealthy eating habits causes you to feel helpless, alone, and drained.

These are common concerns of parents who have adolescents struggling with disordered eating. You do not have to settle with feeling this way. There are resources that I have gained throughout my professional journey that have helped others recover from disorder eating. Supporting your adolescent by giving them the resources they need to receive counseling for the true underlying issues that have lead to their disordered eating can create a more positive environment. Your family has the ability to battle this disease together by using each other as a support system and reaching out for the external support necessary to take the hard steps.

As a counselor, I am here to help you support your adolescent in making the changes necessary to have a better relationship with food. It is my belief that it is never truly about food, but more about deeper emotions and thoughts that an adolescent feels unable to express. In order to recover from an eating disorder, I work with them to bring those thoughts, beliefs, and emotions to the surface. Once they are brought to the surface and known, it is easier to help your adolescent challenge those negative thoughts and emotions and replace them with more productive ones. I believe that everyone has the strength inside themselves to overcome this barrier, and it is my job to help them discover those strengths and learn how to use them to cope with stressors within their life. When your adolescent has the ability to change their thinking and use their personal strengths and abilities, they will no longer rely on food as a way to cope with these stressors.

If you believe your child is struggling with these concerns and that your family is being affect by it, call me today at 402-325-0117 x13 to learn more and schedule an appointment, or book an appointment online!

Shelby Henderson, M.Ed., PLMHP
Adultspan Counseling
1001 S 70th St #225
Lincoln, NE 68510