HIF2O1
2 December, 2022
How do eating disorders affect your relationships?
Human existence revolves around relationships. Healthy, positive relationships,
whether with family, friends, or a significant other, have the potential to provide us with
secure foundations from which we can grow and thrive(Ekern). Relationships
necessitate effort and dedication from all parties involved.
Eating disorders can be extremely isolating. Unfortunately, they are riddled with
shame and guilt because misconceptions could lead people to believe that the disorder
was a choice or an obsession. While certain behaviors, such as dieting, may have been
chosen at first, the development of a full-fledged disease is never intended. Eating
disorders are frequently seen as the antithesis to relationships (Ekern). As an eating
disorder develops and progresses, it commonly replaces healthy relationships that may
have once existed in one's life. Eating disorders are survival mechanisms, or coping
mechanisms for dealing with underlying issues that can be overwhelming to confront.
Many people with eating disorders often express a desire to "have control over
something" in a world where they feel like they do not. Food restriction may provide a
reassuring sense of security and structure. Of course, eating produces a pleasure
response in our bodies. If we do not find this pleasure and reward in other aspects of
our lives, we can turn to food to fill the gap.
Eating disorders are brutal, all-encompassing illnesses. They emerge gradually
but once formed, they have far-reaching consequences (“How Do Eating Disorders
Affect Relationships?”). They also impact social relationships, affecting far more people
than the person suffering from the illness. Parents, siblings, friends, and partners are all
affected by an eating disorder, and their relationships with their loved ones are
frequently strained in its presence.
Works Cited
Ekern, Jacquelyn. “Renfrew Center Professional Seminar – Genetic, Neurobiological and
Hormonal Risk Factors for Eating Disorders: Implications for Clinical Practice.” Eating
Disorder Hope, 2019,
www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/family-role/how-eating-diso
rders-can-affect-relationships.
“How Do Eating Disorders Affect Relationships?” The Emily Program, 21 July 2020,
www.emilyprogram.com/blog/how-do-eating-disorders-affect-relationships/.
RD, Jordan Murray. “Replacing the Crutch: Coping Skills and Eating Disorder Recovery.” RCW,
15 June 2020,
www.riversidecorporatewellness.com/single-post/replacing-the-crutch-coping-skills-andeating-disorder-recovery.