ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how an eating disorder can have an impact on family and friends and how sources of social support can play a key role in the management of eating disorders through recognising the early signs, reducing the delay in help-seeking, and sharing in the task of remediation of aspects of the illness. Eating disorders usually develop during adolescence. Social differentiation relating to eating and body image and adjustment to various maturational changes may play a critical predisposing and triggering role. Furthermore, the symptoms themselves can lead to social difficulties, either through shame and withdrawal associated with the binge spectrum disorders or the loss of skilful social engagement, in part due to starvation in the restricting disorders. Support, particularly from family and close others, has been found to be a critical part of the management of anorexia nervosa. It has also been found to be of value for bulimia nervosa, but has been less studied in binge eating disorders. In this chapter, I give simple and practical advice in how to support people through the stages of an eating disorders basing these techniques on the New Maudsley Method for skills-based caring and the parent toolkit provided by Family Mental Wealth.
