"'You would think if parents are helping, the kids would be less impaired,'
Merlo said. 'But what we are seeing is that it snowballs and makes it worse and worse.'
"
Facilitating children's OCD behaviors may worsen symptoms This goes for eating disorders as well, clearly. When parents
accommodate the "no dressing!" "no meat!" "no food after 5!" "only at 150 degrees!" "I can't drink whole milk" or "I can't eat with so-and-so in the room" we are so ready for them to agree to eat we can become
accommodating to other demands. This doesn't decrease the demands, though, it makes them worse.
If I could give every parent a message early on in supporting recovery it would be this: do what you know they need, not what they say. Don't
accommodate ED no matter what threats or cajoling he does. Be firm, consistent, and have a plan.
" Facilitating children's OCD behaviors may worsen symptoms
This goes for eating disorders as well, clearly. When parents accommodate the "no dressing!" "no meat!" "no food after 5!" "only at 150 degrees!" "I can't drink whole milk" or "I can't eat with so-and-so in the room" we are so ready for them to agree to eat we can become accommodating to other demands. This doesn't decrease the demands, though, it makes them worse.
If I could give every parent a message early on in supporting recovery it would be this: do what you know they need, not what they say. Don't accommodate ED no matter what threats or cajoling he does. Be firm, consistent, and have a plan.