| Ideally, eating disorders should be treated by a | | | | 3. Keep close track of your feelings. Emotional |
| trained health professional as soon as the problem | | | | eating, dieting, and excessive exercising are often |
| is detected. Unfortunately, this is often not the | | | | triggered by strong feelings, such as frustration, |
| case. Many patients resist professional help, or are | | | | depression, loneliness, sadness, and anger. One |
| in denial about their condition. | | | | way to keep track of how you feel is to practice |
| An eating disorder is a serious condition that | | | | a routine of daily journal writing. Writing down |
| rarely improves on its own, and these conditions | | | | your feelings, no matter how negative, can |
| can pose serious permanent health risks, even | | | | greatly help relieve the stress and anxiety that |
| death. If professional help is not sought out | | | | often accompany them. |
| immediately, there are certain things a patient can | | | | 4. Also keep track of "self-talk." Self-talk refers to |
| do while arranging for medical and psychological | | | | the little voice in your head that is often critical |
| help. If you suffer from an eating disorder, here | | | | and negative. Becoming conscious of negative |
| are six things you can do to help prevent serious | | | | self-talk can help the eating disorder patient |
| and permanent health damage. | | | | diffuse the power of such an internal dialogue. |
| 1. Spend time with friends, family members, and | | | | 5. Strive for a healthy well balanced diet, and |
| loved ones every day. If you suffer from an | | | | avoid dieting at all costs. Dieting relies on |
| eating disorder, spending time with those you love | | | | deprivation, and deprivation often leads to |
| and trust can do much for your physical, spiritual | | | | frustration and other negative emotions. Instead |
| and psychological health. Make it a point to spend | | | | of thinking of food in terms of dieting, consider |
| time with those you love every single day, even | | | | adopting an overall healthy diet that strives for |
| if it's only to go to a movie or to run errands. | | | | moderation. Eat a variety of fresh foods, and try |
| Spending time with those you love can not only | | | | to eat your meals in the company of others |
| help lift your spirits, it can help distract you from | | | | rather than eating alone. |
| potential triggers that can lead to emotional eating, | | | | 6. Limit your exercise to three to five times a |
| excessive exercising, or stringent dieting and | | | | day, and try to limit the exercise times to thirty |
| eating habits. | | | | minutes or less. You should seek out activities |
| 2. Get busy. Fill your schedule with things you love | | | | that they will enjoy, rather than engage in |
| to do. If you have a lot of time on your own, sign | | | | strenuous or competitive activities. |
| up for a class you think you will enjoy or consider | | | | Non-competitive sports activities and other fun |
| doing volunteer work. Filling all the holes in your | | | | activities like dancing and walking can be beneficial |
| schedule with work and fun can help keep you | | | | and restore the patient's understanding of |
| healthy. | | | | movement as something joyous. |