Medicine
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Are the Best Tips for Anorexia Self-Help?

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

A person can find many tips for dealing with anorexia, but some of the best may involve seeking support from friends, family, support groups, doctors, and mental health professionals. A person might also benefit from tips that recommend being patient and distracting oneself from preoccupation with the physical form. Additionally, tips that involve working toward a more positive self-image may prove helpful.

One of the best anorexia self-help tips a person can follow is to avoid dealing with the problem alone. For many people with eating disorders, having support can mean the difference between making steady steps toward recovery and continuing the harmful behavior common to people with anorexia. Though a person must take steps to change on his own, having support can help him have the strength to do so. He may find the support of friends and family members very helpful when he is dealing with this eating disorder, but he may also benefit from the support of doctors, mental health professionals, and support group members.

People suffering from anorexia may find support groups helpful.
People suffering from anorexia may find support groups helpful.

Another one of the best tips for anorexia self-help involves having patience. Often, a person who has anorexia or another type of eating disorder feels pressure to change right away, which can contribute to setbacks in his recovery. Some of this pressure might come from well-meaning friends and family members who truly only want the patient to change because they are concerned. Just as often, however, this pressure comes from the patient himself, as he may feel that the recovery process is taking too long. To avoid this, he may do well to concentrate on taking his recovery one day at a time and making slow but steady steps in the right direction.

Those with anorexia can benefit from coping strategies that help them achieve a healthy body weight and body image.
Those with anorexia can benefit from coping strategies that help them achieve a healthy body weight and body image.

Tips that involve distracting oneself from preoccupation with the body may also prove helpful. For example, a person might benefit from tips for anorexia self-help that recommend throwing away all of the scales in the house and avoiding examining oneself in the mirror. Planning frequent pleasurable activities may help as well. For instance, if a person enjoys gardening or has always wanted to take courses in fashion design, indulging these interests might help to take the focus off the body.

A person may benefit from reading self-help books that focus on developing better body image.
A person may benefit from reading self-help books that focus on developing better body image.

An individual might also benefit from anorexia self-help tips that involve changing one's body image. If an individual can learn to view his body as beautiful, despite its flaws, he may find it easier to recover from anorexia. For example, a person could benefit from reading self-help books that focus on developing a better self-image. Therapy, both group and individual, may help as well. Additionally, a person might even benefit from spending more time with people who have positive attitudes toward their own bodies and toward food and weight in general.

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison

Nicole’s thirst for knowledge inspired her to become a WiseGEEK writer, and she focuses primarily on topics such as homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. When not writing or spending time with her four children, Nicole enjoys reading, camping, and going to the beach.

Learn more...

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • People suffering from anorexia may find support groups helpful.
      By: Nikki Zalewski
      People suffering from anorexia may find support groups helpful.
    • Those with anorexia can benefit from coping strategies that help them achieve a healthy body weight and body image.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Those with anorexia can benefit from coping strategies that help them achieve a healthy body weight and body image.
    • A person may benefit from reading self-help books that focus on developing better body image.
      By: Photographee.eu
      A person may benefit from reading self-help books that focus on developing better body image.