Seeking Help
Treatments such as medication and therapies can help to reduce symptoms and aid you in your recovery. Due to issues such as the need for control or the intense feelings of guilt and self-loathing, some may be reluctant to seek help.
If you are not ready to see a doctor, therapist, counsellor or professional about your diagnosis, you may find comfort in friends, family or loved ones. Friends on social media and online can even support you.
There are also many help and support lines for eating disorders and depression if you need someone to talk to who can help you through this difficult time.
If You’re Concerned for a Loved One
If you suspect or are aware of someone dealing with depression or an eating disorder, there are many useful types of information available for you to approach this situation online or through other sources.
It is vital to approach mental health with care, consideration and patience. You can support your loved one through their hardships and mental health problems if they are not ready to reach out for help straight away.
The support from someone they care about can help and influence them to eventually seek professional care and treatment and start them on their journey through recovery.
My Story
Referring back to my personal experience, I was incredibly reluctant at first to accept help. I was too ashamed of my constant bingeing and purging cycles and isolated myself, making my symptoms worse.
I also believed that all my problems were just a cause of my depression diagnosis and that there wasn’t any other problem that may have been affecting my mood and behavior. I was in denial that I had an eating disorder.
When I eventually accepted there may be other underlying problems and accepted the treatment and help available to me, I understood that the two worked simultaneously, which increased the symptoms.
The more I understood them both the more I was able to help myself, and the constant support I allowed to surround myself with has got me to where I am today; a step further on my road to recovery.
