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Christmas is a celebration that in most cases is related to spending time with family and eating. Sweets, seafood, stuffed turkey, lamb or roast suckling pig are just a few examples of the most popular food dishes at this time of year. However, this can pose a problem for people with eating disorders (ED). The psychologists that specialize in eating disorder at Proyecto Art explain how to survive these holidays and avoid intense emotional triggers in people with ED.
An eating disorder (ED) is an eating-related problem, usually related to a distortion of the body self-perception of the person who suffers from it. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other eating-related problems such as food intake restrictions, can cause serious health problems. From Proyecto Art, the psychology and psychotherapy clinic specialized in eating disorders and therapies related to self-esteem and relationships, they explain how Christmas celebrations can affect people with these types of disorders. These mental health experts are well aware of the situation so they talk about the importance of recognizing what the triggers are and what things to avoid to prevent psychological triggers. These intense emotional responses in people can be triggered by different stimuli, such as being exposed to the appraisals of family and friends and to food, something that tends to be very frequent at Christmas, they emphasize.
On the other hand, they explain that in order to avoid aggravating the symptoms of people with EDs, it is recommended to take certain precautions and avoid certain actions at Christmas as well as in any other situation. An example of this is to avoid commenting on other people’s bodies. “Do not comment on other people’s bodies and especially do not make references to whether they have gained or lost weight,” they indicate.
Why can Christmas aggravate the symptoms of people with ED?
From the English-speaking clinic located in Barcelona Proyecto Art emphasize that Christmas celebrations can be a very significant trigger of eating disorder symptoms. They explain that these dates are dominated by family gatherings and often coincide with meeting people you haven´t seen in a long time. “The first thing people see before talking to us is our body, and for a person with an ED, the thought of others having an opinion about their bodies is very emotionaly triggering,” they analyze. In addition, many people, especially due to lack of knowledge, often make comments without being aware of the harm that this may cause. The emotions of people with ED can be intensified and difficult to manage if, in addition, the family members in question are people who pay special attention to the physical, both their own bodies and those of others. This generates great anxiety during the meetings, but also in the days before and even weeks, and even more so if the family is involved in the children’s ED, since all eyes will be on their diet.
At this time of year, mental health experts continue, it is also common that some childhood memories can be revisited, and this can become another stimulus that triggers the symptoms of ED symptoms, especially when they touch upon some venerable spots. “For example, that our limits are overstepped, that we are not taken into account, that we are not listened to, that there are expectations about how we should be or that we are not respected,” they point out. And all of this, they stress, without forgetting the exposure to the abundant food at every celebration which, in most cases, stands out for being more tasty than nutritious. “This can be a trigger for a binge or a lot of discomfort for having to restrict,” they clarify.
How to prevent triggers in people with EDs this Christmas? What to avoid
Psychological help and individual and/or family therapy is essential to overcome an ED, explains Proyecto Art. However, during the holidays there are actions that can be taken to prevent psychological triggers in people with this type of disorder, as well as things to avoid. Psychologists and psychotherapists place special emphasis on not making comments about other people’s bodies, as well as avoiding talking about whether one has gained or lost weight. They even stress that compliments should be avoided. “Let’s not make compliments about the body as if it were a fact because this is our opinion. And also this opinion may not interest the other person,” they express. On the other hand, actions such as inciting or encouraging the person to eat should be avoided, but above all refrain from suggesting to stop eating or eat less.
Something that is very common, and that most people make the mistake without realizing it, is to comment on how much they have eaten, even if it is a comment made by the same person who has eaten the food. “Let’s not make comments about how much we have eaten and about the need to go on a diet,” they clarify, since this generates a feeling of emotional and psychological discomfort to the person suffering from an ED. Of course, they continue, one should avoid staring at how other people eat and falling into the error of seeing thinness as positive and fatness as negative. Finally, they conclude, it is essential not to make judgments about whether food is good or bad: “Let’s not make comments about certain types of food being junk food. These terms are relative and for a person with an ED it can be an achievement to allow themselves to eat something for pleasure, even if it is not ‘healthy’.”
