National Eating Disorder Awareness Week: Signs Someone You Know Is Battling One

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Understand that she’s going through something

Having a friend who constantly cancels on you, goes MIA, and flakes at the very last minute can be frustrating. In general, being reliable may be a quality you prioritize in friends, so this behavior could drive you to end the friendship. But try to treat this friend as if she is going through some tremendous grief. How would you treat someone who just lost a loved one or was going through a divorce? You’d understand that this is not a time to pressure them to keep plans or be the best version of themselves. You’d understand they will have mood swings and periods of darkness when they don’t want to talk to anyone. But you’d also understand that it is temporary, and these are extenuating circumstances, so you wouldn’t end the friendship over it. Treat your friend with an eating disorder the same way. Some of my most cherished friends today are those who stuck by me during my eating disorder. And today, I make a point to be someone they can rely on because I was able to rely on them when I needed that most.