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Health and Wellbeing

Simple Ideas to Support with Eating Disorders

Help a young person with an eating disorder even though you're not an expert, starting with what you already know about them.

  • 23 minutes
  • 7 modules
  • 0.5 CPD hours
  • Certificate

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What you'll learn

  • Look past the eating to the need the behaviour is meeting
  • Treat the eating disorder as separate from the young person to reduce conflict
  • Turn traits like perfectionism and determination towards recovery
  • Plan for slips and help a young person get back on track
  • Keep support in place after someone starts to look well

About this course

Eating disorders frighten most of us. You want to help but worry you'll say the wrong thing, so it can feel safer to leave it to the specialists.

The presenter has lived with an eating disorder for many years and wrote her PhD on how schools can help. Her starting point is that you need to be an expert in the child, not the illness. You'll learn to see the eating disorder as a bully on the young person's shoulder, so the two of you fight it together instead of each other. You'll also see how to turn traits like perfectionism towards getting well.

Recovery rarely goes in a straight line. You'll know how to help someone get back up after a slip, and why the weeks after they start to look well are when they need you most.

  • For early career teachers, mental health leads and 6 other roles. Post-16, primary, secondary and special.

7 modules

Open in order

  1. Introduction

    2 min

  2. Wrap Up & Summary Notes

    2 min

  3. Look beyond the behaviour

    3 min

  4. Treat the eating disorder as a separate entity

    5 min

  5. The traits that drive illness can drive wellness too

    4 min

  6. Relapse is an important part of recovery

    5 min

  7. Don’t step away too soon

    5 min