Supporting a sibling with an eating disorder – what I learned
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By Tia Tokatly
Being a brother or sister to someone struggling with an eating disorder can be confusing, painful, upsetting and very difficult at times…
So much so that I ended up seeking therapy for myself to try and deal with my feelings and understand a lot of the emotions I had tried to suppress when trying to be strong for my family.
I’m lucky to say that I have the most incredible sister who battled anorexia from 2020 to 2023 and is now thriving and making the most miraculous recovery. I count my blessings everyday, but I often find myself thinking back to the darkest times of her illness, questioning how I dealt with situations and reflecting on my actions.
What I will say is that there is no textbook guide to supporting someone with anorexia.
When someone close to you is initially diagnosed, you may struggle to know how to help, and find yourself feeling a range of emotions from anger to frustration to helplessness to guilt. With hindsight, there are many things I would ch...
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