Q. The problem is not for myself, but for a friend of mine. She recently admitted that she has an eating disorder and she knows that she needs help, which is the first step. Where I’m from we don’t have the best professionals, in treating disorders( I want her to have somebody that really knows what they are doing) She knows that she will need to talk with a professional, but she doesn’t know what the next step is? Where to go? What to do? She just needs some guidence. I have been helping her and she has been receptive, but I’m not an expert or a professional. What is your advice?
A. You are doing a great job at supporting your friend and encouraging her to seek help. You are a good friend. What is also good is that she is willing to listen and hear your advice; this is very promising. I am not sure of her age so I will advise her on what to do as if she were an adolescent and then also where to get help as an adult. If she is a bit younger and still living with her parents, I would encourage her to talk to her parents and ask them to help get her into treatment. If she does not want to tell her parents, the she should go to someone at the school or even confide in someone at church, if she attends a local congregation. These people should be able to direct her to qualified help.
If she is an adult then she should look in the phone book and make calls to different therapists. She should call around and talk to each therapist individually about what types of problems they treat, what treatment modality they use, etc. She should do this until she finds someone she is comfortable with over the phone and would be willing to meet. She can also call different local clinics that treat individuals with eating disorders and who see patients on an outpatient basis. If she has no insurance, she should try the local community mental health clinic as they serve low income individuals and those without insurance at discount rates. If she is a college student, she should seek help from the college counseling center. In summary, there are many places to get help for eating disorders but it may take a little time to find someone that is right for your friend. Keep encouraging her to get help. Your friend is lucky to have someone who cares about her well being. Thanks for writing and I wish you and your friend the best of luck in finding help. Take care.
You may also like:
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 9 Sep 2006
Randle, K. (2006). Friend doesn’t know where to turn. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2006/09/09/friend-doesnt-know-where-to-turn/
