Christmas with an eating disorder.

Christmas is supposed to be a time filled with family, food and celebrations. Chocolates and sweets are constantly available, advent calenders, tins, selection boxes. Lets not forget all the food at the parties... the calories in alcohol or the millions of mince pies consumed. Brilliant!

Now think about what christmas day is like in your house, For our family its bacon and toast for breakfast, the mid morning raid of the tin of chocolate, then christmas dinner  Turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, yorkshire puddings, carrots, peas and gravy. Now lets not forget about pudding, depending on what we fancy, Ice cream? Cake? Both?! Maybe even with second helpings! And the glasses of wine... Then the "I'm full but i'm going to eat some more chocolate, chocolate." Then the late at night supper which is probably turkey sandwiches, followed by even more chocolate, simply because it's there.

The family is over and everyone's enjoying there meals and moaning that they've eaten too much but not being too phased because after all, it's christmas!  The average person has consumed 6,000 calories, 3 times the recommended daily amount, but still, it's christmas, who cares?!

But what about when you have an eating disorder. When sitting at that table with a plate piled with food is the last thing you want, when you try to eat it so you don't ruin everyone else's christmas but suddenly the guilt of eating is killing you. What about when family members point out that you haven't eaten a lot. Or when you're told "Treat yourself, it's christmas" as if the eating disorder takes a day off for the holidays.

Christmas is supposed to be filled with joy and happiness, not guilt and self hatred. Christmas with an eating disorder is hard. Please just think before you say anything to a loved one who you know or suspect might be suffering. Don't make a big deal about how much or how little they've eaten. Don't try to guilt trip them into eating. Don't constantly ask questions or constantly offer food when they've already rejected the 300 other times you'd asked. Christmas is hard without family making it harder.