"More Love" For Parents of Children With Eating Disorders

"When parents can learn how to love a child, themselves, and their other family members during eating disorder recovery, everyone thrives."
-Ginny Jones, Founder of More-Love.org

Healing from an eating disorder typically requires a strong and supportive team of therapeutic professionals--a therapist, dietitian, psychiatrist, and, ideally, a primary doctor who is familiar with the complexities of eating disorders. The "team" may also include therapists who facilitate an outpatient group, a recovery coach, and a yoga therapist. Clearly, support, support, and more support is essential to the recovery process.

I think back to when I was in the throws of my eating disorder and beginning my recovery process. I had a wonderful team who saw me through thick and thin (literally!). Even though I had a strong support system, I sensed my parents still felt scared and uneasy. Their fear for my life was all consuming. They desperately wanted to know how to help me, what to say and not say, and what to do and not do. In reality, they needed support, too--a "team" they could lean on and work through the myriad emotions that flooded their hearts, minds, and souls.

My friend and colleague Ginny Jones recognized this vital need for parents and created More-Love.org, an incredible organization that is dedicated to supporting parents who have children with eating disorders. Ginny believes that "more love" in the form of knowledge and support is essential for all family members' and facilitates profound healing.

"I created More Love because I feel that parents are so critical in helping their children heal from eating disorders, and yet few parents have the knowledge, resources and support they need," Ginny told me. "Parents are under immense pressure, and an eating disorder diagnosis can feel like the last straw. However, this is very much a situation of learning how to work smarter, not harder. When parents can learn how to love a child, themselves, and their other family members during eating disorder recovery, everyone thrives."

More Love is filled with free, smart, invaluable resources from eating disorder professionals and parenting experts. This online resource gives parents free tools and advice for how to "get more love" for themselves and "give more love" to their child. From video and book recommendations, to blog posts, inspiration, and links to other helpful organizations and professionals, More-Love.org's growing library of resources offers parents comfort, education, and support.

Ginny's inspiration for More Love came from her own experience as a mother, woman, and daughter in recovery for an eating disorder. Ginny shares that writing regularly and openly about eating disorders on More Love has made her much more comfortable talking to people about eating disorder prevention and recovery. Her deepest hope is that all of us can get comfortable speaking openly about eating disorders, because, this will lead to them becoming better understood and, as a result, better treated. 

"I firmly believe that loving knowledge about eating disorders and, more importantly, how to foster family communication, connection and belonging, will help us as parents make inroads towards helping our children heal from eating disorders," Ginny explained. "Eating disorder recovery impacts every member of the family, and everyone needs more love during the process. More love is possible, and I believe it makes all the difference!" 

Please help me spread the word about More Love by letting family members and other support people of individuals with eating disorders know about this excellent and free resource. Knowledge is power, and in the spirit of Ginny's message, it is also more love!
 

Meet Ginny Jones
I grew up in a wonderful, intelligent family that loved me. At the age of 10, I began using food as a coping mechanism for painful feelings. I created my own special eating disorder containing elements of orthorexia, anorexia and bulimia. By the age of 16, the behaviors were firmly entrenched, and I used my eating disorder as a powerful coping mechanism for deeply uncomfortable emotions until I went into recovery when I turned 41.

But I am so much more than my eating disorder.

I’m a successful businesswoman. I earned an MBA while working full-time. I have consulted with more than 100 entrepreneurs as an independent business consultant for the past 10 years. I help entrepreneurs lead their unique organizations to greatness. Small businesses are very much like families – they require and deserve visionary leadership, consistency and a sense of purpose. I’m proud to be a part of that.

I’m a passionate, optimistic, determined, creative soul. I love to run. I love being outside in nature. I love listening to music and singing aloud in my car. I’m thrilled to be married to an amazing man and love being a mother to our daughter. I’m proud to be my parents’ daughter, a sister, sister-in-law and “crazy auntie.”