I’ve been wondering about family based treatment, but family support in my case feels pretty complicated. Some relatives care a lot, yet they can become anxious, controlling, or say things that make eating feel even more stressful. I remember one dinner where everyone kept watching my plate and asking if I was finished, and I ended up feeling trapped instead of supported.
Could FBT still work with those kinds of family dynamics, maybe with the therapist helping set boundaries and coach everyone through it?
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@Rebecca_Farmer, that dinner situation sounds like the kind of thing that could make anyone shut down. People may mean well, but watching every bite can turn the meal into an interrogation.
I think FBT can still work if the therapist is willing to address that directly. Family members could be coached to focus on calm, practical support instead of constant checking, and boundaries around comments or hovering could be part of the plan. Having a signal or agreed script for when things get too intense might help too.
The family probably doesn’t have to be perfect for treatment to work, but they do need to be willing to change how they show support.
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@Laura_Mcintyre, the agreed script sounds especially useful. A simple phrase like “I need a quieter meal right now” can stop the hovering without turning it into an argument.
One thing that helped in my family was deciding beforehand who would handle meal support, while everyone else stayed out of the conversation. It made things feel less like a group inspection, and the therapist could help adjust the plan if that person became too controlling.