I have been working with students at Indiana University for the past twenty years. Watching the transition from home to a university environment can be exciting, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. As I watch students arrive on campus for orientation weekends, I know that parents and students can have concerns about the support that is available for eating disorders in Bloomington when they arrive here in August.
Every summer I receive calls from parents who express concern that their daughters or sons will be coming to IU in the fall, and they begin to worry about how to support them during the school year so that his/her eating disorder will get better and not worse. Whether a university setting is large or small, students oftentimes can feel overwhelmed upon arrival. I recommend that parents and their daughters or sons make an appointment with an eating disorder professional like myself, or become connected with a dietitian or physician in June or July, before they make the transition to school.
I am a member of Indiana University’s Coalition for Problematic Eating (COPE), which is a group of professionals that help students get the support they need when on campus. My clients have the opportunity to see the physicians at I.U.’s Health Center, who specialize in the area of eating disorders. I also help my clients connect with a team of dietitians in the community who specialize in the treatment of eating disorders.
I strongly believe in a team approach when treating eating disorders, as they are both emotional and medical issues. I would encourage parents and clients to connect with support people starting now, before the school year begins, so they can have a smooth and supportive transition from their home environment to school.