The Disruptive Companion

Diagnosing and treating eating disorders across cultures can be quite challenging if there’s limited understanding of cultural sensitivities, and the challenges already faced by those who develop an eating disorder can be exacerbated by the other barriers already facing migrants and their next generation.

Around a third of the people diagnosed with an eating disorder in Australia are men; that’s more than 300,000 men. And they don’t always seek or get help.

Eating disorders can be difficult to diagnose and manage for many people in Australia, but those challenges are made more difficult when there's also a lack of cultural awareness and language barriers.

Recovery from an eating disorder can take months or even a few years, but if diagnosed early the patients’ chances of getting better sooner increase significantly.

Living with or caring for someone with a mental illness has its challenges - and when your loved one is dealing with an eating disorder those challenges can seem insurmountable.