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Surviving the first week of re-feeding your child using (Maudsley) Family-Based Treatment
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In Family-Based Treatment (FBT), figuring out how to get your starving child to eat and gain weight is a daunting task. Parents often feel overwhelmed and helpless when starting out on a re-feeding program. It is important to remember that your child is literally more afraid of the food than of dying of starvation. But food is the medicine, and it is your job to save her (or his) life.
Anorexia makes children do things they would never normally do and an escalation of behavior is common when parents start to stand up to the anorexia. In fact, an escalation during the first week, although unpleasant and often scary, is usually a good sign that parents are not giving in to the anorexia. Consistent confrontation of the anorexia ultimately brings greater compliance as well as weight gain. It is imperative that parents work together and are well aligned; otherwise the anorexia can split them and gain strength.