[charmbraceletxo]

Hello, all! I'm seeking some help/advice/support in terms of being conducive to my boyfriend's recovery from binge eating disorder. He's been struggling with compulsive over-eating since childhood, but in recent years, it's manifested itself as a full-blown binge eating disorder. He only recently agreed to see a school counselor at his college (he comes from a rather emotionally-unresponsive family, as they've always berated him for his sensitivity and eating behaviors)--and while he's become increasingly self-aware throughout the past couple of months, I'm likewise finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the delicate nature of the situation and his emotions. While I, myself, struggled with an eating disorder (the restrictive-type) as an adolescent (not to mention self-injury and recurring bouts of depression--even now), I can never seem to *encourage* him in an emotionally-sound way. As it seems, I tend to say and do things that render stress--thus, compelling him to eat more--and leave him completely helpless/hopeless. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've been trying to conquer an emotional problem with logic, and given the emotionally-sensitive nature of his problem, it just isn't effective. Needless to say, I've tried relating it to my past issues with cutting and food-restriction, but I feel that our limited proximity makes it exceptionally difficult to NOT be emotionally invested (for instance, I find myself becoming frustrated and angry at the sight of him binging).

Can anyone offer me advice pertaining to this issue? I've conducted rather extensive research online, and yet I still can't seem to get a handle on this :/