Bodily Autonomy

In every person’s life, there comes a time when you are autonomous, able to make your decisions on your own.  We have all made both good and bad choices in our lives and have faced the consequences, good and bad.  One of the biggest questions in my mind is at what age does that happen?  As a mother of four(yes, four) teenagers ranging from 14-18 in age, I have often wondered when do you allow them to start making decisions that may effect their lives for a long time?  

I remember the first time I let my sons go into a men’s restroom for the first time without their father.  I stood outside the door, counting the minutes and scrutinizing any man that entered or exited the restroom.  I remember making the three boys go into together, and making them promise not to leave each other alone.  This is a normal scenario.  It is a step every boys mother must eventually make. 

As parents, we have always been the ones to make all decisions in the home.  Those choices included entertainment, healthcare, schooling, clothing, food and many others. Letting some of those decisions be made by the teens is sometimes hard, but I believe are necessary to raising healthy, confident young adults. 

When do your teens become mature enough to visit the doctor’s office by themselves?  My 17 year old son recently had strep throat and I accompanied him into the doctor’s office.  When a child has a serious illness, such as an eating disorder, is it ok for the doctor to refuse to allow parents in or to give information to the parents?  If so, at what age?   Eating disorders are often duel-diagnosed with another mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or OCD.

Success in treating eating disorders vary greatly.  Factors include needs of the individual, severity of other diagnosed illnesses, type of treatment, willingness of the individual to embrace treatment and the family or social support network. (Eating Disorders, n.d.)  People with eating disorders need nutrition education, and medical and psychological care.  

In my research I found that those with a strong support system tended to have more long term success.(The Family-Based, or Maudsley Treatment Approach. n.d.)  I believe that a strong family/social support system a key in recovery from eating disorders.  If the teen with an eating disorder has a supportive family,  doctors and psychologist will benefit having everyone involved in the care of the patient.  Parents need to be involved in the health of their children.  

References

Eating Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml#part5

The Family-Based, or Maudsley Treatment Approach. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.feast-ed.org/TheFacts/MaudsleyApproach.aspx