1. Take the time to educate yourself on your friend's illness. A quick google search can scourge up scores of literature on anorexia, bulimia, OFSED, and binge eating disorder. Articles such as this by sufferers themselves are often particularly pertinent in the perspective they offer.

2. Ask your friend directly what sort of phrases and reassurances are most helpful to them in moments of distress; what may relieve one eating disorder sufferer's anxiety could exacerbate another. Take what your friends suggestions seriously, even if they seem strange.

3. Don't patronize your friend, no matter how out of touch they may seem.

4. Continue extending invitations to and including your friend in conversations.

5. Be mindful about your own actions and words towards and about your own body. Model positivity as much as you are able.

6. Avoid labeling foods as "good" and "bad" or even "healthy" and "unhealthy"; individuals with eating disorders often get wrapped up in what foods they are allowed to and prohibited from consuming. Ice cream has identical nutrient content to breast milk. Pizza is a great source of protein. Kale is delicious in smoothies. The grave is farther from God than the table. You don't need forgiveness for buttering your toast.

7. Compare and despair; when someone in your life discloses they are struggling with image and eating, it is not the time or the place to recount the horror story of your sister's-friend's-roommate's graphic starvation story, how she only ate grape tomatoes for six weeks and dropped to xx pounds. Save it.

8. Showing support doesn't have to be a grand gesture; a simple "you've got this" text on a day when your friend has an appointment might be what renews their determination to recover.

9. Remember that eating disorders are medical illnesses; your friend is sick, and it may take a while for them to get better. They can't just "snap out of it" or "have a burger."

10. Don't threaten, belittle, or manipulate; i.e. "I'm not going to eat lunch until you do" or "he's going to break up with you if you keep having meltdowns like that."

11. Never forget your friend is more than their eating disorder; the person you crank called your crush with is still in there, I promise.