Eat, drink and be filled with terror. This, for the thousands of people in the Republic who suffer from eating disorders, is what Christmas is about.
"It is perhaps the most stressful time of the year for people suffering from anorexia or bulimia," says Jennifer Kelly, the chairwoman of Bodywhys, a support organisation.
"All the celebrations of Christmas and the new year are centred around food and drink. If someone with anorexia is faced with a large gathering or a family party, it can just cause huge anxiety. The opportunities for avoiding food go," she says.
For bulimics the stress again comes with the enormous quantities of food. As one mother of a recovered bulimic puts it: "I used to hate Christmas. There couldn't be a sweet or a biscuit in the house but they'd be gone. I'd be hiding chocolates and boxes of biscuits, but she'd still find them. And the more she binged, the more stressed she'd get. She'd be in worse form, and that would upset the rest of the family."
The key difference between Christmas and the rest of the year, says Kelly, is the lack of structure as far as eating and mealtimes are concerned, as well as the lack of distractions. "There are fewer opportunities to avoid food. There's no job or school to go to, to distract the sufferer and their families, or to allow the sufferer to say, 'Oh, I ate earlier,' or, 'I'll get something to eat later on.' "
Then there is the seemingly unending procession of food, from the big breakfast, turkey dinner and pudding to mince pies, chocolates, crisps, dips and other snacks. "There's no relief from it," says Kelly. "In fact, a lot of eating disorders come to light during the Christmas period, and we find we get a big increase in the volume of calls just after Christmas."
There are also the well-meaning but insensitive remarks from relatives or friends whom the sufferer may not have seen for a year, says Kelly. "A remark like, 'You've put on a bit of weight,' or, 'You're looking very well,' would be enough to send an anorexic right back. They'll think, 'Gosh, I have to lose weight.' "
In helping a sufferer cope, it is important not to push them, says Kelly. Instead, talk to them, perhaps "make a deal" and, most importantly, understand their anxieties.
She suggests, for example, serving food in a way that doesn't immediately frighten the sufferer: don't ladle rich sauces onto vegetables but serve them on the side; don't force them to eat pudding if they say they're full; serve vegetable canapΘs as well as crisps and nuts, so the anorexic or bulimic will feel comfortable nibbling them.
Equally, she says, tell them it's OK to leave the table for a while if they get upset.
"Have the coping strategies planned," she says. "And be sensible. If there's an alcoholic in the house you wouldn't fill the place with drink. If someone in the family is bulimic, don't buy more food than you're going to use."
There are no figures on the number of people in the Republic who suffer from eating disorders, but it is estimated that between 1 and 2 per cent of young people suffer from anorexia, with up to 5 per cent suffering from bulimia.
From January 2nd, the Bodywhys helpline (01-2835126) is open again on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Further information is available from its website, at www.bodywhys.ie