Psychology of Eating Disorders
A service to support children & young people who experience distress around eating
Who We See in the Eating Disorders Service
Eating disorders involve disturbed eating habits and weight control behaviour that disrupts a person’s physical and psychosocial functioning.
Disturbed eating habits may take the form of restricted food intake, strict dietary rules, preoccupation with food, and altered mealtime behaviours.
Disturbed weight control behaviour can include excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting and misuse of laxatives.
Sufferers can experience dramatic personality changes, fatigue, apathy, social withdrawal, and extreme preoccupation with food, weight and shape.
Eating disorders are serious as they carry medical consequences including growth problems, heart problems and, in some cases can be fatal.
Boys and girls can both suffer from eating disorders; they may even be under diagnosed in males because they are less likely to seek help.
If would like to speak to us, please speak to your parents and then, or if preferred only, a GP to seek a referral.
WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE US FOR
-
Anorexia
People with anorexia restrict their intake of food and sometimes liquids. These behaviours are a result of an intense fear of gaining weight and disturbances in the way that a young person see's their weight and shape. They may restrict particular food groups such as fats or carbohydrates. They may exercise excessively or may be “always on the go”. They may also use other strategies such as induced vomiting or use of laxatives after eating. Hiding symptoms or even denying them is common. People with anorexia are underweight.
-
Bulemia
Bulimia involves a person feeling a lack of control over eating large volumes of food in one sitting (bingeing). This leads to compensatory behaviour to prevent any weight gain such as vomiting, misusing laxatives, diuretics or other medication and excessive exercise. People with bulimia are usually within the normal weight range and their eating disorder behaviours are usually very secretive, meaning others can be unaware of the difficulties.
-
Atypical Eating
Otherwise known as EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified), this means that a person has symptoms but may not quite meet all the criteria for a specific eating disorder diagnosis.This does not mean the eating disorder is any less serious. Sometimes people’s eating disorders do not meet full criteria as they have been caught early by parents and carers or services.
-
Binge Eating
A diagnosis of binge eating involves large episodes of over eating without compensatory behaviour. Bingeing could mean eating faster than normal, eating till feeling uncomfortably full, hiding eating and eating alone as feel embarrassed by how much they are eating, feeling guilty, depressed or disgusted after overeating.
What Happens at an Appointment
Assessment
When a referral is received the child/young person and their family will be contacted by letter or phone call inviting them to attend for an initial assessment appointment.
The appointment will normally be carried out by two professionals and last 1-1 1/2 hours. The appointment will give the young person and their family a chance to meet members of the team, to discuss the current difficulties and be physically assessed. The assessment may include the young person being seen on their own, parents or carers being seen on their own, and the whole family being seen together.
After the initial assessment appointment, an initial formulation and sometimes a diagnosis is made. The young person and their family are given information and advice. A clear plan of follow up and therapy recommendations will be discussed at the end of the appointment. This will be summarised in a written report that will be sent to the young person’s GP and the family and with consent, any other professional involved with the young person.
Follow-Up
You may be offered a follow up appointment, within two-four weeks of the initial assessment with a CAMHS GP, Nurse or Psychiatrist for further medical observations. Information may also be sought from others such as GP's, school, and paediatricians.
After the initial assessment appointment, you will be placed on a waiting list for treatment, which may include psychological therapies such as Family Based Therapy (FBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for eating disorders (CBT-E) or Systemic Family Therapy.
Charities and Resources
-
BEAT UK
The UK’s ED charity. Personal stories, resources, peer support and much more.
-
PEACE
Targeted support for people with eating disroders on the autistic spectrum.
-
SupportED
Scotland’s community eating disorder charity, running support groups across the country.
-
F.E.A.S.T.
Around the Dinner Table Forum for Parents. It is moderated by kind, experienced, parent caregivers trained to guide you in how to use the forum and how to find resources to help you support your family member.
-
Family Based Therapy Summary Leaflet
-
Full Information Sheet for Family Based Therapy