Getting help for your eating disorder
I get many questions from readers about how to get the best help for an eating disorder. This post is an attempt to summarise some useful pointers.
Of course, the process for getting help varies in different countries, but in most parts of the world, the best place to start is with your general practitioner (GP) or family doctor. You may get a varying response, depending on the doctor's knowledge and skill in dealing with EDs. He or she may have good ideas about treatment, may offer treatment him or herself, or make a referral to another service.
However, some doctors are not knowledgeable about eating disorders, in which case it may be helpful to do some homework and find out about what services are available in your area. Then you can ask to be referred to a particular service.
To understand more about the referral process, at least in the UK, and about what different professionals do, have a look at the pages on the Radio 1 website dealing with mental health. In particular the page on the referral process may be useful.
UPDATE 20/8/04: The South London and Maudsley NHS Trust has just published a useful leaftlet on psychological therapies explaining what they do and how they may help.
Recent UK guidelines for eating disorder treatment have been published by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). You can read the full guidelines or the shorter and more user friendly version aimed at carers and sufferers.
In the USA, the American Psychiatric Association have published something similar, called the Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders which might also be helpful.
There are a range of online resources for finding help for your eating disorder.
EDreferral.com lists treatment resources of all kinds on its website. Most of the resources are US based but some are international.
Joanna Poppink has compiled a list of international inpatient treatment services on her excellent website.
One of the most comprehensive and well written eating disorders sites on the net, Something Fishy has an extensive treatment finder.
In the UK, the Eating Disorders Association hosts a list of professionals who work with eating disorders. Resources range from individual therapists to large treatment centres and professionals can describe their training, orientation and so on. You can also search the list to find services in your local area.
If none of these are relevant for your particular country, have a look at my article on National Eating Disorder Organisations which lists a range of support organisations across the world. Many of these can offer support over the phone and suggest treatment providers.
There is quite a bit of information available on the web about how to choose a therapist. One useful place to start is the Department of Health leaflet entitled 'Choosing Talking Therapies' which is clearly written and straightforward.
If you are feeling unsafe right now, don't wait to get help. Either visit your local hospital Accident and Emergency Department (Emergency Room) or contact the Samaritans.
Good luck, and remember, by deciding to get help, you have already made the first step towards recovery.
I need to see someone about my bulimia which is taking over my life and scaring me..can you help?