In a general sense, eating disorders are experienced as disturbances in eating habits and are accompanied by physical and emotional distress. They lead to a deterioration of physical and psychological well-being, and ultimately can cause death. To understand what an eating disorder means for the person experiencing these difficulties, it is more helpful to think of the eating disorder as something that a person has developed, in order to feel that they can cope with their lives. However, the more the person relies on the eating disorder to cope, the more they need the eating disorder to cope, and very quickly they spiral into a situation where they feel they will only be able to cope and live if they hold onto the eating disorder. The person's sense of who they are comes to depend on them holding onto the eating disorder and this is why it is so difficult and terrifying for a person to think about letting go of the eating disorder. Therefore, while it is clear to everyone else that the person is harming his / herself, the only way the person with the eating disorder feels they can survive is by maintaining the eating disorder.
It is impossible to say exactly what causes an eating disorder for any particular person. An eating disorder develops from a combination of factors (biological, socio-cultural, familial and psychological) that are particular to each individual person. At some point, controlling food or engaging in disordered eating behaviours (skipping meals, repeated dieting, restricting food intake, vomiting, bingeing, over exercising) gives the person a sense that they can cope with something they have experienced as overwhelming or distressing. Instead of experiencing the feelings and working them out, the person blocks them by controlling their food. However, the sense of security the person gains from the eating disorder is fleeting, and they need to continue to control their food in order to regain and hold on to this sense of security. This is how the eating disorder develops and establishes itself in a person's life - they get trapped in a vicious cycle of having to progressively increase their control over their food (and body) in order to feel like they can cope and survive.
No one form of treatment suits everybody. Some people find that they are able to recover from an eating disorder using self-help methods and support services alone. However, the vast majority of people will at some point seek out some form of professional help. Help is available from a variety of sources, e.g. GPs, counselling, psychotherapy, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), nutritionists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, eating disorder recovery programmes in hospitals or in other treatment centres. For many, the combination of a professional help and a non-professional support service works well. Sometimes a person might attend a combination of people using a multi-disciplinary approach, for example, a GP or nutritionist who looks after their physical health, and a psychotherapist who will help the person to examine, understand and work through the issues underlying the eating disorder. Each person needs to decide what works best for themselves. They will also need continuing support throughout the recovery process.
The short answer to this question is YES. People with eating disorders can and do make full recoveries. Recovery allows the person to live their life in a way that is not driven by a need to control their food and body, but rather, as an individual who is secure enough in themselves to live their life, welcoming the ebbs and flows of circumstances and emotions, safe in the knowledge that they can trust themselves to be okay and able to cope. Learning to re-connect with oneself, building up a trust in one's ability to cope without needing to control, not translating life issues into food issues as a way of dealing with them, allows the person to let go of the need to control food intake in order to feel okay. Recovery has a very individual meaning for each person so it is difficult to generalise and give a time scale to the recovery process. Factors such as how long the person has had the eating disorder and the quality of support they are surrounded by will influence the length of time the recovery process takes.
It can be extremely difficult to support someone who has an eating disorder and is going through the recovery process. People often experience confusion, frustration, and desperation as they witness a person they care for experiencing the difficulties and set-backs that are a natural part of the recovery process. The person in recovery is facing the task of re-learning how to cope and live their life without using disordered eating behaviours. This can be extremely difficult and frightening for them. This is why recovery often occurs slowly and why the role of supporting someone can be very difficult. There are a few things to remember about supporting someone: try to accept the person as they are and show your willingness to be there for them; listen to their needs without judgement and without trying to fix or problem solve. Let the person know that you love them and value them for who they are. Communicate a belief that recovery is possible and your belief in their ability to recover. Take the focus away from food and eating and bring it to how the person is feeling. Communicate an appreciation of the energy it takes to struggle with an eating disorder. This same energy is the person's most valuable resource for recovery. It is also very important not to put the needs for the person you are trying to support above your own needs. Looking after your own needs first not only models healthy behaviour but will put you in a stronger position to be of support to them.
See section on Approaching Somebody for an answer to this question.
The following are a few questions you may ask yourself to try and answer this question: Do you feel that the way you eat and behave around food is dependent on how you feel about yourself, on your emotional state? (Are you using food to make yourself feel better?) What behaviours are you engaging in that lead you to ask this question? Do you feel trapped into your behaviours around food and eating? Maybe it's not about getting an answer, but something prompted you to look up this website. What do you feel you need to do for yourself right now?
Many children are fussy eaters and come to use food as a currency in their relationship with their parents and caregivers. This does not necessarily mean that they have an eating disorder. An eating disorder is a manifestation of something that the child is experiencing as difficult or overwhelming at an emotional level. The child copes with a difficulty by controlling food intake. It is useful then for a parent who is concerned about the way their child is eating to try to bring a focus on how their child is feeling rather than on what their child is or is not eating. Creating a safe atmosphere to explore feelings will be of huge benefit to the child who feels unable to express what they are feeling without resorting to eating behaviours as a means of doing this. If a parent has any concerns they should visit a GP and remember that early intervention of a supportive nature is very beneficial.
There are many people who are preoccupied with dieting in today's world, and not all of these people have an eating disorder. However, if you are concerned there are a few things to think about which may give you a clearer understanding of whether or not your child has an eating disorder. An eating disorder is a manifestation of something that the child is experiencing as difficult or overwhelming at an emotional level. The child copes with a difficulty by controlling food intake. It is useful then for a parent who is concerned about the way their child is eating to try to bring a focus on how their child is feeling rather than on what their child is or is not eating. Creating a safe atmosphere to explore feelings will be of huge benefit to the child who feels unable to express what they are feeling other than through their eating habits. If a parent has any concerns they should visit a GP and remember that early intervention of a supportive nature is very beneficial. Do you feel that the way your child eats or diets depends on her / his emotional state? Is she dieting to make herself feel better? Are there issues about body image that could be talked about and addressed? Do you feel your child is trapped into a dieting cycle? How would your child be if she were not able to diet? Are you aware of what was going on in your child's life when she began to get preoccupied with dieting, and has this preoccupation intensified since then? These are all questions that will help you to gain a better understanding of the role that food (and eating / not eating) is playing in your child's life. There would be concern around an eating disorder if your child is depending on food and body control to feel ok about herself / himself.
Media influence is frequently blamed for breeding a normative discontent in relation to body image and this is often seen as being a causal factor in the development of eating disorders.
The causes of eating disorders are multiple and very complex. A whole range of factors combine to contribute to the development and maintenance of an eating disorder. However, two of the major risk factors for eating disorders are low self-esteem and dieting.
A culture which promotes obsession with appearance and which markets a particular body shape (thinness in women / leanness and muscularity in men) as desirable and as a means of achieving success and/or happiness can contribute to the erosion of self-esteem in vulnerable individuals. In this context, the constant promotion of dieting also can contribute to creating an unhealthy relationship with food and body. It is in the light of this that the media can be seen as playing a part in the development of eating disorders.
The effect of the media is to further undermine those individuals who are already vulnerable to developing an eating disorder; and to exacerbate and maintain eating disordered thinking where it is already established. This is why it is so important that the media take responsibility for what they report and recognise the potential impact of messages that have the capacity to undermine healthy self-image and self-esteem which are the cornerstones of mental well-being.
It can be extremely frightening and frustrating for a parent when trying to understand why their child just can't eat. This seems to contradict everything that they take for granted about being ill, about feeling hunger, and about how they have brought their child up as a healthy individual. This is why it is really important to understand the role the eating disorder plays in your child's life. The eating disorder, and the disordered eating behaviours that are part of it, are ways your child uses to feel safe and in control. He / she can't just eat (at the moment) because it takes some time to re-learn how to cope with life without using the disordered eating behaviours. Through the recovery process, your child will slowly begin to eat and re-learn what feeling hungry is like and why it is ok to eat and nourish him / herself. The eating disorder works as a coping tool because it helps the person disconnect from their feelings, which also includes feeling hungry. So, the person often does not feel hungry when they are in the midst of the eating disorder. When a person starts to eat again, it can be very frightening to suddenly begin to reconnect with their feelings. This can be experienced as overwhelming. This is why it is so important not to rush or force a person to eat. They might feel so threatened that they will defend themselves by further retreating into the eating disorder.
This is a very difficult situation and a very difficult question to answer. The most important thing to try and keep at the centre of any decision making about what course of action to take, is that in so far as this is possible your child needs to feel that they are as much in control of what is happening as all of you are. An eating disorder is in many ways all about control and any decisions about treatment need to be made in a way that is not experienced as threatening. Achieving this can present many challenges, depending on how ill your child is. Have you discussed what your child's fears are about attending an eating disorder programme? Can these fears be addressed before your child takes up a place on the programme? Have you explored with your child all the various treatment options, to see whether there is another appropriate course of action that your child feels less frightened by? What supports have you sought for your child and yourself both prior to and following a treatment programme? Being open and honest with your child will benefit them in the long run. Allowing your child to feel as in control as possible of what is happening to them is as crucial to laying the foundations for recovery. Involve them in any decision making process and even if you may not feel that you can accommodate their wishes, ensure that your child knows that you have demonstrated that you value their feelings and respect their views. When a person with an eating disorder feels threatened, or pushed into doing something that they are not ready for, then the fear is that they will further retreat into the eating disorder. This is very frustrating to those around them, and difficult to understand. Allowing the person to take their recovery at their own pace will benefit them in the long term.
You could start right here on the Bodywhys website. Here you will find general information on eating disorders, on getting help and treatment, and on some of the wider issues relating to eating disorders. You can also access our resources section, which links you to other websites for further information on this topic. You may also call us at 01 2834963 and we will send you a full information pack which includes an extensive booklist and website list.
We have designed a facility on our website that allows someone conducting research, to make a call for participants through our website. To do this you must send us a summary of your research project and what you will require of participants. Bodywhys will then assess whether your research is suitable to be put on our website and contact you to let you know whether or not we can accommodate you by putting out a call for participants through the website. We ask all researchers to ensure that any participants they interview are made aware of our support services and are given all relevant information. We also ask researchers to give Bodywhys a copy of their completed research for our library. If you are looking to interview somebody for a media article, Bodywhys has developed a media panel of people who are willing to do such interviews. You can set this up by calling us on 01-2834963.
Yes. Eating disorders are not specific to women and girls. Most literature asserts that one in ten people with an eating disorder is male, however, more recent studies suggest that the figure may be substantially higher. It is often more difficult for men to seek out help because eating disorders are still perceived by many to be something that only effects women and girls.
The question to ask yourself is what do you feel is the right course of action for you to take right now? In some ways, the fact that he doesn't know that you know, gives you some time to think through how you are going to handle this situation. This is a delicate issue. Rushing into reacting may cause your son to retreat and defend his behaviours more. Before approaching him about this, you might find it helpful to read through our information on approaching someone. This will allow you time to think through how you can approach the situation in as constructive and supportive a manner as possible. Before you approach your son, inform yourself as much as possible about eating disorders. Your son may be experiencing feelings of shame around his behaviours and it will be important that you approach him in as gentle and safe a way as possible. Try to view your son's behaviour as a way he has developed of coping. It then becomes possible for you to understand to what extent it will be important for him that this coping mechanism isn't threatened by how you approach him. So, it is about trying to dialogue with him in such a way that he feels he can talk to you about why he is doing this at the moment. Eating disorders are manifestations of underlying emotional distress. The most important thing for him will be that he feels listened to and not judged. Try to accept him where he is at, and to focus on how he is feeling rather than what he is doing. If you think it would help, you could tease out ways of addressing the situation with a helpline volunteer (1890 200 444). This can provide you with a space to explore your own feelings which can put you in a better position to be the non judgemental listener that your son needs you to be at this time.
The first thing you can do as a teacher is to inform yourself of the issues that can be involved when a person develops an eating disorder. Early intervention in eating disorders greatly improves the outcome. It is important for you to take clear concise notes of the incidents and observed behaviours that have led you to believe there is a problem. Although you cannot "diagnose" what the issue is with the pupil in question, your notes will assist a health professional in the assessment and diagnostic process should this need arise. It is important that you share your concerns with the school counsellor, or the person in charge of pastoral care. Then decide who is the most appropriate person to approach the young person and his / her family.
If you are concerned about somebody using your gym, it is important that, before you approach the person, you are very clear in your own mind about what your concerns are and about what you have observed. It is also really important that you make yourself aware of what the gym's health and safety policy around this issue is. It will be very helpful if you inform yourself about eating disorders and about what help and support there is available to somebody with an eating disorder. When approaching the person in question try to find a way of taking the person aside privately and at a time when you have the available time to express your concerns about what you have observed and to listen to them without judging them. They may not wish to talk to you about it and may even react negatively. Make sure you have information available for them about where they can get support and help so that you can offer it to them. Even if they are not ready to seek help now, they may feel ready to do so at a later stage. Knowing that you were supportive in your initial approach will make it possible for them to approach you again if they feel they need your support at a later stage.
Bodywhys can play an important role at any stage for people affected by eating disorders. The various support services that Bodywhys provides are designed to offer non-judgemental, confidential support and understanding to people affected by eating disorders at any stage of their journey. A person may turn to Bodywhys in the midst of an eating disorder, when they are just beginning to think about letting it go and getting treatment; they may be in treatment and reaching out for additional support to help them with the challenges they are encountering; they may be looking for support because they are going through a bad patch; they may have completed a treatment programme and need support as they try to cope with living at home again, they may simply want to talk to someone because they do not know what to do; they may be a family member or a friend of a person experiencing an eating disorder who needs to talk in confidence and be supported as they try to support somebody else. They may wish to benefit from the experience of others who have faced challenges similar to those they find themselves facing now. Contact with others who understand can help people to feel less isolated and more confident about recovery. For those who are not yet ready to engage with recovery, supportive contact can help them to accept themselves fully as they are now. This acceptance is the only place to start if recovery is to begin. Recovering from an eating disorder is an extremely difficult process, and each day presents its own challenges. Bodywhys services provide confidential and non-judgemental support that can help carry a person through difficult times, whether they may be in the process of recovery or in need of that encouraging word and listening ear that gives them the courage to seek out help for themselves.
Bodywhys offers confidential support and information services for people affected by eating disorders. We do not offer any counselling or therapy service. Please see our website to fully understand the work Bodywhys does. The support services we offer are; a telephone helpline, support groups, email support, and online support meetings.
Bodywhys support groups are FREE. If you would like to make a donation to the group, a donation box is available. You do not need a referral to attend a group. There are two types of group. One for people with eating disorders, and another for family and friends. Bodywhys support groups are based on the concept of mutual support and self help. They do not provide therapy. For more information about the groups, see our Support Services.
BodywhysConnect is an online support service for people with eating disorders. It is a safe place to explore what is going on for you with others experiencing similar problems. It takes the form of mutual support and is a forum for sharing information. Participants must be aged 16 years or over. All sessions are facilitated by 2 trained volunteers. Sessions last 1 hour and 30 minutes. This service is FREE. A simple set of rules and guidelines must be observed. To access support, participants must first register for the service. To see how to do this, please click on the link from the bodywhys website.
Helpline hours are Monday 19.30-21.30; Tuesday 12.30-14.30; Wednesday 19.30-21.30; Thursday 10.00-12.00; Friday 12.30-14.30; Saturday 11:00-13:00; Sunday 19:00-21:00. You can get the helpline hours by calling the helpline at any time (1890 200 444), from our website, or by texting the word "support" to 53305
Alex is a group of trained volunteers who reply to emails from people affected by eating disorders looking for support or information. Anyone can access this support service and emails are replied to within 3 days. People contact Alex for any number of reasons, sometimes just once, and sometimes more depending on the level of support they need at the time of writing. The email support service is a valuable first step for many people in addressing an issue concerning eating disorders.
The answer to this question somewhat depends on how ill your friend is and what age she or he is. Someone with an eating disorder can be dangerously ill, both psychologically and physically and may not be able to recognise that they are in need of urgent help. In those situations it is necessary that a friend does take action. This could entail informing their next-of-kin or accompanying them to their family doctor. When the person recovers, they will understand that you have acted in their best interest. Where you feel urgent help is required, it is best if you can in some way communicate your concern to the person, and try in some way to find a way in which you decide together what help to get. This is where a support service such as the telephone helpline can be very useful. It can provide you with the opportunity to talk through the decision. You may also wish to encourage your friend to use the helpline service for themselves so that they can explore in a safe and non threatening environment what it is they feel they need at this time.
The road to recovery from an eating disorder is different for everybody. Some people do manage to recover on their own, with the right level of support. However, it can be more difficult to recover from an eating disorder on one's own without access to support services and / or some form of professional help and support. A big part of recovery is creating the right environment that is conducive to and supportive of effective change, and this can be more difficult to do without some form of regular support / professional help. Some people try repeatedly to recover on their own, but often there comes a point when they realise they cannot sustain any changes they are trying to make and they recognise that they need to get some help. The need to seek out professional help should never be viewed as a failure to cope. It is more a matter of a person having reached a point where they can recognise that they need further support. It is also about valuing themselves enough to get the help they need. The move towards help can be seen as a move towards engaging with others and with life in general in a healthful, growthful way.
This is a question that people often ask because therapy is a process, which ebbs and flows, and often change occurs very slowly. This slowness can be experienced as frustrating for the individual because they are making a huge effort and expect to see results. If you are worried that your therapy is not working then it is really important that you bring this concern to your therapist/counsellor for discussion. If you feel you cannot do this then that in itself is something to bring back to your therapist. If you have concerns that you are not getting better, or that you are unclear of how you are progressing then the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing around this can provide valuable input into your therapy sessions and can often free things up and provide a sense of movement again. The most important element in therapy is that you manage to establish a trusting relationship with your therapist in which you feel safe to be as you are. It can take some time to develop trust in any relationship so you will need to give the therapeutic relationship some time too before making any decisions about whether or not your therapist is the right person for you.
Bodywhys is an independent voluntary organisation. We are a registered charity and a registered company. We are audited by Kelly Cregan & Company. We receive core funding from the Health Service Executive. This funding does not cover the entire running costs of our growing organisation. For this reason, Bodywhys has also sought and received funding from several other sources such as the Department of Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs, The Dormant Accounts Fund, Vodafone Ireland, The Health Promotion Unit, The National Lottery, People in Need. For more detailed information on current funding, please download a copy of our most recent Annual Report from our website.
Currently at Bodywhys there are four staff members. All Bodywhys services are provided by trained volunteers. See our staff and volunteers section for more detailed information.
There are currently eight board members of Bodywhys. For names of board members, please see our staff and volunteers section.
You must be over 20 years old to volunteer with Bodywhys. The procedure for applying to volunteer with Bodywhys is to obtain and complete a volunteer application form. You can do this either by downloading a copy from our website, or by calling us at 01 2834963 and we will send you a copy. Once we have your application we will contact you for an interview and provide details of the next training opportunities. All volunteers must undertake training and are asked to commit to the service for which they have received training for a period of 15 months. If you have any further questions or queries concerning volunteering with Bodywhys please do not hesitate to email us at info@bodywhys.ie or call 01-2834963.
Due to the fact that we are a small organisation we generally do not take people for work experience. However, if you have a query about this, please contact us on 01-2834963, or email info@bodywhys.ie. We have in the past taken people on to work on a specific task.
There are five ways you can donate to Bodywhys. 1. Secure online donation using a credit card or laser Card with Worldpay. 2. Secure online donation using a credit card through Paypal. 3. Post a cheque or postal order made out to Bodywhys to P.O. Box 105, Blackrock, Co Dublin. 4. Lodge or transfer money directly into the Bodywhys account 5. Gift donations Go to our donations section for further information or to make a donation
Children and Adolescents: Based on the 2002 Census, there are an estimated 2400 females (1%) between the age of 12 and 19 years with anorexia. The average age of onset is 14 years. There are 1.5% or 3,600 with bulimia with the average age of onset being 17 years. This is a total of 6,000 females between the age of 12 and 19 years with either bulimia or anorexia. Using this figure, we can deduce that approximately 600 males (10%) between 12 and 19 years have an eating disorder Adults: There is currently no figure for prevalence (number of people with eating disorders) in the adult population, other than for Binge Eating Disorder which is estimated to affect 168,000 or 4% of the general population. If affects men and women equally.
Bodywhys encourages anybody with concerns about any treatment they may or may not receive to bring these concerns to the health professional they are attending or to the person who is admitting them for treatment or assessing them prior to admission. It is really important to check out all these details before beginning treatment if you have a concern like this. As far as Bodywhys is aware, your consent is required for any treatment. Tube-feeding in eating disorders is recommended very rarely and only when a physician considers that it is a necessary and life-saving intervention. The tube is a naso-gastric tube. This means that a fine flexible tube is inserted through your nostril into your stomach and a highly nourishing liquid feed can be passed through this. It is very uncommon for such a procedure to take place against the will of the person being treated. If you have concerns about anything to do with involuntary admissions or treatment please contact Mental Health Ireland for the most up to date information concerning the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2001, which will begin in November 2006. Changes in relation to involuntary admissions will come into effect at this time. You can contact Mental Health Ireland on www.mentalhealthireland.ie or by calling 01-2841166
This situation arises very rarely in the area of eating disorders. It is highly unlikely that somebody with an eating disorder will be admitted against their will. The type of situation where this may occur is if the person with the eating disorder presents in such a dangerous state of physical and/or psychological deterioration that their life is in danger. In this situation, it is most likely that the health professional dealing with them will act on their duty of care to the person by referring them to a psychiatrist or other consultant who may then make the decision to admit the person to hospital whether they consent or not to this. Please note that the implementation of part two of the Mental Health Act 2001 will commence on 1st November 2006. Part two of the Act allows the Mental Health Commission to set up independent tribunals to review the legality of people involuntarily detained in psychiatric facilities. It lays down the circumstances in which people may be admitted to or detained in mental health facilities against their will, and the procedures to be followed. It also provides for the mandatory review within 21 days by the Mental Health Tribunals of all people involuntarily admitted to psychiatric facilities with the right to legal representation before the tribunal. It further provides protections in respect of treatment they receive while involuntarily detained, and the right to information about the circumstances of the detention and any proposed treatments. For more up to date information on involuntary admissions, please contact Mental Health Ireland on www.mentalhealthireland.ie or by calling 01-2841166.
Concerns around confidentiality can sometimes become a barrier to reaching out for support and seeking help. Your school chaplain is likely to have clear policies around confidentiality. If you have concerns or fears around this, we would encourage you to ask for clarification of the policies that exist in your school. Talking to your chaplain about your concerns and fears in relation to confidentiality will create an opportunity for them to explain to you how they can help create a space within which it feels safe for you to talk about what is going on in your life.
Concerns around confidentiality can sometimes become a barrier to reaching out for support and seeking help. Your college counsellor will have clear policies around confidentiality. If you have concerns or fears around this, we would encourage you to ask for clarification of the policies that govern practice in your college. Talking to your college counsellor about your concerns in relation to confidentiality will create an opportunity for them to explain to you how they can help create a space within which it feels safe for you to talk about what is going on in your life.