The Road to Recovery

You can recover from an eating disorder BUT you need to want to.  It can be a hard struggle.  Sometimes it can feel like two steps forward and one step back.  Here are some ways to make it easier: Work out why your eating disorder started in the first place.  You can do this with a counsellor and there are also useful books (see below).  Come and have an assessment with Claire, our Centre Coordinator.  Find out what support services we can offer you. (see How We Can Help)    Join Syeda's support group and share your feelings with others who are, or have been, in the same situation as you (see How We Can Help). "What happens is you feel ready to go up a few notches at a time.  It's a balance - pushing yourself but not pushing yourself too hard."
	There are NHS guidelines on how eating disorders should be treated. (See www.nice.org.uk/CG009NICEquickrefguide).  Your GP should follow these.  You might be offered counselling or dietary advice or a referral to a specialist for further assessment. An assessment may lead to being offered treatment in an outpatient eating disorders service, or if the disorder is more serious you may be referred to a hospital for in-patient care. Your doctor should also treat any medical problems that have arisen as a result of your eating disorder.
If you are a STUDENT in Sheffield there are specialist, eating disorder nurses who can help you at the University Health Centre and the Porter Brook General Practice. Self-help books can help you recover.  Research has shown that self-help can be just as effective as having therapy.  It’s even more effective if you ask someone to help guide you through the process – a practice nurse at your GP surgery, or a friend or relative.  It must be someone you are comfortable with.  If you are pregnant, or have diabetes, make sure you don’t rely on guided self-help alone.  Let the professionals caring for you know that you have an eating disorder.	Not all GPs are experienced with eating disorders, but it’s important to get help from a GP.  You can ask the practice manager, in a group practice, if any of the doctors has a special interest in eating disorders.  You can also talk to the practice nurse.   If you are unhappy with your NHS treatment ring the Help Line on 0114 272 8855 and we can give you advice on how to get the help you need.  If you want us to, we can write to your GP and outline what treatment you are entitled to.

There are many self-help books available - come and browse in our Library (we have reference copies of the main books as well as copies to be borrowed).  The Beat (national eating disorders association) website (www.b-eat.co.uk) has a very comprehensive book list.  Books have different styles and approaches, so it’s worth looking at a few until you find one you 'click' with.  And a book, however well thought out, is not a magic pill!  Everything will depend on how you use the book and it will take time.  Peter Cooper, author of ‘Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating.  A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques’, says that most people who make use of his book work through it in about six months.  Some might manage it in a shorter period, but others may need longer.   

Some books you may find helpful are:  

Anorexia Nervosa.  A Survival Guide for Families, Friends and Sufferers by Janet Treasure, Psychology Press, 2000.  A self-help guide, with background information and case studies, that includes sections to help parents and carers  understand eating disorders and support recovery.   

Anorexia Nervosa: The Wish to Change by Crisp, Joughin, Halek and Bowyer, Psychology Press, 1996.  A workbook for those wishing to change from anorexia but not sure how to go about it.  Good, practical information for someone with an eating disorder, and also for family and friends. 

Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa by Christopher Freeman, Robinson Publishing, 2002. The first part of the book outlines the causes and effects of Anorexia.  The second is a structured, self-help manual with exercises and mile-stones for recovery.   

Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating. A Guide to Recovery by Peter Cooper, Robinson Publishing, 2000.  The first part of the book outlines the causes and effects of binge eating and bulimia.  The second half is a self-help manual, which gives exercises and milestones for recovery. 

Getting Better Bit(e) by Bit(e).  A Survival Kit for Sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder by Schmidt and Treasure, 1993.  A self-help manual with chapters on dealing with setbacks and how to meet the challenges of on-going life, such as motherhood, work and relationships.