What are eating disorders?

What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are complex mental health issues that involve distorted thoughts and behaviours around food, body shape and body weight. Those with eating disorders can have a variety of symptoms. It can involve:

  • severe food restriction
  • eating large quantities of food at once
  • getting rid of food eaten through unhealthy patterns of behaviour (i.e. purging, laxative misuse, fasting or over-exercising)
  • or a combination of these behaviours.

Types of eating disorder include:

  • anorexia nervosa
  • binge eating disorder
  • bulimia nervosa
  • other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).

Eating disorders can be a way in which food is used to control difficult feelings; often used as a strategy to feel more able to cope and in control of life. Eating problems involve any relationship with food that is difficult and negatively impacts day-to-day life.

Anyone, regardless of age, gender, background or weight, can be affected by eating problems, as well as eating disorders.

X

Family and carer support

Family and carer support

Groups

Northamptonshire Eating Disorder Service Carer Group 

Open to any adult with a loved one with an eating disorder engaging in active treatment within our service. The group runs once a month and covers both a workshop space and an reflective space.

Websites

Anorexia Family

Resources from Eva Musby for help for parents of children and teens suffering from Anorexia and other Eating Disorders.

Beat - Beating Eating Disorders

National charity with support helplines.

Family Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (F.E.A.S.T)

An international organisation of and for parents and caregivers to help loved ones recover from eating disorders by providing information and mutual support, promoting evidence based treatment, and advocating for research and education to reduce the suffering associated with eating disorders.

Books

Skills based learning for caring for a loved one with an eating disorder: The New Maudsley Method. Book by Janet Treasure, Gráinne Smith & Anna Crane.

Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Skills Based Training Manual. Book by Jenny Langley, Gill Todd & Janet Treasure (online resources from the book available here).

X

Crisis support

Crisis support

The Adult Eating Disorder Service is not an emergency care service. If you require urgent care or support please contact one of the following:

Life-threatening medical emergency - call 999

The Mental Health Number - for local support and services give one of our friendly team a call, anytime of the day or night: 0800 448 0828 - open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Samaritans - provides emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide. Call the free helpline 116 123 or e-mail jo@samaritans.org .

Shout text service  - Confidential 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. Just text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258

X
  1. Acute Liaison Mental Health Service
  2. Adult ADHD, Autism and Tourettes Team (AAATT)
  3. Adult Inpatients Acute
  4. Adult Inpatient Low Secure
  5. Adult Inpatient Specialist
  6. Adult Inpatient PICU
  7. At Risk Mental State Service
  8. Community Mental Health Adult - Early Intervention N’Step
  9. Community Mental Health Team
  10. Community Mental Health Transformation
  11. Complex PTSD service
  12. Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team
  13. Crisis cafés
  14. Crisis Response Unit
  15. Crisis Houses: The Warren and The Martins
  16. Custody Healthcare Team
  17. Eating Disorders Service
  18. ECT and Ketamine Therapy - The Treatment Centre
  19. Forensic Team
  20. Gender Identity Clinic
  21. Health Based Place of Safety
  22. IPS Employment Service
  23. Learning Disabilities
  24. Northants Personality Disorder Hub
  25. Liaison Psychiatry for Older People
  26. Maternal Loss Psychology Service
  27. Memory Assessment Service
  28. NHS Northamptonshire Talking Therapies
  29. Older Adults Community Mental Health Services
  30. Older People’s Inpatient Acute
  31. Peer support service
  32. Police Liaison & Triage
  33. RECONNECT - Care after custody
  34. rTMS - Centre for Neuromodulation
  35. Recovery College
  36. Secured Services
  37. Serenity Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
  38. Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service
  39. The Mental Health Number
  40. Urgent Care and Assessment Team
  41. Younger Persons with Dementia Team