Teenager Eating disorder - Help please Post Reply

[Purple mach]

Hi NappyValley People,

Looking for a reference for a therapist or a clinic specialising in eating disorder and anxiety for teenager.

Our young teenager daughter has developed serious anxieties about food and needs to get some support relatively quickly, I want to make sure we are tackling it sooner rather than later.
Our daughter always had a tendency to anxiety, although you wouldn't know if you met her as she comes across as a confident girl, doing well at school and has a nice social circle of friends.

During the past month or so she has developed panic attacks which seem to be triggered by eating control and  food selection.

We saw the GP and we are currently waiting for the referral letter for an eating disorder clinic. I fear however that this will take some time before we actually see someone, and I am quite keen to find some support asap.
I would very much appreciate any recommendation of a good therapist who works with teenager with OCD/anxiety linked to eating.

Many many thanks in advance!

[muddyboots]

Sorry to hear about this.
Whilst you wait for professional help, please consider how you can reduce her anxiety triggers.

You say she’s doing well in school, is there a lot of pressure in school or pressure to perform well?

Another one is social media, is she using it a lot? It’s a big anxiety trigger especially for girls with regards to body image etc. Try to limit this as soon as possible.

Controlling food intake is a symptom of overwhelm and trying to control something when your feel out of control in the other aspects of your life.

Good luck

[chorister]

The Priory Clinic in Roehampton specialises in eating disorders - probably worth a phone call to them.

[Purple mach]

Thank you very much for your replies, I will definitely call the Priory Clinic.

We looked into NHS, and whilst I have no doubt that the support is good I am concerned about the waiting time.

Thanks again!

[marmarzet]

The charity Beat has a help finder to find local support from therapists etc: https://helpfinder.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/#

You can also access some of Beat’s own one-to-one support remotely (by phone/email). And their helpline is super useful for people with an eating disorder themselves and their family. Beat is really supportive of early intervention as it leads to the best long-term outcomes—their helpline advisors can help you find the right support and give practical advice in navigating NHS referrals processes so you get help asap.

Good luck

[EDhelp]

The Family Treatment Service in Wimbledon Village provides excellent support for young people with both eating disorders and anxiety.

[Suzie]

Dear Purple Match,I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter developing Eating Disorder. My daughter was diagnosed with Anorexia just after the first lockdown and I have to say, it was the toughest and hardest few years for us since. She is now in the recovery.I would definitely suggest Beat – they are a fantastic charity that offer many services for parents and cares in your situation. As soon as we realised our daughter is unwell, I got in touch with Beat and they offered us weekly calls. They also provide Zoom sessions called Solace, which for me, was a fantastic support in such difficult time. Once you contact them, they may, most likely, send you this book: Skills-based Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder by Janet Treasure, Grainne Smith | Waterstones, which became our ‘bible’I would also highly recommend educational short movies from Eva Musby that you can find on YouTube. There is lots of material on website, don’t get overwhelmed with it, some is very tough to watch, some is triggering and may not be helpful at all….It will be hugely helpful not just to get support for your daughter from NHS, but also for yourselves (as parents and siblings) to ‘educate’ yourselves and learn the best ways how to support your daughter.Please do not hesitate to contact me privately, I really understand how worried you’re.Best wishesS

[Funnygirl]

I have heard good things about the ORRI clinic up in town, tried to paste link to their website but couldn’t. If you google ORRI you’ll find it - it may be your daughter is too young to be seen there but they might be able to signpost you.
Also google Dr Helen Murphy at Nightingale Clinic - clinical lead of ED Dept there

Good luck, you must be going through hell

[Concerned Mum]

Dear Purple Mach

I’m very sorry to read your post - this could have been written by me. Same age daughter, early on (we hope), waiting for referral, doing well at school…. You have prob had similar advice from your GP, but we have been told that home needs to be a ‘safe’ place, free from pressure to eat/commenting on what is/isn’t being eaten and generally minimising talk around food. Do DM me if you’d like to chat/ have some support from someone going through a similar thing. Best wishes x

[spike321]

" Sorry to hear about your daughter. I would highly recommend Emma-Jane Marshall over in Putney/Fulham. Good luck - it really is terrifying illness"

[spike321]

.

[spike321]

spike321 wrote:
> Sorry to hear about your daughter. I would highly recommend
> Emma-Jane Marshall over in Putney/Fulham. Good luck - it really is
> terrifying illness.

[gkc]

My daughter who has OCD and ADHD started developing `disordered eating' about 18 months ago.  Luckily she was already under the care of a psychologist and psychiatrist but they recommended https://www.majaberry.com/ for some specialist help.  She was good and definitely very expert in the area, so worth trying although she's not very local.  I think my daughter did quite a bit of it online (she was 17 at the time).  Luckily things didn't get worse and improved to the point where it really wasn't an issue anymore. The support from weekly sessions with her psychologist helped a lot too.  She's fantastic and has helped a lot with the OCD.  If you DM me I'll send you her details although I don't know how much availability she has.   

We did all of this privately although the GP did refer her to CAMHS and they actually contacted us very quickly, so it's worth pursuing. The GP was very good and insisted on fortnightly weights being submitted which I think helped my daughter realise how seriously everyone was taking this and how potentially dangerous it could be.  That worked for her, but it all depends on the child.  I wish you the best of luck with this.  It's not easy as the parent, but it sounds like you're taking the right approach so I'm sure that will serve your daughter well.

[RachelK12]

Hello Mum

I can imagine how distressed you are seeing your daughter in such an anxious state of mind. As someone who went through my earlier years until 33 with extreme anxiety I know how debilitating it can be for all. I am an astrologer and would love to give your daughter a free chart which I can show her how the planets effect our personality and can give a real depth to your daughters 'soul' purpose. I am offering this for free as I would love to help her get on track and to start enjoying her young and beautiful life. I also worked in education for over 14 years and have helped so many young people see teir options and help them create a pathway to them developing their gifts and fulfil their dreams. The disorders are always a symptom so I am able to help get to the root of the true anxiety. I also studied Buddhism and was a Young Womens leaders for the district Area of St Johns Hill, here in Battersea. please call me if you wish to have a chat on 07514 345011 and I can assure you I will offer what I can to help your daughter without it costing you anything. I wish you and your daughter all the best