If you have an eating disorder or think a family member might, knowing where to start can be challenging

Myrtle Oak Clinic’s team of highly skilled clinicians have a vast range of knowledge and experience in the field of Mental Health (anxiety, stress and depression), Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating, Body Image and Self Esteem issues, enabling us to provide a variety of services.

We’ve put together this list of resources to help you learn more about eating disorders, support groups and treatment options.

Support group and resources

Maudsley Parents

Maudsley Parents is a volunteer organization of parents who have helped their children recover from an eating disorder using Family-Based Treatment (FBT). The organization’s site can be reached by clicking here. The site contains a range of information about FBT including frequently asked questions, family stories and common misconceptions.

National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) Carers Resource

The NEDC recognises that family and friends play a crucial role in the care, support and recovery of people with eating disorders. They have published a carer’s guide that can be accessed. The NEDC website section for families, friends and carers provides further useful information.

Eating Disorders Victoria Carers Forum and Reading List

EDV and SANE Australia have teamed up to design and deliver an online forum for carers. The forum is anonymous, free of charge and available to Australians over 18 years of age. This online peer-to-peer support system can be accessed at www.eatingdisorders.saneforums.org.

The Butterfly Foundation Support Group

The Butterfly Foundation runs a monthly support group, facilitated by counsellors, open to any individual 18 years or over who is a parent, partner, grandparent, caring friend or other carer of a person with an eating disorder. More information including dates and times can be found here.

Feed Your Instinct

Feed Your Instinct (FYI) is an interactive tool designed to support parents of children and young people experiencing different types of eating and/or body image problems. FYI aims to highlight common warning signs and provide useful information about eating and/or body image problems. It will also provide you with guidance on how to help your child with these problems at home, and suggest options for further support. Visit the Feed Your Instinct Website

Treatment Options

You’ve made the decision to seek some professional advice or treatment. I’m sure you are now thinking what will treatment involve, how long will it take, will it make me feel better?

Treatment is a very individual experience, what works for one person may be very different for what will work for another.

It’s well worth working with a specifically trained health professional who has extensive training in eating disorder and mental health conditions.

Treatment can involve:

Dietitian Interventions

The establishment of a well-balanced diet is essential to recovery. For this reason, dietitians are usually involved in the treatment, working in conjunction with other professionals in the treatment team. Talking about food variety, taste preferences and helping the individual identify their feared foods and addressing the physical consequences of not eating well is involved in nutrition education. This can be particularly beneficial when the person or family has lost track of what ‘normal eating’ is.

Psychological Interventions

Psychologists conduct assessments to diagnose mental illnesses or conditions and develop treatment plans that specifically address mental and emotional issues associated with the eating disorder. Psychotherapy aims to identify the psychological stresses that may have contributed to the onset of the eating disorder. The aim of treatment can be to reduce the feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, negative body image and guilt etc and enhance the individuals’ life skills. The individual is able to use their own resources and skills to overcome difficulties.

Family Based Therapy

There are circumstances where family involvement is required to facilitate changes that will bring about normalised eating and containment in the eating disorder behaviours. Family involvement will be discussed, depending on each individuals unique situation. Where family is involved in the treatment process, they are guided in helping facilitate the role in supporting their person through the recovery process. Parents are usually involved in the treatment of a young person with an eating disorder, particularly where the young person does not fully grasp the seriousness of the illness and may not wish to get better.