Action Mental Health’s specialist eating disorder service in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area, AMH EveryBODY offers a monthly support group, helping family members and carers provide the best support to their loved one living with an eating disorder.

Reach out for the support you may need, don’t journey alone, AMH everyBODY is here to help, please get in touch and let us help you help yourself. As Eating Disorder Awareness Week continues, this article covers many of the themes carers experience, and offers encouragement for those in a similar situation to seek help.

Carers’ questions and concerns are outlined in the following feedback received by AMH everyBODY’s project workers:

What were some of the questions/concerns you had when you first discovered your loved one had an Eating Disorder?

“Has something happened to cause this?”

“How could I have missed this?”

“Was it anything I’ve done?”

“Could I have prevented this”

“Will they ever fully recover? When will that be?”

What do you feel would be helpful for families to have information on that might have similar questions?

“Knowing the signs and symptoms. Knowing that there are just as many symptoms that you don’t see, because we were only thinking about the physical ones and didn’t realise things like –

• Isolating themselves
• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of concentration
• Control over where to eat/ Fear of eating in front of people
• Low self esteem
• Signs of perfectionism 
• Low mood/irritability/sudden change in personality

Could all also be signs that someone may have an Eating Disorder. It would be helpful to have more support from GP and to not just be given a leaflet or number for Lifeline but to have things explained a bit more, or be pointed in the direction of someone like AMH everyBODY who can support families. I feel what I needed most was guidance on how to approach the subject of Eating Disorders. I was always afraid of saying the wrong thing, or making things worse. Through the Carer Support group and 1 to 1 support with AMH everyBODY I have learnt how to be more direct and when it’s appropriate to challenge the Eating Disorder but also to communicate in a non-judgemental and supportive way.”

What things have helped you in supporting your loved one?

“Just having support for myself as well as my daughter. Being able to ask questions, and get more information to help me understand better. I understand that therapy needs to be confidential but as a parent it can feel like you’re left a bit in the dark so it helped having somewhere to go to like AMH everyBODY to be reassured about concerns. 

It really helped having the support group to come to.  Being around other families who just “got it” and understood. It made me feel more normal, like we weren’t the only people going through this. Going to the support group was also a chance to have a few hours just to myself, where I was able to speak completely freely about any fears/worries/difficulties and know I’d be met with support and understanding.

One thing AMH everyBODY and the other families taught me was that it is ok to give myself permission to recharge the batteries, to take a bit of time out if I need it. 

As a mother you sometimes want to wrap them up in cotton wool and fix everything, but there is only so much you can do. It’s been a hard but valuable lesson learning that people need to want to get better for themselves, and to step back to give them that opportunity to work through things and challenge themselves. My role is to support and encourage but not to take over and get better for them.”

What has been the biggest thing you have learnt about eating disorders as a Carer?

The eating disorder is separate from the person. The eating disorder controls the thoughts your loved one has and dictates the actions. Repeated actions become habits and the habits become the rules which your loved one lives by. Your loved one is still inside and does not want to be ill and controlled by an eating disorder. Deep down they too want to be normal and live a happy life, just like everyone else, but can’t get to that place because the eating disorder has control over them.  

What helps you to cope as a Carer on difficult days supporting your loved one?

Reminding myself the eating disorder is separate from the loved one. This helps me stay calm and rational and not allow my emotions to take over, which always makes the difficult days worse.

What advice would you give to other Carers and families that may be struggling in silence?

Talk to Deborah AMH everyBODY Project Worker: she really listens in a caring way and asks questions until she fully understands your unique situation without any judgement. This is the first step to getting the help and guidance to support carers and families to be there for a loved one with an eating disorder.

What has been the biggest thing you have learnt about eating disorders as a Carer?

Being there and available to call if we, the carers, need to make contact for advice.

Getting this information out there to those who do not know your services are available is very important.

Carers’ Insight

The eating disorder is separate from the person. The eating disorder controls the thoughts your loved one has and dictates the actions. Repeated actions become habits and the habits become the rules which your loved one lives by. Your loved one is still inside and does not want to be ill and controlled by an eating disorder. Deep down they too want to be normal and live a happy life, just like everyone else, but can’t get to that place because the eating disorder has control over them.  

What helps you to cope as a Carer on difficult days supporting your loved one?

Reminding myself the eating disorder is separate from the loved one. This helps me stay calm and rational and not allow my emotions to take over, which always makes the difficult days worse.

What advice would you give to other Carers and families that may be struggling in silence?

Talk to Deborah (AMH), she really listens in a caring way and asks questions until she fully understands your unique situation without any judgement. This is the first step to getting the help and guidance to support carers and families to be there for a loved one with an eating disorder.  

What is the most important thing families need from support services?

Being there and available to call if we, the carers, need to make contact for advice.

Getting this information out there to those who do not know your services are available is very important.

Eating disorders are not only experienced by females, and today, during Eating Disorder Awareness Week, we give an insight into the experience of one man who lives with an eating disorder in Northern Ireland.

Statistically there are more females recorded within official statistics, however growing evidence suggests that males account for between 10% and 25% of all eating disorder cases, according to local figures.

These figures are likely to be even higher however, as males are less likely to come forward and seek help for such illnesses due to the stigma and the negative stereotypes that surround these disorders.

Seek the support you need now and speak with one of our staff.  AMH everyBODY is a safe and welcoming service where we will work positively with you and agree a recovery pathway that meets your needs.

One male client, who wishes to remain anonymous, spoke of his experience: The best way for me to understand about my eating was to ASK FOR HELP.  Something I am now glad I did and something everyone should do,” he said.

“Do not suffer on your own – this only makes matters worse.  Get in touch with your GP, tell them how you feel. There is also a fear attached to us asking for help, but do not let this stop you because if you do you will feel as I did. Remember that people do care. Remember – asking for help is the very start of recovery,” he reiterated.

“Meeting my support worker for the first time I was very nervous, not knowing what to expect, but I was soon put at ease as she set about introducing herself and now I am recovering well and every week I continue to move away from my eating disorder behaviours with support.”

Read similar stories at a local charity that works solely with men living with eating disorders at the Laurence Trust – https://www.thelaurencetrust.co.uk/

Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity, Action Mental Health (AMH), is delighted to announce their new charity partnership with McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors (MTB), a full-service law firm in Belfast.

Action Mental Health is a charity that changes the lives of people living with mental health issues and promotes resilience and wellbeing to all sections of our community.

On announcement of the new partnership, Harry McAleese of McCartan Turkington Breen stated: “We decided to support this vital cause as part of our corporate social responsibility efforts in 2022. We know that many in our local communities have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Anything that we can do to raise both awareness of the mental health crisis and to raise money to support Action Mental Health with the vital work that they do is a positive step for change.”

In previous years, the firm has supported well-known local charities including AgeNI, Inspire Wellbeing and Addiction NI.

Throughout the year, McCartan Turkington Breen will implement several fundraising activities whilst actively promoting awareness of the mental health issues found at work and at home. The leading law firm intend to embark on a Paddle Board Challenge to kick off the partnership.

Action Mental Health have a timetable of activities suitable for people of all ages to get involved in. The charity highlights that it is always happy to work with corporate partners of all sizes to raise much needed funds and awareness of the work that they do.

Action Mental Health’s Samantha Coleman commented: ‘We are so delighted to have McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors on our side for 2022. One in five of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives and half of all problems start before the age of fourteen. Since the pandemic, the need is even greater and we are happy to be working with McCartan Turkington Breen on a series of fundraising events and awareness raising to highlight the important cause of mental health and to help fund our work.”

Action Mental Health’s specialist eating disorder service, AMH everyBODY benefits a great deal from its engagement with the local community.

This engagement not only helps to inform its specialist service remit regarding the particular needs of people living with eating disorders and their families, it also provides vital support to people in the Southern Trust and Health and Social Care Trust who avail of the service.

Through its preventative approach to eating disorder, the service engages with schools, sports clubs and community groups to to offer support and signpost signposting tpeople to the most appropriate support. In turn, in thanks of this support, beneficiaries like to give back and work collaboratively with AMH everyBODY to raise awareness and funds to support our work.

Among those to express their gratitude for the support of AMH everyBODY are the pupils of Sacred Heart Grammar School in Newry. Year 11 pupils, aged 14 and 15, are holding a sponsored walk for AMH everyBODY to help highlight the importance of prevention and awareness raising through the service’s effective BodyTalk programme.

Their initiative also aims to raise awareness of BodyTalk’s proactive approach of pupils and teachers in taking action on eating disorders.

AMH BodyTalk consists of interactive workshop within schools in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area, which focus on:

• eating disorders – the signs and symptoms, myths and misconceptions, causes and prevention, and where to go for support;
• body image concerns amongst young people – the role of the media with fitness, beauty and diet industry, and how to be aware of dangers and challenge harmful body ideals;
• building a body positive image through self-supporting skills of resilience and confidence building.

These workshops include clips from the Dove Self-Esteem campaign,  https://www.dove.com/uk/dove-self-esteem-project.html along with interactive self-esteem group activities that offer opportunity for group discussions. Free of charge, the workshops have been received very positively by schools and colleges within the Southern Trust area.

AMH everyBODY delivers five week creative courses throughout the year to any clients with an ED engaging with the SHSCT ED team, or AMH everyBODY. The aim of the creative course is for clients to learn a new creative skill that will support their recovery, a development of their identity outside of their eating disorder. Through the course they will build resilience and confidence as creative strengths are drawn out in a safe and supportive environment. 

During Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2022, participants on the most recent Creative Writing course have shared their views:

“I was honestly so surprised at what I was able to achieve when I stopped overthinking and put pen to paper. I was initially a bit nervous that everyone else would be better than me, or that I would be stuck for what to write but there was such a relaxed feel to the group and everyone was really supportive.”

“I look forward to Wednesday now every week because I never know what I’m going to come up with. Martelle is brilliant at guiding you through and building confidence in your abilities.”

“The course has given me something to focus on at home and actually feel proud of when I read over some of the things we’ve been working on.”

“I really lost myself a bit with my eating disorder and forgot what I actually enjoyed. This course has shown me what it feels like to experience joy again and do something that is just for me.”

This week it is Eating Disorder Awareness Week – when attention is turned on the difficult relationship that one in 50 people in the UK have with the substance on which life depends – food.

Led by BEAT, a national charity which supports people living with eating disorders, this year’s campaign turns the spotlight on the minimal specialist training that doctors receive to deal adequately with the complexity of eating disorders.

Action Mental Health’s specialist eating disorder service within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area, AMH everyBODY, wholeheartedly supports this year’s focus. And in response, AMH everyBODY works to enhance knowledge and skills – by delivering eating disorder awareness training, specifically for health care staff. Additionally, AMH everyBODY worked in partnership with the Public Health Agency to advise on content for Mental Health First Aid

On the back of this year’s global campaign, AMH everyBODY is also looking inward, aiming to also steer attention to its clients’ voices – and their own personal experiences.

Keen to be seen for individuality and not merely be defined by their eating disorders AMH everyBODY clients have been turning literary to express themselves and help make sense of their world around them and their own particularly difficulties.

This week Action Mental Health will bring you wonderful examples of AMH everyBODY clients’ creativity, news of its vital work in schools and colleges, helpful insight from carers, tips on coping with eating disorders and with body image, plus much more.

As our younger children’s wellbeing comes under the spotlight during Children’s Mental Health Week, we wanted to share a few tips on how to best support their emotional growth through Action Mental Health’s Healthy Me programme. A specially designed programme geared towards to supporting and promoting better mental health among 8 to 11 year olds, it features fun, played based activities, such as the Emoji Game.

This is a fun and effective programme which employs the principals of a learning system used in autism education – helping those who have difficulties conveying their emotions, through pictures and illustrations.

Outside the field of autism education, it poses a great opportunity for children in mainstream education confront their own emotions that they might not yet be able to fully articulate.

Grounding is a powerful way to interrupt anxious thoughts in the present moment! It is an ideal way to deal with children’s anxieties and worries. As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is understandable that children have absorbed extra worry from the media and the people around them. Perhaps they have experienced loss or illness in their own family, a school friend or a person they consider as a role model.

Although talking, journaling and other activities such as keeping worry dolls are a tried and tested way to overcome negative feelings, there are other practical ways to stay grounded.

5-4-3-2-1 Senses

Exercising the senses helps children to stay grounded. Depending on age this is an effective means to halt thought streams:

• 5 things you see
• 4 things you hear
• 3 things you smell
• 2 things you can touch
• 1 thing you taste

Or try an exercise with just ‘sight’.

• 5 colors I see
• 4 shapes I see
• 3 soft things I see
• 2 people I see
• 1 book I see

Be a tree

Few things are more grounded or rooted than a tree. “My feet are firmly planted” or “I can feel the ground under my feet.”

Power Hug

Firm pressure is reassuring and great for grounding. “I am safe now.” The child places their left hand on their right shoulder for a tap and then their right hand on their left shoulder for another tap. Then squeeze into a self hug and affirm – tap, tap, squeeze, affirm.

Here & now hand trace

Child traces a hand on paper. They can write down within the outline things they see in their surroundings.