Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa can be very scary for the sufferer, and also for the people that care for them. Depending on the stage of anorexia at which you are seeking help, this will determine the type of treatment and support that I can offer you.
Anorexia Treatment - Early Stages
If you are experiencing the early stages of anorexia, you may be feeling things are out of control and that life is very stressful and difficult. Perhaps you are experiencing emotions that are new or overwhelming. You may feel that controlling your weight gives you a sense of control. You may also recognise that you are finding it more and more difficult to cope with relationships with family and friends. I can help you by giving you a space to just be, with no judgement and no pressure. I want to hear about what's going on in your life, and what difficult feelings you may be experiencing. And if you want me to help you, I can show you some new ways of dealing with emotions and life that will give you a new way of feeling in control. Small steps at your pace, I promise, and always with honesty and clarity about the options that we have to move forwards.
Anorexia Treatment - Late Stages
Late stages of anorexia can be life-threatening and you may have experienced in-patient treatment at an eating disorder clinic. At this stage a team of support is necessary to help both the sufferer and the carers to reach the stage of recovery.
I offer anorexia outpatient treatment services in central London. I will help you make steps towards recovery at your pace, helping you re-build a sense of self and aspirations for your life, and a new and healthy relationship with food. I work closely with Specialist Dieticians who are qualified to create personalised re-feeding programmes, to help you re-balance the body's fragile chemical balance. A Family Therapist can work with your family as a group to help you create new ways of communication and understanding that will help to build a cohesive and supportive alliance moving forwards. And I will work with your Doctor or Psychiatrist to offer the community support that is so often necessary for successful treatment.
My Dad was the person to actually find and contact James after getting particular frustrated that the NHS refused to help. I signed up for the first free half hour session and took my Dad along, as I was not entirely sure what to expect. Even from that first session I began to feel like I could actually overcome this problem. James made me feel so at ease as he explained exactly what I should expect from our time together but that we would take this journey at my pace.
I was with James for approximately 6 months in which time I gained a stone and a half to reach my target weight, something I was starting to think I was never going to be able to say. Sometimes it was hard, especially to overcome the barriers built up inside but I never felt like I was out of my depth. I thought the journey would be a nightmare with lots of ups and downs but it wasn't at all. The sessions are not all about food and eating habits; they are more about focusing on building you up as a person so you can overcome any difficulties in life without using the old habits as a release. I now feel like the person I was before; happy and able to go out and enjoy being and eating with friends. I'm lucky; I've had a wonderful family behind me all the way but none of it would have been possible without James and all his continued support. Thank you James for everything.
Emma, 22
Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa
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Dramatic weight loss
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Preoccupation with weight, food, fat calories, fat grams and dieting
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Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates etc.)
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Frequent comments about feeling 'fat' or overweight despite weight loss
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Anxiety about gaining weight or being 'fat'
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Denial of hunger
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Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate)
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Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food
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Excessive, rigid exercise regimes – despite weather, fatigue, illness or injury – the need to 'burn off' calories taken in
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Withdrawal from usual friends and activities
- In general, behaviours and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting and control of food are becoming primary concerns
Anorexia Support For Carers
Perhaps you are a parent, sibling or friend of an anorexia nervosa sufferer. This can be a very scary time for you, as you watch the person you love change before your eyes. You may notice your loved one become more distant and isolated with an increasing drive to be thin. You may be experiencing fraught meal times and arguments about how much food should be eaten and when. You may also have experienced several visits to your doctor, resulting in worryingly low BMI measurements and limited support. I can help you deal with difficult situations and fraught family dynamics. I will teach you the tools and skills that will help you better manage the person you are caring for, and I will give you a place to vent your feelings. By understanding anorexia and how it works inside someone, it will empower you to offer the best support you can.
Living With Anorexia
You may also be an anorexia nervosa sufferer who has lived with the disorder for some time. You may find that your 'symptoms' ebb and flow as you navigate life. You manage to keep your head above water, but at the same time are burdened by strong feelings about your eating disorder and how it is ruining your life. I can help you understand how your thinking style and behaviours are keeping you stuck. I will help you take small steps, at your own pace, as you find your path to recovery.
My Pledge
Anorexia Nervosa is a disease with structure. It has many predisposing factors that can lead to it's onset, multiple maintaining factors that keep you stuck in it's grasp and necessary steps that will take you to recovery. I promise to build a relationship with you, without judgement or pressure, so together we can take these steps to recovery. You will feel stronger and more in control, until eventually you won't need me anymore. Only then is my job done.
