While it can be very anxiety provoking and frightening to realise that yourself or someone that you care about is affected by an eating disorder, it is very important to remember that recovery from all eating disorders is possible, regardless of what stage of the illness you, or the person you care about, are at.
It is extremely important that if you or someone you care about is affected by an eating disorder that help and support is sought as soon as possible. The importance of early intervention is well documented in the research and the sooner the person receives the help that they need and deserve, before the illness takes hold, the better the outcome.
The first step in getting help is generally through a visit to your G.P. whereby they can refer you on to specialist services if they suspect you may have an eating disorder.
The Regional Care Pathway for the Treatment of Eating Disorders along with A Guide for People Using Eating Disorder Services and an Information Leaflet for G.P.’s were published in the north of Ireland in 2016. This document sets out clear and precise information for people affected by eating disorders and professionals on what services are available and the means to access them.
These documents can be viewed below:
See the link below for more info
http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/eating-disorders-resources/
See the link below to access the three documents
http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/our-work/social-care-and-children/mental-health/
