How to Find Outpatient Treatment For Eating Disorder

Many people with eating disorders can be effectively treated in outpatient care. However knowing how to access outpatient care can be a major challenge for individuals and families, at the same time as trying to cope with the physical and psychological stresses of the eating disorder.

Most commonly, the GP is the first professional you see if you are seeking treatment for an eating disorder. There are 1.6 million people in the UK who have an eating disorder, which means an average GP will have at least two or three patients in need of treatment.

Your GP will ask you about your feelings towards food, whether you feel food dominates your life, about recent weight loss and whether you feel you are fat while others think you are thin. The GP's role is not to diagnose an eating disorder, but to decide whether you are at risk of having an eating disorder. If you are deemed to be at risk, you should be referred to a specialist in eating disorders to make a full assessment.

This eating disorders specialist will carry out a much more thorough assessment of your medical, psychological and social needs, including any risks you face.

If it is judged to be safe and appropriate, you will be offered outpatient treatment. The major advantage of outpatient treatment is it enables you to stay at home, maintain your links with school, college or work and is less disruptive for relationships with friends and family. However, a psychiatrist may judge that more intense, inpatient treatment is the best and most safe option for you.

Before you embark on treatment, NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) states that you should be given information about your eating disorder and types of treatment.

Outpatient treatment takes at least six months and should be delivered by a service which specialises in eating disorders. The service may be part of a larger hospital, or a stand alone eating disorders unit, but it is very important that treatment is provided by specialists. Your treatment is based on a partnership between you, your consultant and therapists who work with you.

There are a variety of therapeutic approaches which are effective in outpatient care for eating disorders. A form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy adapted for eating disorders, known as CBT-E is recognised as being particularly effective for people with bulimia. Family therapy is recognised by NICE for its role in the treatment of young people with eating disorders; bringing the combined resources of parents, siblings and other significant people to help the young person with the eating disorder. Individual psychotherapy sessions are also used and for anorexia, are likely to take considerably longer than six months.

You may also receive support from a dietitian specialising in eating disorders, to help you change what you eat and better understand your nutritional needs in order to be healthy. Specialist dietitians provide very valuable support, but treatment must be based on affecting psychological change, rather than food intake alone.

Usually, your GP will co-ordinate care and maintain overall responsibility. If this responsibility is transferred to a psychiatrist, this should be clearly stated in writing.

In conclusion, if you are seeking outpatient care for eating disorders, see your GP in the first place. This may be difficult - you may not have discussed your eating disorder and feel uncomfortable talking about it. Your GP will assess whether you are at risk of an eating disorder and refer you for a specialist assessment if you are judged to be at risk. It is very important that the full assessment is made by a specialist in eating disorders and treatment is offered in a dedicated eating disorders unit.

It is also vital that you seek treatment as early as possible. Evidence shows that treatment is more effective if it commences at an early stage, rather than later when the eating disorder has become more entrenched and resistant to change.

Jenny Hudson is an experienced health journalist, whose articles are regularly published in national newspapers and magazines. For more information about outpatient treatment for eating disorders, visit Newbridge House.