Eating disorders

An eating disorder is a serious mental illness that involves disordered eating. Eating disorders are not all about food, but also about the underlying thoughts and feelings experienced by the person. Eating disordered are complex and may cause serious harm.

The way a person with an eating disorder interacts with food may help them feel more able to cope, or to feel more in control of their life. Eating disorders include: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and other specified feeding or eating disorder (OFSED), amongst others. Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders affect people across all cultural groups, of all ages, male and female. They can have a very negative impact on the persons ability to perform everyday activities at home and work.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us:

Visit our contact us page
You can email us at office@katemeadsassociates.com
or you can telephone us on 01264 326308

How can KMA help?

Assessments

If you have an eating disorder, an occupational therapy assessment with KMA will focus on how your symptoms are affecting your everyday activities and preventing you from living your life as you wish to.

During the assessment your Occupational Therapist will need to have a detailed but sensitive conversation with you. This will focus both on your strengths and the areas in which you are experiencing problems. To assist this process, your occupational therapist may utilise a variety of assessment tools depending on your needs.

Our focus at KMA is on improving what you are able to do each day as well as assisting with your recovery journey. Because of this, our assessment will pay particular attention to your daily routine including the roles you have – for example as a parent, an employee, a business executive etc. This will enable us to understand the impact your symptoms are having on your life. We will work with you to identify realistic and achievable goals to increase your functional performance and your overall quality of life.

Reports

KMA will produce a detailed, yet accessible report of your assessment. The report will provide a summary of the barriers that are getting in the way of you fulfilling your roles and routines. It will make a number of recommendations that might help. We aim to get the report back to you within 10 working days of the assessment.

Therapy and treatment for Eating Disorders

KMA Occupational Therapists are highly trained and experienced – they are passionate about providing evidence-based interventions to improve your functional performance and aid with mental health recovery. Each treatment plan will be individual, underpinned by occupational therapy philosophy, taking a person-centred and strengths-based approach. Our ultimate aim is to help you achieve your goals and improve your functional performance and aid with metal health recovery. Each treatment plan will be individual, underpinned by occupational therapy philosophy, taking a person-centred and strengths-based approach. Our ultimate aim is to help you achieve your goals and improve your functional performance.

Our Occupational Therapist will work with you to understand triggers, barriers and established strategies you currently use, some of which may not be that helpful in the longer term. They will also help you to learn and put into practice techniques that help control your symptoms as well as allowing you to focus on your roles and routines. These may include:

  • Personal goal setting

  • Building emotional resilience

  • Graded Exposure

  • Behavioural activation

  • Relaxation

Do you have difficulty…

  • Stabilising or managing your eating patterns?

  • Managing or performing day to day roles?

  • Establishing or sustaining a daily routine?

  • Managing fatigue/tiredness?

View our case study about Katherine, a 32 year old female with an eating disorder.