Where to find eating disorder support in Greenwich
According to Beat Eating Disorders there are an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK with an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that anyone can develop, no matter their age, gender or background.
In Northamptonshire, Healthwatch surveyed over 2,000 young people aged 9-24 to find out more about their knowledge and experience of eating disorders.
Through their work, they found that:
- Just under 80% knew what an eating disorder was
- Over half didn't know where to go for support
- 39% didn't know about any specific services for children and young people
It was a struggle and it is a constant struggle; you do not know who to turn to get help for your child and there are not enough people who know enough about eating disorders.
Where to go for support
- Talk to an advisor
Beat - The UK's Eating Disorder Charity - has advisors who can talk to you about the different types of eating disorders, and provide information about recovery and the support available to you. Take a look at their website or contact them using the details below:
Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677
help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Youthline: 0808 801 0711
fyp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
- Contact your GP
If you think that you have an eating disorder you should contact your local GP. They will ask you about your eating habits and lifestyle. If they think that you might have an eating disorder they will refer you to a specialist. -
The Eating Disorders Clinic
The Eating Disorders Clinic serves children and teens who live locally, and are registered to a GP in Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham or Southwark. It offers treatment for all eating disorders except ARFID and feeding disorders, which are treated in other clinics.
If you are under 18, or the parent/carer of a young person under 18, live in the boroughs of Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark, Greenwich, Croydon, Bexley or Lambeth and wish to make a self-referral for possible ARFID, please send us your contact email address via: ARFIDSelfReferrals@slam.nhs.uk.
To learn more about the treatments they offer, visit Treatments. To find out what you can expect from your time with them, visit Outcomes.
What should services do to help?
- Provide quicker access to support. According to the Care Quality Commission, 27% of people with an eating disorder wait 11 weeks or more to get the right support.
- Raise awareness of eating disorders and make information about local treatment and support easy to access.
- Offer more information about support groups to help people support a friend or sibling struggling with an eating disorder.
More resources
Do you or a family member need advice and information about eating disorder services? Rethink (a mental health charity) have a downloadable fact sheet on eating disorders
