Bruising is not a good sign

This is not written to scare you but to help you understand how ill you are. If you have Anorexia Nervosa or are restricting your eating and now have noticed that you have developed bruising. This is a very worrying sign - please tell someone you trust who can really help you to get medical help. Take good care - you really are worth it ! V best Dr Sarah

With Anorexia Nervosa, an Eating Disorder-If your pulse rate is low-stop exercising immediately #anorexianervosa #bulimianervosa #eatingdisorders

As you lose weight with Anorexia Nervosa, your heart rate (measured by your pulse rate) will slow down. You may start to skip heart beats and are at very high risk of developing heart complications. Stop exercising and physical activity immediately and seek professional help-if you havent already got really good support. Its crucial that you receive the best advice so that you can learn how to reverse the effects on the heart. Get well. v best Dr Sarah

Feeling colder is not a good sign with an Eating Disorder #eatingdisorders #anorexianervosa #bulimia nervosa

There are so many changes that happen to the body as an Eating Disorder becomes worse and takes hold of someone's life. Feeling colder and needing to be wrapped up on warm days or using a heater to be warm despite balmy weather- is a sign that the blood circulation is poor and the heart rate will be too low. Some people are too scared to tell anyone about their feelings or may tell friends who are lovely and kind but, can't really help. I can't advise you enough to find someone senior who is in a position of being able to take action - to talk to. It will begin your route to finding the right kind of help and will save your life. Look after yourself. Dr Sarah

10 weeks to treat Anorexia and Bulimia and save the family

As we are all increasingly aware, Eating Disorders are on the rise in our society. Their treatment is often drawn out and punctuated with failure. The year or two of care traditionally needed to treat Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa cause unbearable strain and, gradually wear down a family’s resilience. This, not unfrequently, results in marriage break up and resentful siblings as the child with the life-threatening Eating Disorder is prioritised. Some parents lose their jobs as a consequence and need to see Mental Health specialists for depression and anxiety. The cost to the family and society is significant. This was one of the key factors behind the launch of a new 10 week programme of treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia delivered at the Cambridge Clinic and Sanctuary. Children and Adults engage in intensive, individually tailored courses of integrated Medical care, Psychotherapy and Complementary Therapy in a non-hospital setting. There is the option to be an outpatient or a residential patient. Parents work very closely with the care team as part of their child’s treatment. The environment is home-like and the children and teenagers engage in small group tuition to study for their GCSE, AS and A level courses. It offers a ground-breaking approach.

Dr Sarah El-Neil FRCPCH, Medical Director of the Cambridge Clinic and Sanctuary said ‘Society needs to find a way of managing Eating Disorders without the additional cost to the family and the public purse from the fallout which is a result of prolonged care. 10 weeks in an intensive Programme seems to be the best time period to achieve successful treatment without completely wrecking family life. It is the equivalent of a term out of the school year. A family’s life is affected anyway by the changes needed to manage the patient in the home before they come to us. This Programme minimises the ongoing disruption. It also integrates all aspects of a person’s normal life and has been very popular with the patients and their parents who have been in the pioneering groups. There is the added benefit of allowing parents the comfort of knowing that they stand a good chance of having their family life back to normal within a matter of weeks instead of the expected months to years of destabilisation. Patients and their parents leave the Clinic with a new lease of life and a raft of new skills and tools to manage the patients wellness’

The Cambridge Clinic and Sanctuary is a specialist Clinic in Cambridge, England which looks after Teenagers, Adults and Children with Eating Disorders, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other complex conditions. Consultant Doctors work closely with Consultant Psychotherapists and Complementary Therapists to create holistic Programmes of care within a nurturing therapeutic environment.

                       

A single factor which proves that someone has Anorexia Nervosa

It's frightening to watch someone becoming thinner and thinner and wondering if they might have Anorexia Nervosa. If meal times take forever, they develop an even fussier way of eating, and when encouraged to eat properly - this results in distress and upset and they are medically otherwise well -- then there is a big chance that Anorexia Nervosa has taken a grip. There may be other underlying medical conditions but AN mustn't be discounted. Not all people express an interest in size zero models or their desire to be thin. The most obvious finding is all about what happens around and with food. There are so many other factors too. I shall keep ypu posted ! Be well.  Dr Sarah cambridgeclinicandsanctuary.co.uk