Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is when you have an unhealthy attitude to food, which can take over your life and make you ill.

It can involve eating too much or too little, or becoming obsessed with your weight and body shape.

It's often really difficult to admit to other people that you have a problem with food and body image. People often mixed feelings about coming for help.

Treatments

There are treatments that can help, and you can recover from an eating disorder.

Men and women of any age can get an eating disorder, but they most commonly affect young women aged 13 to 17 years old.

Click here for more information on types of eating disorders and how to know if you or someone close to you may have one.

Try to answer the Screening questions below to see if you need to see your GP to talk about your problem:

Do you make yourself Sick because you feel full?
Do you worry you've lost Control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than One stone (6.3 kg) in a three-month period?
Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
Would you say that Food dominates your life?

Answering Yes to 2 or more of these questions suggests further assessment is needed.

Children and Young People Aged 10-18 yrs

If you are aged between 10-18 years old, anyone can refer you to the Children, Young People and Families Eating Disorder Service (CYPFEDS)

Referral to CYPFEDS can come from yourself, a family member or carer, a school nurse, a GP/ paediatrician, someone at your school/college, a Youth support worker or your counsellor.

People Aged Over 18 years

West Sussex Eating Disorder Service treats adults with eating disorders.

At the moment you can't refer yourself so you need to make an appointment with the GP who will need to see you and access your physical and emotional health before making a referral for you.

Sussex Mental Healthline

For telephone support and information from the Sussex Mental Healthline ring 0300 5000 101 (Available 24 hours, seven days a week in West Sussex).

The Sussex Mental Healthline is a telephone service offering support and information to anyone experiencing mental health problems including stress, anxiety and depression.

The service is also available to carers and healthcare professionals.
You do not need an appointment.
They are a service available to anyone concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative or friend.
They provide support for people experiencing distress.

Please note this is a limited service, if you are in urgent need of help please visit urgent help in a crisis.