September 2001

Attached to this issue of the newsletter is the application form for the next meeting on Thursday November 1st 2001.

Also those who have membership fees that are now due or overdue (an oversight I'm sure!) will have a reminder included with their newsletter.

Please send any contributions for the next newsletter to myself C/O Area Clinical Psychology Service, New Craigs, 6-16 Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8JU.

Thanks.

Christina Munro
Secretary

Agenda for SEDIG One-day Meeting Thursday November 1st 2001 - Eating Disorders and Self Help

This agenda is provisional and may be subject to change.

10:00 - 10:30 Coffee and registration

10:30 - 10.40 Welcome and introduction

10:40 - 11:30 Keynote speech: The Role of Self Help in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
                    - Dr Sam Clark-Stone, Clinical Services Co-ordinator, Eating Disorders Project,
                    Gloucestershire and Severn NHS Trust

11:30 - 11:50 Coffee

11:50 - 12:30 EDA & Self Help. Groups: setting up and keeping going Ruth Taylor, EDA

12:30 - 13:00 Debate: Self Help is ineffectual in comparison to therapeutic approaches

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 - 14:30 SEDIG business meeting

14:30 - 15:30 Workshops:
                       • Facilitating a self help group: Some ideas & pitfalls to avoid
                       • Issues for self help in rural areas
                       • A listening ear: one to one telephone support
                       • Using self help in clinical settings
                       • Self help: A personal perspective

15:30 - 15:45 Coffee

15:45 - 16:00 Plenary & closing remarks

16:00 Close

Framework for Mental Health User & Carer Involvement Team
The Lanarkshire Joint Steering Group for Mental Health Services has recently set up a working group to review eating disorders services.

UCIT has been asked to find a carer representative for the group. If anyone appropriate in the Lanarkshire area is interested in getting involved with the review please contact John Miller, Project worker, UCIT, PO Box 26215, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, ML3 0WF or on framework@ukonline.co.uk

There is also a website at http://www.frameworklanarkshire.freeserve.co.uk.

SEDIG Meeting 9.3.01 - Carers - Co-Workers?!
Unfortunately the date of this meeting had to be changed at short notice which meant that there were only about half the usual number of people present. This was disappointing, particularly for those who had spent the time and energy preparing presentations and material for subsequent discussion. However, for those of us who were there, the presentations were thought-provoking and provided for lively exchange of views, a good deal of which seemed to happen in the corridor after most people had left!

The morning presentation was a courageous and moving personal account from Grace Smith of her experience of being a carer for her anorexic daughter. She described the isolation, fear, helplessness, inability to find practical support and frustration which all of those who are, or have been, in that position can easily recognise. She talked of the aggressive stranger "Anorexia" who comes to the house in place of her beloved daughter. The whole family is affected, ways of life - e.g. friends dropping in for meals - are altered (specially bought food may disappear), there does not seem to be anyone who can "tell you what to do". It is like "living with a volcano" and, with her teaching background, Grace said she has watched her daughter regress to toddler age and begin to grow up again. She cited positive outcomes from the experience - a change of career for herself, self examination around communication, a great deal of learning about her strengths and weaknesses and a new ability to ask, even beg, for help. But there is anger that, when it was really necessary and Grace did not know the seriousness of the situation or how she could best help, she had to search hard to find any information.

Kay Gavin, a Senior Social Worker with Professor Janet Treasure's team at the Maudsley Hospital in London, described her work setting up groups for the carers of the unit's in and out-patients. This had arisen from the realisation that "carers are the biggest resource we have". The unit has set up, in conjunction with the Richmond Fellowship, a hostel of 14 beds for discharged patient and carers were involved in an active way here. Family work is also a feature. Kay spoke of the group family sessions where a maximum of 24 people (the number of families involved depends on how large they are) spend 3 days together, sometimes just the carers, sometimes the whole family, and look at ways of communicating with each other. A family sculpt is one of the techniques used and the days include planning, preparing and sharing food. All of these initiatives, while working with the sufferers, involve and include the carers and help to reduce feelings of isolation and helplessness. It felt quite difficult to hear of this dedicated team of 40 or 50 people in London when what was being heard from the carers present was a complete lack of any expertise at all in eating disorders in their area.

The final session of the day was entitled "Where do we go from here?" and after a good deal of discussion around education (of the public and doctors) and fund-raising to provide specialist professionals in all areas, it was recognised that what carers really want, especially at the beginning is someone to talk to, someone who can provide information. EDA is an excellent resource, it can provide lists of books and tapes and details of self-help groups or other help available in the area. GPs could be encouraged to give the EDA telephone number early after diagnosis. SEDIG could support individual initiatives and the self-help group in Edinburgh, started by one individual and now in its 15th year, was cited as an example of how carers could provide mutual support.

Carers have their own expertise and can be helped to reconnect with it following the devastating blow of discovering and acknowledging this difficult situation within their family.

Rosemary Stewart

November Conference Application Form
The next conference is due to take place on the Thursday 1st November 2000 at the Murray Royal Hospital. As usual there are 60 places available (due to fire regulations) so please return this form as soon as possible. If there are no longer spaces left when you apply you will be contacted, otherwise assume your place has been book and turn up on the day. Please send this form to Christina Munro, C/O Area Clinical Psychology Services, New Craigs, 6-16 Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3. Please make all cheques payable to the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group.

Please tick the appropriate boxes:

    O I wish to attend as a current member, my fees are up to date
    O I wish to attend as a current member and enclose my fees
    O I wish to join SEDIG and attend the conference (see overleaf for membership application
        form and payment requirements)
    O I wish to attend the conference as a non-member (please enclose attendance fee of £5)
    O I cannot attend the conference but enclose my membership fees

For those that attend, the canteen will be available if you wish to purchase lunch on the day.

Please indicate below whether or not you intend to use the canteen.

    O I intend to use the canteen for lunch / I will make other arrangements for lunch

Please indicate below your preference of workshop for the day (please indicate three, in order of preference)

    O Facilitating a self help group: some ideas & pitfalls to avoid
    O Issues for self help in rural areas
    O A listening ear: one to one telephone support
    O Using self help in clinical settings
    O Self help: A personal perspective

Name: …………………………………………………………………………………

Daytime contact telephone number………………………………………………..

Membership Update

Please tick as appropriate:

    O New member details
    O Update current membership details (please write your name and update any
        membership information that is incorrect)

Title:                   ……………
Name:                ………………………………………………………….
Contact address: ..........................................................................
                          ………………………………………………………………………………..
                          ………………………………………………………………………………..
                          ………………………………………………………………………………..
Postcode:           …………………………………….

Telephone number (including area code):  ………………………………
e-mail address :                                     ………………………………………………………

Comment (optional - details about yourself/work that would be available to other members):
        ………………………………………………………………………………
        ………………………………………………………………………………
        ………………………………………………………………………………

* Membership fees are £10 per year to professionals and £5 per year to those who are unemployed, carers or those who work with people with eating disorders in a voluntary capacity. This entitles you to apply for the twice yearly conferences and ensures you receive the twice yearly newsletter. Please make cheques payable to the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group.