First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED)

The Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Team and the Adult Eating Disorder Teams in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are now offering a new FREED (First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders) pathway for young adults who have recently developed an eating disorder. Have a read through our questions below if you would like to learn more!

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are not a “teenage phase” that someone just needs to “snap out of”. They are also not just a matter of vanity or a way to get attention. People with eating disorders have extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviours related to their weight, body shape, and/or food intake. These thoughts and behaviours can be very distressing to experience and it can feel as if they have completely taken over the person’s life. Although it may be confusing for those on the outside to understand, these fears are very real to the person with an eating disorder and they deserve to have their distress taken seriously.

Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and “other specified feeding or eating disorders” (OSFED). OSFED is no less serious than the other categories and just means that symptoms don’t exactly match those for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder.

All eating disorders are serious and there are effective treatments available for all types. Irrespective of what diagnosis you get, we will work with your experiences and you as a person to discover what the right form of help is for you.

Do I have an eating disorder?

When people picture an eating disorder, for many, what will come to mind is the stereotype of skinny, overly-emotional, white teenage girls who are obsessed with their appearance. This can lead to the assumption that you have to “look a certain way” or that only people with these traits can have an eating disorder. However, this is a myth. The truth is that eating disorders are indiscriminate. They come in all shapes and sizes and can affect anyone regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or socioeconomic background. And in most cases, an eating disorder is not about “food” at all – but rather a way of coping and gaining a sense of control.

A person does not need to be underweight to have an eating disorder, and despite people commonly thinking that eating disorders are a “woman’s illness”, research suggests that as many as 25% of people with eating disorders are male (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – NICE, May 2017). You are not a “fake” if you don’t fit the stereotypical image and your concerns are just as valid and serious as those who do.

If you are worried that you have any eating disorder, you may find it useful to complete the short screening tool by opening the “Do I have an Eating Disorder?” drop-down at https://freedfromed.co.uk/freed-for-all

What is FREED?

FREED stands for First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders. It is an early intervention service that aims to get young adults (16-to-25-year-olds) who have had an eating disorder for less than three years into specialised treatment fast.

There are a lot of reasons why getting help in the early stages of an eating disorder is really important:

·     Research shows us that the earlier the intervention, the better chance people have of recovering fully from their eating disorder.

·     Eating disorders can do a lot of damage to your physical health. People with eating disorders often don’t get the nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy and work properly, which can lead to problems with bone health, the heart, skin, kidneys, the digestive system, and more. It’s much easier to prevent these problems than it is to cure them once they’ve happened.

·     Eating disorders can have huge negative impacts on people’s lives including damaging relationships, stopping people from going out with friends or participating in other social opportunities, interrupting school performance, feeling like they don’t have an identity beyond their disorder, and/or getting in the way of valued hobbies. By stopping the eating disorder early, we can help make sure you don’t miss out on the things in life that matter the most to you.

FREED also involves making a few changes to our usual style of assessment and treatment to better fit 16-to-25-year-olds. This means talking about experiences and worries that people usually described at this point in their lives such as using social media and managing new major life changes like going to university or starting work.

How is FREED different? 

There are four key differences in our FREED Pathway:

• You’ll be offered an assessment slot sooner than other patients. We will aim to get you in for an assessment within two weeks of referral.
• You’ll also be fast-tracked into specialised evidence-based treatment. We will aim to offer your first treatment session within four weeks of referral.
• You will receive what we refer to as an engagement call. Within 48 hours of receiving your referral, a member of our team will reach out to you via telephone for a brief 15-minute chat. This is just an informal conversation to get a better understanding of what you are going through at the moment and to answer any questions or worries you have about being seen by our team.
• Questions asked in your assessment will be more tailored to your age group. We will ask about topics that we know are commonly important to young adults including social media and managing upcoming life changes like going to university, moving away and living independently, or starting a job for the first time.

Can I access FREED?

If you’ve had eating disorder for less than three years and are currently 16 to 25 years-old, then you may be offered a FREED assessment with our service. Please talk to your GP about getting a referral.  

What if I’m over 25 and/or have had an eating disorder for more than 3 years?

There’s no need to panic! Recovery is possible for anyone with an eating disorder, regardless of how long they have had it. So even if you don’t fit the FREED criteria, we’d still love to hear from you and encourage you to reach out for support. FREED is just one of many pathways in our service, and we will work together to find the right one for you. Every treatment that we offered in FREED is available on all of our pathways, so this will not have any bearing on the kind of treatment you receive and we will still try to see you as soon as possible.

Speak to your GP about getting a referral to our team. 

Do my parents/school/etc. need to know?

We always encourage people on our FREED pathway to involve parents, loved ones, and other important people in their care. Getting everyone on board with treatment can really help ensure that you are getting the support you need on all fronts and increase your chances of recovering.

However, who you involve in your care is ultimately down to you. Everything said in sessions is confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside of those involved in your care without your consent unless there are concerns about your or others’ safety.