Schoen Clinic UK news & blog

Anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa) has very serious physical effects and complications, as well as a devastating impact on psychological...

What is bulimia nervosa? If you need support for bulimia, please reach out to our team for help. Bulimia nervosa, often known as bulimia, is a severe eating disorder that can result in very serious complications if not treated early. People experiencing bulimia may covertly binge and purge, seeking to burn off the additional calories in an undesirable way. Binging is defined as consuming excessive amounts of food without self-control. Individuals with bulimia may also employ

In a world where appearance often seems to hold paramount importance, the line between self-perception and reality can blur, leading to a condition known as body dysmorphia. This psychological disorder, characterised by an obsessive focus on perceived flaws in physical appearance, affects individuals across diverse backgrounds. Understanding body dysmorphia entails delving into its intricate manifestations, exploring effective treatments, and addressing questions surrounding

This video has been developed with the ideal audience range of 10 to 16 in mind. This is a very wide age range; we believe the film is suitable for this age range, but follow-up discussions and work would need to be age-adjusted. We suggest that for younger age groups, the focus could be on body image and feelings about body image, together with the second section on eating and lifestyle. Older groups could have a discussion more specifically on eating disorders. However, we

Across our leading eating disorder clinics and hospitals in the UK, Schoen Clinic provides an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to eating disorder treatment and Occupational Therapy is a key part of this approach. In this way, we can respond to and meet the physical, psychological and social needs of each individual patient. Read on to find out how Occupational Therapy plays an integral part in the recovery process. Please feel free to contact our team today if you nee

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of people exploring vegetarian and vegan diets. This is widely evidenced through social media sites and the promotion of campaigns such as ‘meat-free Monday’ and  ‘Vegan-uary’. It also correlates with the increasing demand for meat-free food items within UK supermarkets. In fact, consumer statistics show that in 2017 the market for meat-free items increased by 987 per cent. The shift is evident by looking at the vegetarian

Compulsive eating is a type of behaviour with food: when a person eats in a way that feels out of control, that has an emotional component and involves eating an uncomfortably large amount. Compulsive eating is not an eating disorder in itself. It can be a recognised feature which is part of known eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. If you need support, please don't hesitate to contact our team at Schoen Clinic. What are the signs of compulsiv

There will always be a number of factors in the development of an eating disorder and each individual will be affected by a unique combination. There is never one simple, single cause, although sometimes there may be one factor in a person’s life which plays a particularly prominent role in his or her eating disorder. If you need specialised support, please don't hesitate to contact our team . An eating disorder, at its root, is the expression of emotional distress and means

The first step is to discuss your concerns with your child. They will be experiencing many difficult emotions and may deny there is a problem, become angry with you, or withdraw. You may need to raise the subject several times before your child takes on board your concerns. Each time, emphasise that you want to offer help and support. If you need support, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at Schoen Clinic. If you have concerns, it is very important that you raise them

It has been commonly stated that one in ten men have anorexia, bulimia or another type of eating disorder. Recent figures from the NHS Information Centre suggested the real figure is actually much higher, with 700,000 men being registered as having an eating disorder, a quarter of the total number of people affected. While it is difficult to be exact in terms of numbers, it is clear that there are many men who hide their eating disorder and do not seek help. Many men feel ano

To properly diagnose an eating disorder, a full assessment needs to be made by your GP, a specialist nurse, psychiatrist or psychologist. This will include details about your symptoms and feelings, food intake, weight and blood tests. If you need support, please don't hesitate to contact our team . Although there is no single test for an eating disorder, there is a very good screening tool which is often used by GPs and other people working in healthcare. A screening tool mea

In our image-obsessed culture, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about our body image. But you may have a friend who seems to have gone one step further, becoming obsessed with food and dieting. You're concerned that your friend might have an eating disorder and are not sure what to do. This article explores how you can broach the subject and offer support for your friend. Need help? Please don't hesitate to contact us today. How do I know if my friend has an eatin

There is an emerging understanding of a developmental disorder called Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) which can lead to serious eating difficulties, together with many other social, educational and relational problems. If you need support, please feel free to contact our team . A key feature of PDA is overwhelming resistance to the ordinary demands and activities of daily life. Activities such as getting dressed, leaving the house and eating meals are met with complete op

About Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) ARFID is a relatively new term, which stands for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, now officially recognised and described in diagnostic criteria. It involves the avoidance of a large number of foods to the extent that there is nutritional deficiency and health impairment. There is an intense fear of many foods and this usually results in social disturbances, such as being unable to join friends for school dinne

Mirror exposure therapy is an approach recognised as being effective in reducing body image distress. It can be used as part of a treatment programme for people with eating disorders who experience high levels of body dissatisfaction. This might be expressed in very frequent body checking in the mirror, or mirror avoidance, due to the high levels of anxiety caused when the individual sees their own image. Mirror exposure works on the same principle as other forms of exposure

Diabulimia is a term which has come into recent usage to describe people who are suffering from Type 1 diabetes and a related eating disorder. Specifically, it means people with Type 1 diabetes who omit or reduce their intake of insulin to lose weight. This makes diabulimia extremely dangerous: if people with Type 1 diabetes fail to take the correct amount of insulin, they place themselves at risk of many serious complications which can include eye problems (including risk of

It's recognised that there is wide variation in eating disorder services, both in terms of who is treated and the treatment itself. In many cases, services have developed their own models using different approaches and although they may originally have been a clear rationale for doing things in a particular way, it is hard to compare and measure what works best and what may not be working. From a patient and parent's point of view, it is difficult to know what the standards f

Eating disorders commonly develop from the age of 14. This is a time when young people are becoming more independent and parents often have less control over the food they eat. It can also be a time when your relationship with your child goes through many changes, often resulting in difficult conflicts. Equally, your child may become more distant from you. If you need support please don't hesitate to reach out to our caring team today. It can be difficult to know whether cha

Eating disorders can develop at any age, but most often affect people from the age of 14 to 25. Eating disorders commonly start at a time when you are becoming more independent, changing the way you eat and possibly feeling different about your body. You may have changed your diet to lose weight, perhaps turned vegetarian or started trying different foods. You are likely to have more control over what you eat and have more of your meals and snacks with friends or on your own,

Exercise is recognised as being important for physical and psychological wellbeing. It is recommended that everyone takes part in exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week. Many people exercise much more frequently than that and their activity levels are not harmful. They may be working towards sports or aerobic goals and gain a high degree of satisfaction from their exercise. If you're concerned your exercise habits are more a symptom of disordered eating and would