March 2024 Newsletter

In this issue...

• Message from the Chair
• Seeking support: 
• Upcoming EDANZ support meetings
• Barriers to accessing eating disorder healthcare and support 
• The imperative of collaboration: Lived experience perspectives on team approaches in outpatient eating disorder treatment 
• Finding support 
• Resource Corner 
• New Access to resources for families and carers from Eating Disorders Families Australia 
• Have your say in shaping future research into caring for or supporting someone with an eating disorder!

For this month’s theme, we focus on seeking help. This can be an intimidating and overwhelming process for people with eating disorders and their whānau. Fewer than 1/3 of people with eating disorders reach out for help, with many people experiencing both practical and social barriers. Here, we explore research on barriers and treatment and provide information on finding support for affected individuals and carers/supporters.

Also in this month’s issue, we provide information on some great resources by Eating Disorders Families Australia. 

Finally, we are so excited to tell you about our upcoming survey. We need your help to shape the future of research and support for families and whānau living with eating disorders. Find out more below.

Always remember that you and your family are worthy of support. Our support line is open, and you are not alone.

Sending you good wishes and hope
Wiebke

Upcoming support group meetings

EDANZ believes parents/carers have unique abilities to support one another and we hold regular meetings to which you are warmly invited. Currently, we're joining together around the country once a month thanks to videoconferencing technology. 

If you would like to participate in a virtual support group, please RSVP to info@ed.org.nz and we'll send you the link.

Meetings in 2024 will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 8pm-9pm.

Upcoming meetings:

• Wednesday, April 3rd, 8pm
• Wednesday, May 1st, 8pm
• Wednesday, June 5th, 8pm

This 2020 report by Butterfly Foundation explores the barriers faced by people seeking healthcare support for an eating disorder. These barriers are both practical, such as cost, locality and paucity of specialist treatment, and social, such as stigma and discrimination. Understanding the barriers is the first step to change, which is why reports like these are so important.

“GP did not take me seriously when I was worried about my eldest girl with anorexia. I was told my younger daughter (with ARFID) was just a 'picky eater' & would grow out of it when I was concerned about her initially.”

Read report

This study explores the importance of collaborative practices in treatment, that is, a treatment that relies on the collaboration between GPs, mental health professionals and dieticians. But what is most interesting about this study is that this is explored from the patient’s perspective. The results support the use of team-based, collaborative treatment to improve treatment satisfaction, engagement, and outcomes. This provides important information for improving the treatment experience for affected individuals and their families and whānau.

“It's such a multifaceted illness… you do need someone to watch your medical health and mental health and someone to make sure that you're on the right track with your relationship with food and your body… All three or four areas are so important.”

Read report

If you are wondering how and where to find support, our website includes an overview of the available services in Aotearoa New Zealand, advice on speaking to your GP, and the carer's role in treatment.

But carer/supporter self-care is also important. Here is some advice from the Australian organisation InsideOut. And don’t forget that our incredible volunteers are always only a phone call away.

“Just as the person you care for will need a strong support network, so will you. Some people find it helpful to link with others who have had similar experiences.

Think about people in your life who are good listeners and understand you, and make sure you schedule time with them. Consider joining a face-to-face or online support network to share experiences with others.”

https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/resource-library/self-care-for-families-and-carers

Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) is sharing its extensive video library with you. This means more than 160 hours of EDucation webinars featuring international experts, lived experience speakers, and specialist clinicians are now available to you.

For just AU$55, discover a wealth of recorded information, advice, and personal stories to assist you on your journey of supporting loved ones with eating disorders.

Ready to explore the library? Subscribe here at https://edfa.org.au/register/new-zealand-subscription/

EDANZ are very excited to announce that we will soon be launching a survey and we need you to contribute!

This survey is the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand. The outcomes will help us work out what the priorities are for future research into carers and supporters of someone with an eating disorder. We want you to have your say!

The survey is for people who are age 16 or older and have experience in one or more of the following areas while living in Aotearoa New Zealand:

• Lived or living experience of an eating disorder
• Lived or living experience as a carer/supporter of someone with an eating disorder
• Health professionals working with eating disorders
• Researchers in the field of eating disorders

Please keep an eye on our website and social media for the launch of the survey, and help us by sharing it with friends and whānau.

If you have any questions, please contact Meg: meg@ed.org.nz

We acknowledge Joanne Stephenson of Ashburton for her generous bequest to EDANZ for research.