Treatments and Support
Center for HOPE Program
The Renata Elizabeth Withers Center for HOPE
35 Major's Path
Suite 101
St. John's, NL
A1A 4Z9
T: (709) 777-2041
F: (709) 777-2042
Please note the phone numbers for the Center's team has changed.
Kelly Maloney 752-3611
Ashley Walsh 752-3612
Sarah Pegrum 752-3614
Judy Greenland (Intake Nurse) 752-3616
Andrea Hann 752-3618
Nancy Rogers 752-3619
Nancy White 752-3617
Metrobus route 14 stops directly in front of the new building. Please consult with Metrobus at 722-9400 or www.metrobus.com for more detailed information.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kelly Maloney at 752-3611 or Jeannette Piper Program Manager at 777-4101.
People can, and do, recover from eating disorders, but professional help is almost always required. Unfortunately, the longer symptoms are denied or ignored, the more difficult recovery will be. If you or someone you know suffers from a possible eating disorder, it's important to seek help immediately. Family members and friends can also benefit from information and help.
Many of us have difficulties with food, weight and body image. These difficulties negatively affect our lives and our self-esteem. If you are struggling with food and weight issues and these are causing distress in your life, then find support. Don't wait until you have all the symptoms of a clinical eating disorder in order to get help. You deserve help at every stage of your struggles.
Food and weight preoccupations occur on a "continuum" that stretches from behaviours such as constantly worrying about our body shape and what we eat to medically serious, clinical eating disorders, like anorexia or bulimia.
We struggle with a range of different food and weight issues. Sometimes we believe that if we take control over our food, weight and shape, then we will solve other problems that we might be having, such as feeling that we don't fit into a social or professional group, or personal problems. This pressure to take control over our feelings through controlling our bodies may result in restricting food intake, or over-exercising. Often we believe that if we could only look a certain way we will have mastery over our lives.
But if we get caught in a cycle of dieting - in an attempt to take control of our lives - we, ironically, end with a sense of being out of control. We may binge eat, then lose self-esteem, which leads to more dieting, then more binge eating, and so on and so on.
The development of a full-blown eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia often stems from this cycle. Some people may not have anorexia or bulimia but may eat in binges or eat compulsively, and may also feel out of control and in need of help.
Any kind of disordered eating pattern can cause us to feel out of control, further lowering self-esteem. The issue is not whether the patterns can be labelled with a particular diagnosis, but the degree to which they are causing distress in a person's life or the lives of those around them.
Find help by looking at the local options available to you. A professional counsellor who is knowledgeable about food and weight issues will work with you to overcome food and weight preoccupation.
Individual Assistance
Individual counselling or therapy may be more appropriate for individuals who feel overwhelmed in groups or who feel that they would benefit more from individual attention. For people whose eating problems have reached a stage of medical and/or psychological crisis, a more intensive individual approach may also be required. This approach might include hospitalization or other specialized treatment programs, accessed through a family doctor, hospital, local school, community agency or individual therapist.
Group Assistance
For those who feel isolated and would like to meet with others who have had similar experiences, then some kind of group assistance is often a good choice. Group therapy, support groups and self-help groups are all ways in which people can come together and, through sharing their experiences, begin to normalize their feelings and help each other deal with their difficulties.
Help for Friends and Family
You may find it difficult and stressful to approach someone you care about who has an eating disorder. You may wonder what to say, or be worried about what will happen as a result. These are legitimate fears. Rest assured, however, there are things you can do to offer support.
Be Patient
When you approach the individual for the first time, do not be surprised if they reject your expression of concern. They may even react with anger and denial. There is a lot of shame and pain that goes along with having an eating disorder. It's also important not to rush the person, and instead recognize that it will take time for the person to make changes.
Be Knowledgeable
It's important to understand that an eating disorder is a coping strategy that the individual uses to deal with deeper problems - problems may be too painful or difficult to deal with directly. Remember: Eating disorders are not simply about not eating or vanity! This website can provide you with additional information that is worth learning, information you may also want to offer to your family member or friend. Whether they act on it immediately or need more time to think is their decision to make.
Be Compassionate
Eating disorders are a complex problem, and food and weight issues are only the symptoms of a deeper problem. It's important to understand that the person would prefer to have healthier coping mechanisms and is doing the best they can at the moment. Show compassion for the pain and confusion that the individual is experiencing.
Be Encouraging
Encourage the person to see themselves as more than their eating disorder. Do this by talking about other aspects of your lives, and of life more generally. Affirm their strengths and interests that are unrelated to food or physical appearance.
Be Non-Judgmental
It's important to express your own needs in the relationship, without blaming or shaming the other person. Remember that the individual with the eating disorder will have to decide on when and how to get help, and what kind. Support them by validating the healthy changes that the person does makes, however small they may be.
Remember that they can only get better at their own pace. You can be supportive and gently give them information. You can help them to see and consider alternatives. You cannot make them get better. Consult with professionals when a child is concerned.