Support Groups

Eating Disorder support groups exist primarily to offer people a space to share personal experiences and to promote listening and relating to the experiences of others in the group.  They also provide a space for education and advocacy about Eating Disorders.  There are two types of support groups: self help and professionally operated.  Self help support groups consist of members who are the organizers of the group.  Professionally operated support groups are facilitated by a professional (psychologist, social worker, therapist).  Within these two types a support group can also be closed or open.  A closed support group means there are specific criterion for participation and not everyone is allowed to participate in the group.  Open support groups are available for anyone to participate in.  One resource that I found for finding Eating Disorder support groups is an organization called the Emily Program.  They are located in Seattle and in addition to offering in patient treatment they also facilitate a variety of support groups.  There is one group for adolescents that meets three days a week  to discuss topics like identity expression and cultural influences on body image.  They also work on developing skills to look at disordered eating and explore its affect on relationships.  They also provide a group to introduce people to treatment where they create a space for discussion of the treatment and recovery process.  They offer other groups as well that support people in all walks of their anorexia diagnosis.  For a complete list and explanation of the groups click here.  The Emily program also offers family and friends support groups.  One of the unique things about these groups is that they are lead by trained parent facilitators.  The facilitator is trained and knowledgable but also able to relate to what the people in the group are going through.

attend_support_group [online image]. (n.d).  Retrieved from http://www.annegiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/attend_support_group.jpg 

Apps

The majority of Apps related to anorexia are marketed more towards people recovering from anorexia.  There are apps to help track eating habits and increase caloric intake.  There are also apps designed to help battle mental illness.  One app I found was aimed more towards educating about anorexia was called Anorexia Study.  It has information about Anorexia, body image, and mental disorders all of which are helpful to understand when treating a patient with anorexia.  The app also has pictures aid in the understanding of the material.

Anorexia Study on the App Store  [online image].  (2010).  Retrieved November 5 2015 from http://a2.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple/v4/c3/71/91/c37191e5-07b3-f491-2e69-0b33a20321d0/screen320x480.jpeg