Scribblings of a Psychotherapist

#FridayFacts Men and boys and anyone identifying with other genders experience eating disorders and disordered eating too.   We really need to stop leaving out non-females and other genders from the conversation. Why? Because to do so means we are discriminating against others, developing 'female-friendly' services only and perpetuating a very biased and unrepresentative picture of eating disorders. This means lots of people are don't have their voice heard and don't receive support and understanding.   Here at Talking EDs, we see males and those identifying with other genders, of all ages and backgrounds who experience a range of eating disorders and disordered eating.   As humans, we all eat after all. So why wouldn't eating disorder/disordered eating affect non-females and those identifying with other genders. I personally find it puzzling why so many people are left our of the eating disorders/disordered eating conversation.   Eating disorders do not discriminat

VACANCY: Experienced Psychotherapist/Counsellor in  Eating Disorders (Adults and Children) The team is growing again and we are experiencing an increased demand for services, meaning that Talking EDs is looking to recruit another experienced psychotherapist, counsellor or psychologist to join the team one afternoon and evening per week to provide psychotherapy, counselling, support and therapy sessions to clients. This is based in our offices in Glasgow city centre (in-person appointments), although there is the opportunity to see see some clients online and at other times. If you're interested, please see the advert on Indeed here: https://www.indeedjobs.com/talking-eds---glasgow-and-west-eating-disorders-service/jobs/d422aeff27c6e4ff1053 CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY 3RD NOVEMBER, 5PM, to start as soon as possible afterwards. This role is NOT suitable for newly qualified practitioners or those with little or no experience of working in the field of eating disorders/disordered eating. Ple

 #MONDAYMOTIVATION   This week's #MondayMotivation focuses on some quotes about 'recovery'. See the recovery quotes below. What does recovery mean to you? Best wishes , Alexandra Talking EDs (Glasgow and West Eating Disorders Support Service) www.eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk support@eatingdisorderscotland.co.uk      

#FridayFacts Every Friday we'll post some 'facts' and information about mental health. This week's facts focus on 'myths about feelings and emotions'. Please see the picture below.   EXTRA INFO: Emotions are something that we all experience, and yet so many people misunderstand or apply judgements against them. Misunderstandings sometimes lead to individuals being mocked, shamed or dismissed for feeling and expressing emotion (or for not publicly expressing emotions, especially in times of grief).   There are numerous myths or misunderstandings about emotions that lead to people feeling they need to bottle everything up inside or not express themselves, but that can just lead to things building up inside of us over time. And what happens when something is held in and builds up and up and up? Eventually it explodes! This explosion can come in the form of tantrums, tears, anger or even violence, and unhelpful coping techniques.   If you are have some feelings or

This week's # MondayMotivation focuses on control. Some words on feelings of uncertainty, unknowingness, anxiety, fear and being out-of-control. Because we know many of you are feeling these things. Amidst the panic and anxiety surrounding the current COVID-19 situation is the sense of feeling trapped, out-of-control or even helpless. However, many of our current and previous clients feel these things all/most of the time, pre-and-post COVID-19. These are some of the feelings our clients, and those getting in touch about accessing therapy, are expressing. They may assert that some behaviours, such as restricting doo or exercising (and many other things) helps them cope and feel a little more in-control in the short-term; however, they also recognise that these safety and avoidance behaviours really only increases their sense of things feeling out of our control, in the ling-term. I think there are 2 things to consider that can help us surf through these waves of

Focus on..... Binge Eating Disorder (BED) Binge Eating Disorder or BED is often characterised by someone consuming very large amounts of food over short period of time, even if they are not hungry. Although, we often see another form of binge eating that is characterised by an almost constant 'grazing' of food, which may amount to a large volume of food over time. BED is almost 2x as common in women than in men, although gender differences are less pronounced than in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. BED has been found is all cultures and ethnicities. BED was formally classified in 2014 as distinct Eating Disorder and now has formal classification in DSM-5. Keeping in mind that everyone experiencing BED is different and BED may present differently (we are all different and unique, after all!), some of the signs and symptoms of BED include: * Feeling out-of-control when eating during a binge episode. * Often hiding food (before it has been eaten or hiding empty packets after