Developing an Adult ARFID Service

In the first of a three part series, Jane Taylor, Team Manager & Interpersonal Psychotherapist at the Bolton Eating Disorder Service, shares her experience of setting something up from scratch.

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Have you ever wondered why life takes you to different destinations and before you realise it you are knee deep in a project that can go either way, success or failure, and whatever the desired outcome you are too deep just to turn around and diminish yourself of all responsibility?

Well that was me in March 2021.

Having worked in adult eating disorders for the past 12 years (as a Manager for 6 of these) I found myself re-assessing someone who I had assessed several years earlier. This time around, their physical health had deteriorated significantly since I had previously seen them.

The individual’s presentation did not seem to match with either an anorexic or bulimic eating disorder diagnosis, however I knew something was wrong and was concerned for their wellbeing and future health. I decided to contact ARFID Awareness UK in a bid to identify a local service that could assist my client’s ongoing difficulties as well as ease my own anxieties regarding this individual’s needs following a brief inpatient stay (to stabilise their condition).

I send them an email and waited for their response.

I wasn't disappointed with their response about the online support available for my client, however I was concerned regarding the lack of provision available for individuals with suspected ARFID, not just in our locality but nationwide. Surely this can’t be the case can it? Little did I know just how one email could lead to what seemed like an overnight creation.

To be continued…