This, it appears, is what The System is like in England (I know Wales is different). Things are so very, very complicated in England that it's almost impossible to explain. (Thanks Marcella for doing your level best to attempt to do so, though...) This, essentially, is almost certainly why FBT (Family Based Treatment) for eating disorders in adolescents is not being rolled out across England as it is in Scotland (which has a far, far simpler political system by the sound of things). Meanwhile young lives are being lost. Like the young man and women I learned about at the weekend - both university students who lost their lives to their eating disorder.
Yes, I am aware that there can never be a one-size-fits-all solution to finding a treatment for eating disorders and also that it's virtually impossible for any treatment to get even remotely close to a 100% success rate. I am also aware that FBT is only believed to be effective in adolescents with eating disorders (i.e. not adults).
But on Sunday afternoon in Glasgow, Dr James Lock presented indisputable evidence from sustained, indepth clinical trials, both in the United States and in Scotland, that implementing FBT as a treatment method for eating disorders (and especially anorexia) leads to a faster and more sustained recovery in a higher proportion of adolescents. It also costs far less to roll out than the old, traditional treatments for eating disorders especially when you factor in the case of in-patient treatment.
As a copywriter it's always been my job to weed out all the fluff, filler and nonsense and go straight for the jugular - the single-most-important-reason to do something, in the case of advertising this would be for a customer to purchase a product. It has been drilled into me since time immemorial to get straight to the point and steamroller through any rubbish or bullsh*t.
So, naturally, I tend to do the same when it comes to my thinking on eating disorders.
This is why I want to say that, frankly, I don't give a flying you-know-what for ridiculous red tape and protocol and "can't do's" when it comes to young people's lives.
In ten years' time when yet more families are missing their beautiful sons and daughters who have been killed by this devastating illness purely and simply because it took too long to get diagnosed, and / or because they had to wait too long for treatment and, when they eventually got that treatment, it was treatment that had essentially remained unchanged since the 1870s... will these families accept that, OK, things were just far, far too complicated in England to do what Scotland have just done and made FBT (Family Based Treatment) for eating disorders available to any family that wants it?
Would this justify their child's death in their eyes? Would it make them feel any better?
What do you think?!
Sorry, but all this bullsh*t and red tape doesn't wash with me. It just makes me mad and makes me want to get militant.
Looking for information on eating disorders in boys? Worried that your son has an eating disorder? How can you tell if a boy has an eating disorder? In 2009 my 15-year-old son developed anorexia. Now, aged 28, he is recovered & studying psychology in order to help others. This blog tells the story of my son's recovery from anorexia as well as raising awareness of eating disorders in boys.
In our case, we were finally offered FBT after my daughter had been ill (or rather, diagnosed - she'd been ill for sometime before diagnosis) for over a year. It didn't work for us, but I'm sure it would have been far more helpful if, firstly, it had been offered to us sooner, and secondly the hospital hadn't insisted that my ex-husband should attend too! It really didn't help. They should have given us separate FBT appointments - one for my daughter and him, and one for my daughter and me. Needless to say, my daughter is still ill, aged 22 *sigh*
ReplyDeleteSo yes, there is NO excuse for not providing FBT or any other necessary therapies - as well as the support and practical help to parents to help with refeeding issues - much, much sooner.
Good rant Bev!
So well said!
ReplyDeleteEnough of the bullshit already. Red tape should be is easier to cut than it is to put up, and if it is not, there needs to be a very good reason why not. That reason needs to justify loss of life, so in my eyes- there never could be a good enough reason to delay treatment for any individual.