I've been there, and know a lot of people who have. However I also know the consultant who I was under during 2010 changed recently. Personally I think this can only mean good things, and I don't know what she is like, but I think you should be optimistic.
Try to just go with an open mind.
But as far as the unit itself. It's in a nice building in beautiful grounds. The unit itself is really homely and light, which is nice. There are two programmes - it's based mainly on DBT - dialectal behavioural therapy. If you choose to go for full recovery and weight restoration then you go on to the DBT programme and go through cycles of the different dbt principles. There are two really good booklets on the website itself that tell all about the unit - I am slightly biased because I wrote one of them The other programme is like engagement, where they get you to a safe weight and try to get you feeling ale to engage to going to full weight restoration, but don't really give you any therapy at all. I found this odd - how are you meant to get to the point that you are ready to feel you can go to a healthy weight, if you are not being supported to do so? Hmmm.
The staff are really nice. You don't get an individual therapist, so for me it just didn't work. I also personally don't benefit from dbt - but this is a personal thing and I know a lot of people who have picked up a lot of useful skills from this approach.
Bearing in mind your worries about food in the previous thread, don't be particularly worried about here as there are sooooo many worse places! The breakfasts all fresh, and fairly standard. Lunch is fine, a cooked meal. And dinner is freshly cooked, you get an option of something like soup and a sandwich or something like beans on toast. They, like every unit, are very safe about refeeding and introducing food slowly and safely though. they are extremely organised about portion sizes.
Just go with an open mind. I had my experiences there, I know people with similar or also with completely different experiences. You have to be ready to get better. But you are being offered a wonderful opportunity, as funding is very hard to come by. Especially in that neck of the woods xx
FightingButterfly, I was just about to recommend the articles online as they are so well written. Yours was fantastic (I'm guessing yours was the patient one!). x
FightingButterfly, I was just about to recommend the articles online as they are so well written. Yours was fantastic (I'm guessing yours was the patient one!). x
Breakfast is cereal with milk - when you first go in they want you on low fibre so it's either rice crispies or corn flakes - and there's also weetabix and bran flakes and probably others. I think pretty soon, or maybe even straightaway they also have you on one piece of toast and butter, with optional jams, and this goes up to two pieces of toast. You have to have a drink. You have have water, tea or coffee. I can't remember now if you have to have fruit juice. Probably did. They have theeeee most amazing array of fruit teas there - I am a massive fan
Snacks go on a weekly rotation. They'll start you off on drinks. After that, the morning snack will be the exact same for the week, and the afternoon one will be different, but again the same for a week. This will be anything from a packet of crisps, yoghurt and a piece of fruit, a cereal bar, chocolate, biscuits etc. they try to get variety, and I think they do the week long thing so that your anxiety decreases over the week. Also if it's things like crisps you can try different flavours? Also you have a drink with it, again like squash or something.
They are very strict About meal times there, I will warn you that. All meals and snacks have a set time, and if you don't complete you get offered a replacement. After meals, there is then a rest period.
No not yet. I only got told today that they want me inpatient. They still need to apply for funding and check there is a bed. I am hoping there is as the Bristol unit sounds horrendous. I need to phone my team tomorrow and tell them to proceed. I just wanted to reassure myself a bit first.
Yup 3. And they have to be specific, not like "I hate potatoes" it has to be not mashed potatoes etc.
They made me really quite specific come to think of it, as one of mine had to be toast at breakfast, and the other had to be toast in evening meals , which I found really annoying, as I just hate toast! Genuinely choose dislikes as real dislikes though if I were you, instead of foods you want to avoid. Otherwise makes having to eat foods you really dislike pretty unbearable! They have a four week menu, that then rotates, with 2-3 options.
But the dietitian is pretty good, if it's the same one, and she does spend time with the patients.
Thats what concerns me. I am a very fussy eater and the idea of eating dairy repulses me, it has nothing to do with calories this is a pre-ed thing. I would happily trade for something double the calories. I am guessing they are going to kick up a fuss about that. I could probably minimise it down the no milk/cheese/cream and cope with yogurt and butter but I think that would be too general. Mayonnaise is the other one which I have heard they don;t allow as a dislike as most people say it to reduce calories, mine is a genuine dislike.
Ah stressful.
In edu's, you kind of have to learn to eat things you don't like, if I'm honest. The one I just came from did allow mayo as a dislike, but I think that was the exception to the rule.
I hate squishy textures. Like yuck. I hate mushrooms, courgettes/aubergines/avocado basically anything that is fluidy and squishy and in my opinion yuck! Ha! I can now tolerate and eat them if I have to (apart from mushrooms, which I just plain refuse!) but like none of tht is calorie related as they're all veg! But if ed units catered to all of our little food idiosyncrasies where would they draw the line? How could they really tell what was pre-ed, and what is ed? How can we, actually, because how do we really know when it began? In terms of food choices, you just have to see it as a short term thing. Yes there are things in there you will eat that when you leave you will probably never eat again. I can think of one unit where they used to serve us angel delight virtually every day until I wanted to throw it at someone! But there may also be new foods you will eat and find that you actually really like! And the beat thing is, when you come out and are recovered you can choose. And if you do go to the haldon then your can get to the stage where you food plan, cook and eat with others. The consultant discharged me before I got to that stage as I was struggling (like I said, glad he has left) but from those I know who have done the rehab part I think it really was good. And I have met the new consultant and she seems experienced.
Right after a very long night of not sleeping and lots of thinking I am going to eat today. I am going to have to gain weight one way or another and I would prefer to do it in a way where I can honour my dislikes. I think the distress of being trapped in a unit eating stuff I hate has freaked me out enough to try eating. I know what i am going to eat is not enough but it is a start. Here goes trying my eating plan.
The other programme is like engagement, where they get you to a safe weight and try to get you feeling ale to engage to going to full weight restoration, but don't really give you any therapy at all. I found this odd - how are you meant to get to the point that you are ready to feel you can go to a healthy weight, if you are not being supported to do so? Hmmm.
