Our blog.
Authenticity is a core part of Orri’s philosophy. Our blog is a place to share news and updates on Orri, but most importantly, discuss important topics in relation to eating disorders and recovery.
3 things we ask you in an assessment
We know that it’s a brave and courageous decision to reach out for help with an eating disorder. There can be a lot of fear associated with the thought of letting go of something that, ultimately, helps to you to feel safe and in control of your day-to-day life. Here's how we approach assessments at Orri.
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“In short, Orri has given me my life back”
"Before Orri I was just existing in survival mode, now with their help, support and guidance I am now living in recovery and I can finally see a life without my ED." Our client shares her experience in Orri's online treatment.
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A note from Kerrie: welcoming the new year
I wanted to take a moment to reach out to our community here in the middle of what has been another unpredictable month and entry into 2021. If there was ever a test of our ability to ride the waves, and be in the moment, I would say we are all collectively living it.
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Setting Intentions For Eating Disorder Recovery
The third Monday of January has been nicknamed Blue Monday because it’s supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Today we’re sharing our top tip for dealing with difficult Mondays: setting intentions.
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Therapist’s tips for helping someone you love through a transition
When our world changes considerably, be it through the experience of the pandemic or entering a new chapter in life such as university, we can experience a feeling of great loss or fracture.
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Our Occupational Therapist’s tips for managing transitions
Our Senior Occupational Therapist shares her thoughts around how transitions impact people suffering with eating disorders, as well as her top tips for managing them.
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Why Orri is different
As a social impact-led business, we exist to make tangible change in the eating disorder community. This means that we prioritise work that consciously serves the community, and solves a community need.
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“My first experience of Orri was one of nervous relief”
Our client kindly shares her experience of eating disorder recovery with Orri. "My first experience of Orri was one of nervous relief. I had never encountered people who sincerely wanted to know ME and what I wanted from treatment, and ultimately, my life..."
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The Guesthouse – a poem
This beautiful poem about welcoming our full, emotional experience as human beings was shared by one of the Orri team members. We hope that you enjoy it.
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A Poem for Recovery This Christmas – Guest Blogger
Lizzie, an expert by experience and friend of Orri, shared a poem a wrote with our clients for Christmas.
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Creating and holding boundaries over Christmas
What are boundaries and why are they important in eating disorder recovery, and particularly at Christmas time?
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6 ways to boost your mental health this Christmas
Over the weekend we received some difficult news about Christmas. A holiday that is all about coming together no longer has that emphasis and many are understandably struggling with the adjustment. If you’re feeling a little (or a lot) exhausted and beaten down by this year, here are 6 ways to improve your mental health.
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Orri’s Response: Fifth of women in England may have an eating disorder (The Times)
There’s been a sharp intake of breath in response to the recent data from the Health Survey for England 2019 Eating Disorders report. As eating disorder specialists, we’ve known that there are many more people suffering with eating disorders than usually reported. Yet, it is still staggering to learn that it’s a fifth of women and 13% of men in the UK who could test positive for an eating disorder.
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Coping with the Festive Season: Tips from our Social Media Community
The holidays are almost upon us, and whilst many people are eager to celebrate, we are aware that some people - particularly those living with eating disorders - can struggle at this time of year. We asked our Instagram followers for their tips for coping with Christmas and the festive season...
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“Where words fail, music speaks” – A Playlist for Hope
As the quote goes, “music can heal wounds that medicine cannot touch” – music is a medicine in and of itself. As we entered the second lockdown, our clients came together to share songs of hope, and now you can hear it too.
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Coping with Triggering Conversations in Recovery – Guest Blogger
The holidays can be a difficult time of year for people suffering with an eating disorder. An emphasis on reconnecting with loved ones can mean that we see family members or friends we haven’t seen in a while…and this can bring up a lot for someone in recovery. Our latest Guest Blogger shares their tips for coping with triggering conversations...
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Am I holding onto anger?
As the saying goes “if you’re not speaking it, you’re storing it - and that gets heavy”, not expressing our true feelings can cause a multitude of issues. These include: not knowing how to communicate our values and needs, a feeling of bitterness, anger that can manifest through depression, anxiety and, most importantly for this audience, ‘acting out’.
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Winter and the Second Lockdown: Turning Inwards, Finding Hope – Guest Blogger
Ileana is a Psychology Master’s student at the University of Bristol. Here, she reflects on entering the second lockdown during the winter season, considering how we might take steps forward in recovery by 'turning inward' like nature during the season of hibernation.
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Orri’s Response: Anorexia: How the eating disorder took the lives of five women (BBC News)
A mother, an Olympic hopeful, a medical student, a waitress and a writer. In a recent article, BBC News asked: "What do the lives and deaths of five women tell us about how anorexia is managed and treated?" This is Orri's response to their article.
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Our Psychologist’s Recommendations for the Second Lockdown
Dr Katie Kalinowski is Orri’s Clinical Psychologist. As we enter our second lockdown, here are her 3 tips for keeping recovery on track. "You are allowed to look after your wellbeing even if it doesn’t feel like you’re earning it.”
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Moving online for the second lockdown
The decision to move online was not an easy one, and we are very aware of the implications the first lockdown had on the wider eating disorder community. However, preserving the safety of our clients has always been at the heart of Orri’s approach.
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How does your body experience stress?
When we talk about stress, we have to talk about the nervous system. Initially, it was understood that there were two parts of the nervous system: the para-sympathetic and the sympathetic, however an update to our understanding of the nervous system introduced the poly-vagal theory with the introduction of a third strand of the nervous system. Here’s how stress plays a role in poly-vagal theory...
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6 ways to create a routine for winter
We're writing to you today on a crisp, grey afternoon, where the autumn season feels more and more like winter. Does it feel like this for you, too? When seasons change, our routine changes. Just as the trees let go of their leaves in order to turn inward and conserve energy, we may let go of activities that we no longer have the - mental or physical - energy for, in order to rest and restore in winter months.
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Orri’s Kitchen: Ooky-Spooky Cookie Recipe
Halloween parties may be off the cards, but we can still celebrate with baked goods! Michael, Orri's superb Head Chef, shares an Ooky-Spooky Cookie recipe for the Halloween weekend.
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Recovery inspiration from our clients
Perhaps people have told you that recovery isn’t possible, or, that recovery is years and years and years away…we don’t blame you if that mindset has made you feel disempowered and discouraged (we would feel this way to). We believe that recovery is possible, particularly because we see it happen every day at Orri...
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Black History Month: Eating Disorders and Body Image
Orri's Consultant Family Therapist, Karen Carberry, shares her thoughts for Black History Month "...we are reminded that eating disorders occur across race, cultures and genders, and therefore when treating Black people in this field - who are an underrepresented group in our services - inclusivity of body images and representation across client, staff groups, and educational literature is key to enhance self-worth."
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Meet the Eating Disorder Associate: Alice Pegram
Alice is one of Orri's Eating Disorder Associates and joined the team in September upon the reopening of our face-to-face service in London! We sat her down to learn more about her role and interest in treating eating disorders...
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Menopause and Eating Disorders
Today is World Menopause Day and we are taking the day to reflect on eating disorders and menopause. At Orri, part of our social impact initiative is to raise awareness of the multitude of ways people can experience having an eating disorder. In this way, we attempt to tackle the stigma and stereotypes that surround the illness...
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Reflections on World Mental Health Day
This weekend we celebrated World Mental Health Day, reflecting on how, in light of the pandemic, mental health has been an urgent and consistent talking point over the past 6-7 months.
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Our Senior Dietitian’s Tips for University
We’re going through unprecedented, uncertain times. When suffering with an eating disorder, often during uncertain times we can search for certainty in things such as food, our weight or body shape. Paula is our Senior Dietitian at Orri. Here, she shares her top tips for how to keep your recovery on track whilst making the transition to university.
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Student Tips from the Orri Team
Our Eating Disorder Associates share their mental health tips for new or returning university students - or for anyone else going through a pivotal change or transition right now! We hope these words of support help you navigate your new chapters, safely, and with the reminder that you really are not alone.
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Contemplating Recovery: the stages of change
We know that people who reach out for eating disorder treatment have often thought about the decision a lot. In fact, a whole lot of recovery work takes place before even entering treatment as it takes a lot of courage to admit that there’s a problem and then to take steps towards reaching out...
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“I’m not ill enough for treatment….”
We know that a lot of people are contemplating recovery right now, and the question of being “ill enough” for treatment is something that many people contend with during this time...
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Meet The Marketing Team: Antalia
Introducing our amazing Marketing Assistant, Antalia, who joined the team during lockdown and has fast become part of the furniture!
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Shaping peace together through compassion, kindness and hope
Today we’re thinking about the importance of compassion, kindness and hope in the face of Covid-19.
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Handling mealtimes as a student.
We are right in the midst of student season. As we type, people are moving away or establishing themselves in an odd, virtual student world that no one quite knows how to navigate. With new environments and new schedules, comes new routines. For those in recovery from an eating disorder, routines are really important as they help individuals feel safe and secure in day-to-day life...
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Heading to university? This blog is for you.
The transition from school to university can be a difficult time. It typically comes at a point in life when many individuals are at a higher risk of developing a mental illness, such as an eating disorder, and the integration of new environments, routines and people can have a significant impact on our resilience. “Yes, you’re learning the subject matter for your degree, but you’re also learning about who you are.”
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5 Ways to Keep Your Recovery on Track
We hold onto the hope that someone doesn't have to "learn to live with" their eating disorder. We believe that with the right type and amount of support, and with dedication and commitment to the work of recovery, everyone can learn to live without the eating disorder. Keeping your recovery on track involves a few small - but really important - things...
read moreA note from Kerrie: Welcoming you back to Orri
"Today I sit, once again at my laptop, 6 months on, older and wiser (naturally!), and I am humbled, excited and relieved to be able to say that we are looking forward to welcoming you all to Orri this week." Kerrie shares her thoughts on reopening our London clinic.
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Should we ask about suicide? – Guest Blogger
Alice Newton-Leeming, Director of Mental Health Learning and Silver Trainer in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), discusses why we should, in fact, talk about suicide.
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My Experience With Suicidal Thoughts – Guest Blogger
"I thought I wanted it to work, I thought I wanted to die. What I didn’t realise at the time, was that yes - I did want to be alive, but no - I didn’t want to be alive living in my current state. I didn’t want to end my life, I wanted to end my suffering." Expert by experience and Orri Guest Speaker, Lizzie, shares her experience of suicide in eating disorder recovery.
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World Suicide Prevention Day: working together to prevent suicide
In this blog we’re doing something that many people struggle with…talking about suicide. World Suicide Prevention Day is a day that provides an opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. We recognise that this may be difficult for some of our readers, so we are going to ask you to exercise your self-care in deciding if this is the right time for you to be reading this...
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Welcoming autumn, the season of letting things go
For many, spring represents birth and renewal; as we watch bulbs become daffodils and lambs lark in the fields. Summer symbolises freedom and youth, with long, light evenings full of opportunity and hours of warmth. Autumn, therefore, can represent adulthood and maturity, a time for reflection and letting go of what doesn’t serves us...
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For those difficult days…why recovery is worth it.
We know that it can be hard to hold onto hope in eating disorder recovery. It can be a long journey, made up of cumulative small steps forward, and some days are tougher than others. However, somehow you keep going, knowing that with a new day comes another chance to take back your life from the eating disorder.
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Checking In: Grounding Exercises for Uncertainty and Fear
Recently, we asked our Instagram community what was going on for them and, interestingly, most responded with fears around eating too much, gaining weight, constantly snacking or worries about bingeing. Collectively, we’re in a really transitional and uncertain period right now. Having a tolerance for uncertainty and learning to keep grounded during transitional periods is a skill that can be learnt...
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Exams and results: taking steps to tolerating difficult emotions
However your results go today, keep in mind that it’s perspective and resilience for what comes at us in life is what matters. Both of these things we have control over.
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Choosing a life without an eating disorder meant confronting why I needed it in the first place – Guest Blogger
"Life is supposed to be a journey from one happy event to the next, right? The glossy side of social media tells us the story that we are only living our “best lives” when we don’t have to contend with difficult emotions..." James Downs, mental health campaigner and expert by experience in eating disorders, generously shares his thoughts and experience as our latest guest blogger for Orri.
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“And I said to my body, I want to be your friend.” – On Friendship
The saying goes that you can’t properly love someone until you love yourself. For those reading that are suffering with an eating disorder, you may be familiar with a feeling of disconnect from others; a certain distance you feel between yourself and others. It may have nestled in between your closest friendships, or, in the dynamic between family members...
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Lockdown lessons and affirmations for this latest chapter
Let’s take a moment to recognise something important: you’re here, reading this blog, having made it through lockdown to (almost) the other side. For many of us it’s been tumultuous. We experienced shock, fear, disbelief, calm, quiet, anger, confusion, anxiety, grief…a whole LOAD of emotions in the space of 4-5 months. So, as we begin to come out of this tumultuous space and enter a so-called “new normal”, what have we learned? What’s going to stay with us?
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Orri’s Response: ‘I was terrified to put on weight’ – the ‘culture of fear’ in British gymnastics (BBC News)
No one, particularly those at a young age working in such competitive, gruelling industries, should be subject to a “culture of fear” that encourages individuals to question their sense of self and worth as a human being. Pavier’s story of retiring at age 17 after becoming “a shell of a person” demonstrates the severe impact on an individual’s mental health when their bodies are micro-managed.
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4 Things To Do As Lockdown Lifts
As things begin to open up, the expectation of springing back to normality is palpable, but what if lockdown life was actually peaceful? And the prospect of returning to “normality” really daunting?
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Life with an adult-onset eating disorder – Guest Blogger
Our first guest blogger, Emily, shares her experience of adult-onset eating disorder: "My journey now is about the connection between 'logic' and all those unbearable complex emotions and feelings I have about food and my body (by which I really mean, myself and my life). I don’t think this is all too different for adult-onset eating disorders than it is for people who fall victim to this when younger."
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The power of journaling – National Writing Day
For National Writing Day 2020, Orri has launched a contributor section to our blog, meaning that those who have been impacted by an eating disorder can share their experience and thoughts to nurture hope in recovery. Nikki, Orri's Creative Arts Therapist, shares her thoughts on the power of journaling.
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A blog about recovery – by Lizzie
Lizzie, an expert by experience, shares a guest blog about her amazing recovery journey. “It’s not just about eating food, gaining weight, or being discharged from treatment. It’s about re-framing your thoughts, creating new behaviour patterns, developing self-awareness and ultimately, creating a healthy relationship with yourself, your body, and food.”
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Men’s Health Week: Men’s Health Matters, a poem by our client
Our client shares a poem inspired by Men's Health Week.
"So now we must talk and send out the message
It’s okay not to be okay.
As a man or boy; old or young
We want to hear what you have to say."
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Men’s Health Week: Men, we are here to hear you.
It’s Men’s Health Week, and whilst this week is focusing on keeping men safe during covid-19 and lockdown, we’re going to “add on” the experience of being a man with an eating disorder. About 25% of people experiencing eating disorder symptoms are male, yet there are still considerable barriers for men when attempting to access treatment, and a wide spread lack of knowledge about men who experiences eating disorders generally.
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Men’s Health Week: Through the eyes of our male client
One of our amazing clients shares his experience of being a man with an eating disorder for Men’s Health Week. "It’s perfectly normal to hold anxiety about going into treatment but by taking that crucial first step, I no longer feel like I’m fighting my ED on my own."
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Men’s Health Week: The Risks to Men’s Mental Health During Covid-19 and Messages to Overcome Them
The psychological health of the nation is taking a substantial hit during Covid-19 and this is likely to affect everyone. As Men’s Mental Health Week begins what are the specific risks to men’s mental health during this pandemic?
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Kindness Matters.
A recap of the amazing submissions from our clients for Mental Health Awareness Week 2020. How do they make you feel?
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Treatment that meets you where you are.
It should be common knowledge that there’s no one way to have an eating disorder. That there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to have a problem, and that someone’s weight or relationship to food – whatever it may look like – is not the only indication of their suffering. Our online Evening and Weekend Programmes evolved from the knowledge that there will never be a “right time” to start treatment...
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“Kindness” – a poem by our client
Our client shares a poem inspired by the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week, "kindness".
"...I get a chance to process, to think them through,
Then these acts of kindness become easier to do..."
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What role does kindness plays in recovery and body image? – by our client
Inspired by Mental Health Awareness Week and the "kindness" theme, our client shares her thoughts on how kindness plays in recovery and body image...
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Meditation on kindness
Today, we had originally planned to write a blog post on how resilience and acceptance plays a role in being kind to ourselves, however, I struggled to put pen to paper. Investigating this, I feel it is because the act of being kind to ourselves is so personal, and our stories all so unique, it’s almost impossible to put this into words...
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“To truly help others one must help oneself…” – by our client
I need you to help but I need you to heal,
I need you to grow and to let yourself feel...
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“The more we speak, the more we can help others in despair…” – by our client
It is mental health awareness week,
A time to allow everyone to speak.
To rise up from fear,
And ensure everyone can hear...
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On kindness…for mental health awareness week
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme, much to our delight, is “kindness”. This is a particularly touching and pertinent theme, not only given the context that we’re in – navigating significant adjustments and restrictive measures during lockdown – but also because for those suffering with eating disorders, nurturing and allowing ourselves to turn “kindness” inward can be quite a challenge…but it is a necessary part of recovery...
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“Kindness” – our client’s poem for Mental Health Awareness Week
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme is #KindnessMatters - a theme that is so pertinent to Orri because of how crucial nurturing kindness is for our recovery journeys. Our client shares a poem written for this week...
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Experiencing the Pandemic Through the Eyes of Anorexia – by our client
"As the world comes to a grinding halt the nightmare of COVID-19 is palpable. For me though it is not the nightmare of the virus itself, but the nightmare it presents to my eating disorder. I know I am not alone in fearing the current uncertainty and unknown, but that fear is compounded by the fact that I suffer from anorexia."
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I have a little something to say… -a poem by our client
Create a plan and structure your days
Set aside some time for fun
Whether it’s art or reading or knitting or singing
Don’t forget to step out into the sun...
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We are still connected at heart… – a poem by our client
April has disappeared
And May has suddenly appeared,
I was hoping by now that the virus had gone,
I guess I was wrong…
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Pregnancy, motherhood and eating disorders
This week is Maternal Mental Health Week, and the team at Orri are grateful for a space in which some of the more complex and unspoken aspects of motherhood can be shared and considered. The aim of this week is to raise awareness of the impact of mental illness both during and after pregnancy. For many this is a difficult area to approach, it is often surrounded by silence and a reluctance to explore for many reasons, but often because people feel uncertain about what to say and how to approach it.
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“Through this difficult time in quarantine…” – a poem by our client
Our client shares a poem that she wrote after a positive day in our online treatment programme, Orri Together. "It’s days like today that I can really recognise how special the Orri community is".
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Caring for someone with an eating disorder during lockdown
We wanted to take a (much-needed) moment to reflect on how a parent and carer - or best friend - may be feeling whilst caring for someone with an eating disorder during lockdown.
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Our client, on nurturing hope in recovery.
As we heal from the coronavirus pandemic, now more than ever we're thinking about "hope"; how we need to hold onto it and nurture it, particularly during challenging times such as these. Our amazing client shares her thoughts on what it means to nurture hope in eating disorder recovery...
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Does your eating disorder seem amplified during lockdown?
Often, we talk about the eating disorder having a “voice”. By that we mean the critical thoughts that may pop in and out of your head throughout the day (or around food/mealtimes) that really test your recovery and resilience.
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A commitment to “me”: keeping recovery on track during lockdown
We read this content because we want help and hope – that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we, ourselves, will be able to make it to the end of that tunnel and be safe and, hopefully, happy along that the way. There’s a commitment to doing the “right thing” for our recovery, even when the eating disorder voice is loud and overwhelming (…let’s take a moment to appreciate your patience and resilience during those days).
read moreNurturing Hope – together.
Never more than now have we needed the strength and courage to hold ‘hope’. Hope that we can weather these strange and uncertain times, hope that our loved ones and ourselves can find the least difficult pathway through this period, and the hope that we can hold on to the things that are important in our lives.
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Managing Covid-19 and Your Recovery
If you’re reading this and having a really tough time managing both your eating disorder recovery and quarantine, know that:
1. You are not alone.
2. You are not a “failure” if things are particularly difficult right now.
3. The most important thing is that you’re trying. Remember this.
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Connection is why we’re here.
There is probably no other theme more pertinent. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Orri made the difficult decision to suspend our face-to-face service and move to an online version of our specialist day treatment to preserve the safety of our clients. Whilst this is certainly an adjustment – for our team, clients and their loved ones – we are so grateful for our community.
read moreA note from Kerrie: Good Morning Virtual Orri
Kerrie, our Clinical Director and Co-founder, shares her thoughts on the first day Orri's specialist day treatment moves online.
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Considering eating disorder treatment for your child
You may have stumbled across this blog because it is Eating Disorders Awareness Week, or, you may have come across it whilst undertaking thorough research on behalf of your loved one. Whatever your situation, we’d like to acknowledge the courage and patience it takes to be a parent of someone who is suffering with an eating disorder.
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The importance of supporting the family in eating disorder treatment: Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Why is parent or carer involvement significant when it comes to someone’s eating disorder recovery? Because the illness exists outside of treatment and therapy and can seep into all areas of a person’s life: into social experiences, family life, relationships, work or schooling. As a parent, you likely play some sort of role within these areas of your child’s life.
read moreA note from Kerrie: Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Here at Orri we are marking Eating Disorder Awareness Week with our team and our clients. My reflection for us, and for many who read this - sufferers, carers and professionals – is that every week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. As eating disorder professionals, we work alongside brave and courageous clients and their families and loved ones...
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How to support a friend with an eating disorder: Eating Disorders Awareness Week
It can be hard to know “what to do” when you see someone you care about going through hardship. Often, we can feel helpless and worried that we’re not doing enough to support them. Here are our suggestions for supporting someone who is suffering with an eating disorder.
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Defeating Anorexia: inspiration from our client
We understand that deciding to recover from an eating disorder is often a daily, deliberate choice – especially in the beginning. If this sounds familiar, this illustration is for you.
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Perfectionism and balancing the nervous system
The internet defines a “perfectionist” as “a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection”. Interestingly, a perfectionist trait is listed as one of the symptoms of someone suffering with an eating disorder. But why is this so? And how does the opposite – procrastination - feature alongside this?
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Orri’s Birthday Workshop: You deserve to Nurture Hope in your recovery
Over the past twelve months we’ve had the privilege of sharing in the recovery journeys of many people - whether they entered into our service or decided upon a different path. Throughout our conversations, we noticed how we kept coming back to a recurring theme of “hope”.
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Being brave and taking risks: a common theme in recovery
When we think of “bravery”, often an image of a courageous warrior about to go into battle appears in our heads. But what does it mean when we are brave?
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I Need: our clients’ poem for recovery
Forging a space for creative expression is a huge part of our therapeutic approach at Orri. Here, one of our amazing clients kindly shares a poem she wrote during her time with us.
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When you’ve been unwell for a while…
We asked our Instagram followers to suggest topics they’d like to read about on our blog. A topic that came up at least twice was “how to start recovery when you’ve been unwell for a while”, or, “going from chronic to wellness”. At Orri, we believe that holding onto hope is a crucial aspect of our treatment and approach and that it is possible to recover.
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How to communicate with those we love
Simply put, we all want to feel seen and heard – sufferer and carer alike - but sometimes the “issue” itself can become a seemingly impenetrable wall and honest conversation feels inferior as a means of breaking it down. Regardless, we believe that communication can happen when we truly meet and see one another.
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How to stop your habit of comparing
Today, we’re drawing attention to the topic of comparison because comparison-checking is often a big feature of our clients’ recovery journey. The act of comparing so often brings more bad feelings than good - but it is possible to stop or reframe this experience.
read moreOrri’s Response: Anorexia is the deadliest mental illness. Why is the NHS still not taking it seriously? (Guardian)
NHS figures recently revealed that hospital admissions for eating disorders have risen 37% across all age groups in the last two years. Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at Beat, shared his thoughts in a Guardian opinion piece. We wanted to share our response.
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5 things to consider when thinking about body image
Today we’re discussing all things “body image” with our clients - quite a timely topic considering the pervasiveness of diet culture come the start of a new year. Whether someone is suffering with an eating disorder or not, most people struggle with negative body image to varying degrees throughout their life.
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You don’t need a “new me” in this new year
If you’re reading this at the beginning of January and feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of a new year - and any expectations that may come alongside that – we’d like to firstly reassure you that it’s okay to just be you.
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Meet the therapist: Nikki Thornton
Nikki joined the Orri team as an Eating Disorder Associate in April 2019 and now works as our Creative Arts Therapist. We sat her down to learn more about her approach and role within Orri…
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I’m Recovering This Christmas: Attending Social Events
First and foremost, it’s important to highlight that anxieties and fears felt around social events at Christmas are not exclusive to those in recovery from an eating disorder. Rather, a lot of people feel anxiety during these events, particularly when those in attendance are people you haven’t seen in a while.
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I’m Recovering This Christmas: Receiving and Buying Gifts
This is less a blog post about gifts and more a blog post about how you feel - about yourself. Why? Because underneath the experience of receiving gifts is the belief that you are worthy of receiving those gifts.
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I’m Recovering This Christmas: Dealing With Downtime
People in recovery often struggle to find meaning during time that has no productive direction. There’s a fear that overwhelming emotions or critical thoughts may sneak in. If this resonates with your experience, that’s okay. Here are some tools to have in your Christmas toolbox.
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I’m Recovering This Christmas: Handling Mealtimes
As you’re reading this blog, we’re supporting our clients through the festive season and sharing some of the tips below that you might also want to consider as we count down to the ‘big day’. Know that you, too, can do this.
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