Well, it was more of a case and blink and you’ll miss me, but still.
Basically, when I was very very sick and looking online for help, I stumbled across a very good website called “Men Get Eating Disorders Too“.
I credit this website with saving my life, because without it I don’t think I would have found the courage to recognise my disorder and go and seek help. Run by the fabulous Sam Thomas, who himself suffered from an eating disorder, it includes lots of helpful links and information about eating disorders and how to seek help.
When I first logged on to MGEDT I was in a very very bad place. I remember reading Sam’s story and realising, “Hey, I have an eating disorder. I am not ashamed to admit it. I need to find help now, because I am not alone.”
Since then both Sam and I have struck up a bit of an online friendship, and we regularly chat on Facebook, Twitter, and I help him out when I can. I’m proud to have been a part of the MGEDT web design, giving feedback on posters and distributing them around my local area to encourage men with eating disorders to seek help. My thought is that if I can try and inspire others to visit this fantastic site maybe they will recognise they have an ED too.
Anyway, last night Sam was featured on the BBC’s “Inside Out” programme, which tackled eating disorders in men. It was very well done, and I think Sam came across really well. Here are some screengrabs if you can’t see it if you are outside of the UK… I was speaking to Sam on a live webchat using my personal twitter handle @stoopish. (see pic << left)
The programme can be watched for the next few days – starts at 12 minutes in. Hope you can watch it – congrats Sam, you’ve done more for men with eating disorders in the UK than anyone else.
I can’t watch it from Australia, and can’t hear it as i’m deaf. But I’m SO proud of you for helping raise awareness. I have a few male friends who suffer this disease and they really do seem to be so isolated and have far less treatment options, not to forgot misunderstood and discriminated against. I also think a lot of the issues you would have are so different from those girls would have, so most treatment programs might not even be totally relevant to you at times.
Most of all, the memory of a boy, Nick, who died aged 14 of anorexia. Why? he was refused treatment because the hospital said they only had beds for girls.
Heartbreaking and so, so wrong.
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