A NEW group has been set up with the aim of helping adults in recovery from eating disorders.
The issue is thought to be bigger than is made out, with the death of former Big Brother star Nikki Grahame after a battle with anorexia putting it into the public consciousness.
Now Dukinfield-based Noah’s A.R.T, which also offers session with therapy animals, is starting the support group in what it says is a, ‘response to the lack of support in Tameside, Glossop and surrounding areas for this group of people’.
Catherine Hall, who came up with the idea, said: “There’s nothing locally targeted at that particular problem.
“Going from personal experience, when I needed community-based support, I had to travel all the way to Salford.
“For mental health support, Tameside and Glossop come under Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust for some services and Pennine Care NHS Trust for others. There’s a gap in this area.
“People think eating disorders are a teenage problem or one for children and young people, actually there are a lot of adults that have them too.
“There’s been a lot about it reported recently but it’s a growing problem. What happened with Nikki Grahame may bring more spotlight to the issue.
“I hope it shines a light on the fact adults get eating disorders – you don’t grow out of them when you turn 18.
“How the sessions would work is people fill in a registration form, then they have a chat over the phone or via Zoom with myself or Noah’s A.R.T’s director, who is a mental health nurse.
“That’s just to check a group is the right thing for that person in their recovery.
“Then once they decide it’s for them, I want sessions to be very relaxed. People can relax with the therapy animals or chat and talk to other attendees.
“The stereotypical image of peer support groups is a lot of people sitting in a circle and taking turns to talk. I don’t want it to be like that – I want it to be a place people can be themselves and unjudged.”
Noah’s A.R.T, based at The Together Centre at Loxley House on Birch Lane, describes itself as, ‘a progressive, innovative and therapeutic service developed by an experienced mental health nurse’.
Among its sessions are Therapy Thursday, which can be play time with the dogs or calmer sessions learning how to care for exotic animals, and what it calls The Quiet Zone.
They work with people who have mental health issues, learning disabilities and dementia, adolescent mental health services and rehabilitation units, people with autism and those with common mental health issues such as low mood and anxiety.
And in these Covid-19 times, a video call with either a guinea pig or a bearded dragon can also be booked, meaning they can even join meetings.
Catherine added: “Before the pandemic we did a lot of outreach work, where we’d take the animals into hospitals, care homes, mental health units and schools.
“We work with all age groups, anyone who feels they can benefit from sending some time with the animals and we have a befriending scheme, where volunteers take their own pets to visit local people who are socially isolated or housebound in their homes.
“Pre-pandemic and hopefully post-pandemic, we ran a community café too and we believe quite strongly in the power of having a purpose.
“And through the pandemic, we came up with remote Covid-19 safe ways of raising money and the video calls with the animals was one of them.”
• If you are interested in using the support group, contact Catherine on 07505 474 390 or by email at catherine@noahs-art.co.uk
My wife has a eating disorder and mental health she is 55 years old she’s been through therapy for number of years