What is FREED?
FREED is an early intervention care package designed for young people with a first episode, primary eating disorder of up to 3 years duration. FREED provides rapid access to treatment and tailors treatment to the specific needs of young people. The aim is to reduce the duration of an untreated eating disorder and promote early full recovery.
Why is FREED important?
FREED is important because eating disorders typically develop in adolescence and early adulthood, where the brain is still developing. The longer someone has an eating disorder, the more these behaviours become hard-wired in the brain, which can negatively affect chances of recovery. Therefore, with early treatment, there is a better chance of a full recovery.
The following account is written by a service user who started treatment on the FREED pathway after being diagnosed with an eating disorder.
I never in a million years thought anorexia would be something that would affect me in fact I vividly remember saying as a child ‘I love food way too much that would never happen to me’ but it did, and it can happen to anyone.
My journey with anorexia starts as the first lockdown ended. I had never worried about what I looked like before and being healthy regarding exercise and eating healthy. However, when lockdown ended, I really struggled, I had this newfound anxiety over meeting people- what would they think, do they think I’m pretty and smart enough?
I have always been an overthinker, but it was on a different level. I had just finished high school and was moving on in my life, going to a brand-new college where I knew all of two people. I had told myself as I began college that I was going to become ‘that girl’ that you see on social media who went to the gym, ate only clean foods and prioritised working to be what I deemed ‘perfect’.
When I started at college, I just wasn’t myself I managed to make friends but this constant voice in my head telling me I wasn’t good enough held me back from being my true self with them. I started going to the gym more and eating less and less focussing on clean foods that I deemed healthy giving up anything sweet which I used to love. My period had stopped quite abruptly but I was in denial that anything was wrong and because I wasn’t ‘skinny’ enough to have anorexia.
How does FREED work?
The Derbyshire Eating Disorders Service is currently offering FREED to people aged between 18 and 25. Each referral will be checked and discussed to see if the person meets the FREED criteria (aged 18-25, with a primary eating disorder for less than 3 years). If appropriate, someone from the FREED team will call the individual within 48 hours of receiving the referral to discuss their circumstances. This will be discussed with the team, who will then offer an assessment if the person’s difficulties are deemed suitable for FREED. In this case, the assessment will be aimed to take place within two weeks, and if therapy is appropriate, this will be aimed to take place within four weeks from the referral date.
FREED resources
Website: https://freedfromed.co.uk/
Instagram: @FREEDfromED
Twitter: @FREEDfromED
