A woman who was “living hour by hour” because of an eating disorder has welcomed the expansion of the service that supported her.
Ebony, 24, from Grimsby, began therapy with Rharian Fields a year ago, having first sought help for anorexia as a teenager.
The specialist service, which is run by the social enterprise Navigo, has now expanded from North East Lincolnshire into neighbouring North Lincolnshire.
Ebony said it had been “difficult to see” what her future would look like when “starving” her brain of food. But a full course of therapy with the group had “much more beneficial outcomes” and she had now graduated from university and had a job she enjoyed.
The newly opened North Lincolnshire Adult Community Eating Disorder Service will help people who are living with, or at risk of developing, an eating disorder.
GPs and other healthcare professionals can refer people to the service, with a minimum age of 17 and a half.
Ebony was a competitive ballet dancer when she was younger.
“Standing in front of a mirror for four hours every night after school, I don’t think was what my brain needed at that core developmental period of my life,” she said.
“I don’t ever remember being positive about my body, but I think that’s the case for a lot of young people.
“It’s just the sort of tick where what we’re thinking manifests into physical behaviours that then further confirm an eating disorder is on the horizon.”
Navigo provides mental health services to the NHS and other groups, predominantly in North East Lincolnshire.
Mandy Barker, the clinical lead for community eating disorder services, said there had been an increase in the number of people seeking help for eating disorders since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This development is a timely and necessary response to address the growing need in our communities,” she added.
The BBC Action Line includes links to advice about eating disorders, as well as support services.