An NHS trust in west London said referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) increased by 140%. Lizzie, a former patient at West London NHS Trust, developed anorexia in her teens after struggling with anxiety and depression when she was just 12. She said: “I remember being very lonely at school. I was always very social. And then when I started to deal with these issues, I remember sitting by myself a lot. I would eat lunch alone, I would withdraw more and more from things that I used to do ». Lizzie, who is now studying to be a doctor, said her behavior became increasingly withdrawn and went unnoticed by her family or teachers at school. Image: Lizzie developed anorexia in her teens after struggling with anxiety and depression When Lizzie turned 15, her anorexia became so severe that she was admitted to a psychiatric unit for 10 weeks of life-saving treatment. It was then that Lizzie first realized how sick she really was. She said: “Up until that point I was functioning. I was at school, I was still a good student and, you know, none of my friends or anyone really knew, so I was functioning. “I went in with my mum and dad and straight away the first person I saw had a massive head wound from the blow to the head. And so that was the first time I actually saw it and I was a little surprised. “And then I remember another patient there who had his whole arm amputated, and alarms would go off and people would have to be locked out. And it was just extremely painful. I remember my first night in the hospital and I’d just had my first meal there.” She continued: “I remember it was sausages and mash, and I hadn’t had it in probably four years. And then cake for dessert and I remember eating it and feeling weirdly very proud of myself, but I called my parents later that the night, I remember crying to them, please come get me. “I was absolutely terrified. There’s no doubt about it. It was honestly that night when I called my parents … that was the lowest point of my life.” Over a million Brits have an eating disorder An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, and it claims more lives than any other psychiatric condition. A new report from the Common’s Health and Social Care Committee has called for more to be done to regulate the control of “commercial images”, including changing body proportions or skin tone so they are legally required to carry a logo to inform viewers that they have been digitally altered. The committee also wants more controls on non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, including a licensing system for providers, minimum training standards and a cooling-off period between consent and providing the procedure. NHS digital data shows that the proportion of children and young people in England with possible eating problems has risen significantly since 2017 – from 6.7% to 13% in 11 to 16-year-olds and from 44.6% in 58 .2% at age 17 to 19. -years. In 2020/21, the NHS saw an 83% increase in demand for emergency eating disorder services and a 41% increase for routine services. The figures also show that between April and October 2021, there were 4,238 hospital admissions for eating disorders for children aged 17 and under, a 41% increase compared to the same period last year. Image: Dr Derek Tracy says demand for access to mental health treatment has skyrocketed “It’s as busy as I’ve ever been in my career” Dr Derek Tracy, medical director at West London NHS Trust, says he has never seen such high demand for access to mental health treatment. He said: “It’s as busy as I’ve ever seen it in my career. There’s no doubt we’re in a different position than we were nationally about three years ago. The numbers are up, they’re up across all age groups and everyone the types of presentations. “I mean, the obvious thing to think about is the pandemic. I know it’s a natural suspect, but it seems to be driving a lot of it. You can think of all the things that come with the pandemic. “There’s increased isolation, working from home is great for some people. It’s not for other people. And I think our lifestyles have changed and it’s a time of worry, people will have relatives who are ill, they may be suffering from COVID or have suffered the same. “And these things seem to have come together in a perfect storm to cause some mental health concerns.” He added: “There’s concern at the moment that it’s social media, the role it plays, how people see themselves, how they engage with the world. The numbers are up there, in this part of London, they’re up . in all regions and rise to the national level.”
