Under 16s day treatment

[LJT1980]

Hi, DD is nearly 13. Suffering badly with anorexia. Treated via CAMHS but cannot stick to very rigid rules of their day treatment centre. They recommend inpatient treatment but following a visit the whole family have significant misgivings about this. We are struggling to find day treatment centres (private) that take under 16s for a full day. Grateful for any recommendations. London based but open to any suggestions. Thanks

@LJT1980

Have you spoken to the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, OP?

The Maudsley has an excellent reputation.

I wonder whether its Intensive Treatment Programme could be an option.

https://slam.nhs.uk/service-detail/service/maudsley-centre-for-child-and-adolescent-eating-disorders-99/

All ED programmes will have very rigid rules though. If they don’t, the ED will exploit it. It’s the nature of the thing.

All ED treatment centres will have rigid rules? That's part of the treatment, they have to eat to recover.

Thanks all. She was at ITP at the maudsley and it’s a fantastic service. Unfortunately at her stage she couldn’t fully stick to the rules and, understandably from their side, she couldn’t stay. She was making progress just not as quick as they required.

Fully understand the requirement for rules but from zero to 100% was too much for her. A programme similar to ITP public or private would help but it’s a struggle to find anything for under 16s

That leaves in-patient which has its definite risks from a mental health perspective.

@LJT1980

Could she be referred to Great Ormond Street, OP?

https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/department-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-dcamh/national-feeding-and-eating-disorders-service/refer-patient-feeding-and-eating-disorders-service/

I'm not sure they ever get to the stage of wanting to follow the rules, it's just a case of having to push through that pain barrier 😕

Have you looked at the distress tolerance techniques op? It definitely helps you as a parent feel better equipped to manage the huge distress that being made to eat causes them iyswim.

You are welcome to join us on the carers of young people with EDs thread, we're a very supportive bunch 😌

Yes, I think any ED treatment, anywhere, will be 0-100% in terms of rigid rules. That’s how it has to be, otherwise it’s just giving the ED a foothold and room to grow. You can’t negotiate with an ED. If your dd isn’t able to manage daycare then inpatient is likely to be the only way forward, if you’ve tried the strict FBT at home approach.