Westminster Debate on Eating Disorders

The Empathy Project would like to say a massive thank you to Richard Quigley MP for raising the issue of eating disorders in a national debate at Westminster. Richard is one of our local MPs, representing Isle of Wight West.

Here at the Project, our policy is to be firmly apolitical, that means we will never support one political party over another. Instead, we value the work of each individual MP in supporting their constituency and this includes raising important matters and campaigning on cross-party issues in Parliament.

Yesterday, Richard did exactly this by leading a debate on the devastating impact that eating disorders have on mental health, and how this affects both patients and their loved ones.

Disordered eating can take many different forms; anorexia (restricting) and bulimia (purging) are often identified easily through media, but poor relationships with food can also manifest as binge eating and chronic social anxiety. Often, disordered eating can be a symptom of other, deeper mental health issues including trauma, body image and stress.

We hope that Richard's efforts in raising awareness of this devastating mental health issue will help institutions across Government be more understanding of the impact this has on people and their families, and help support our health services with the resources needed to properly support people both clinically and mentally.

The Empathy Project can also help support people struggling with disordered eating through counselling, as well as their loved ones such as parents and partners. If you would like to access low-cost, high-quality counselling that is tailored to your individual needs, we offer affordable sessions in-person in Southampton, as well as remote sessions over Zoom and telephone.

To book a session, just start by completing our easy online referral form and book a free 20 minute consultation with one of our senior team. They will help explain how counselling can help, try to find out more about your circumstances and allocate you to one of our therapists.

You can find out more about our counselling services below:

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