The Oxford Student interviews the founder and director of SRSH after carrying the Olympic Torch
This interview was conducted to write a piece for the Oxford Student - you can read the finished article here:
http://oxfordstudent.com/2012/07/24/food-for-thought-oxford-torchbearer-fights-against-eating-disorders/
I understand that you started up a project called “Student Run Self Help”. Could you explain about how you went about starting it? Was the Oxford branch the first?
Like many other young people I suffered with an eating disorder when I was a teenager. At university as a undergraduate I was amazed at how many people were struggling with these kind of problems and how few people talked about their problems. I'd always wanted to do something to help people struggling with eating disorders as it is such an isolating problem. I did my undergraduate degree at Nottingham where I worked with a a national eating disorders charity to set up a self help group to support my peers. When I moved to Oxford I decided to work to make it easier for others to do as I did and support their peers. I wanted to use everything I had learnt to smooth the way for more projects. Arriving in Oxford I met the team at student hubs and the rest is history! They provided me with the support, motivation and encouragement to make it all happen.
SRSH appears to have had a great deal of success so far; do you have plans to expand it to more universities?
Thank you! We are operating in 15 universities and our goal is to be running groups in 30 universities by 2015
Do you think group sessions of the kind run by SRSH can be (at least sometimes) a substitute for professional help?
No. Especially in terms of eating disorders. These are serious mental health problems and people often need a lot of time and support to make it through recovery. The experts working in this field are highly skilled and our volunteers could never replace their invaluable work. We find that because our groups are informal, they often provide a good stepping stone into treatment, giving people time and space to think about what accessing treatment would mean for them and getting their heads in the right place to think about recovery. Unfortunately there are often long waiting lists for treatment, and many don't meet the criteria for treatment, our groups ensure that these individuals have a support system in place regardless.
Do you feel as if you would have benefited from SRSH had it been around when you were struggling with anorexia?
Definitely. I really wanted people I could talk to who would understand what I was going through and perhaps be able to offer support and motivation. I often felt that the eating disorder became a burden on my friendships - it would have been amazing to have people to talk to about the eating disorder who were not my friends, just so that some of the pressure of the eating disorder could be lifted from my friends. That might have allowed my friendships to have remained a little more light hearted.
Eating disorders have a history of not receiving sufficient recognition. Do you feel that your being chosen as a torch-bearer reflects the fact that eating disorders are taken more seriously now? How important do you think awareness of eating disorders is?
I'm not sure the link with eating disorders was thought through when I was chosen to represent the university in the Olympic Torch Relay, but do know that people right across the university are taking eating disorder seriously. They are a major concern and college nurses, doctors and the counselling service do all work together to try and ensure that students with eating disorders are supported. Raising awareness of eating disorders is vital if we want to reduce the damage they cause. We want to encourage people to talk more about eating disorders and start seeking help earlier. No one is in a position to force students to change their behavior, but there are lots of people across the university who can help with the psychological aspects of eating disorders. We know that when students are worried that their friends are having difficulties, they are often reluctant to start talking about this because they don't know how their friend will respond. We always urge people just to ask "are you okay, I'm here if you need me." Its important that people starting to slip into an eating disorder know that others think their behavior is abnormal and that they care!
How relevant has your doctoral research and academic expertise been for the running of SRSH?
My doctoral research looks at thought processes associated with risk for depression and has focused on changes in breadth of attention, which can be described most simply as looking at the big picture or the specific details. This has quite a bit of relevance for eating disorders as we tend to see individuals focus contracting down to the little details - people with eating disorders can struggle to see the big picture and this can make all the little hurdles in life seem much harder to overcome.
What role does Oxford play in researching eating disorders and other mental health issues?
The university of Oxford has been an international leader in developing treatment interventions for eating disorders. The work done at the department of psychiatry is fantastic. Professor David Clark has recently moved back to the Department of Experimental Psychology. As well as being a world class leader in developing interventions for anxiety disorders, Professor Clark has worked extensively to facilitate the set up of a program called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). IAPT is a national scheme increasing the provision of support for individuals with anxiety and depression.
Where exactly in Oxford did you carry the torch, and how far? Did you get to meet Roger Bannister?
It was a real pleasure to meet Sir Roger, who is himself an academic and a distinguished neurologist. I took part in an event hosted by the University at the Iffley Road Running Track. I carried the torch roughly a kilometer in total!
Do you plan to work full time for SRSH after your PhD?
My life post the PhD is full of uncertainties! In an ideal world I'd actually love to train as a clinical psychologist and then balance a life working in research with some clinical practice. I'm sure all of this will help me contribute more in building and strengthening the SRSH project. We do however have a full time staff member in place - Elisabeth Reed, a psychology graduate from Queen's College, acts as our project manager and runs the show. I am completely indebted to her for her continued dedication and hard work.
http://oxfordstudent.com/2012/07/24/food-for-thought-oxford-torchbearer-fights-against-eating-disorders/
I understand that you started up a project called “Student Run Self Help”. Could you explain about how you went about starting it? Was the Oxford branch the first?
Like many other young people I suffered with an eating disorder when I was a teenager. At university as a undergraduate I was amazed at how many people were struggling with these kind of problems and how few people talked about their problems. I'd always wanted to do something to help people struggling with eating disorders as it is such an isolating problem. I did my undergraduate degree at Nottingham where I worked with a a national eating disorders charity to set up a self help group to support my peers. When I moved to Oxford I decided to work to make it easier for others to do as I did and support their peers. I wanted to use everything I had learnt to smooth the way for more projects. Arriving in Oxford I met the team at student hubs and the rest is history! They provided me with the support, motivation and encouragement to make it all happen.
SRSH appears to have had a great deal of success so far; do you have plans to expand it to more universities?
Thank you! We are operating in 15 universities and our goal is to be running groups in 30 universities by 2015
Do you think group sessions of the kind run by SRSH can be (at least sometimes) a substitute for professional help?
No. Especially in terms of eating disorders. These are serious mental health problems and people often need a lot of time and support to make it through recovery. The experts working in this field are highly skilled and our volunteers could never replace their invaluable work. We find that because our groups are informal, they often provide a good stepping stone into treatment, giving people time and space to think about what accessing treatment would mean for them and getting their heads in the right place to think about recovery. Unfortunately there are often long waiting lists for treatment, and many don't meet the criteria for treatment, our groups ensure that these individuals have a support system in place regardless.
Do you feel as if you would have benefited from SRSH had it been around when you were struggling with anorexia?
Definitely. I really wanted people I could talk to who would understand what I was going through and perhaps be able to offer support and motivation. I often felt that the eating disorder became a burden on my friendships - it would have been amazing to have people to talk to about the eating disorder who were not my friends, just so that some of the pressure of the eating disorder could be lifted from my friends. That might have allowed my friendships to have remained a little more light hearted.
Eating disorders have a history of not receiving sufficient recognition. Do you feel that your being chosen as a torch-bearer reflects the fact that eating disorders are taken more seriously now? How important do you think awareness of eating disorders is?
I'm not sure the link with eating disorders was thought through when I was chosen to represent the university in the Olympic Torch Relay, but do know that people right across the university are taking eating disorder seriously. They are a major concern and college nurses, doctors and the counselling service do all work together to try and ensure that students with eating disorders are supported. Raising awareness of eating disorders is vital if we want to reduce the damage they cause. We want to encourage people to talk more about eating disorders and start seeking help earlier. No one is in a position to force students to change their behavior, but there are lots of people across the university who can help with the psychological aspects of eating disorders. We know that when students are worried that their friends are having difficulties, they are often reluctant to start talking about this because they don't know how their friend will respond. We always urge people just to ask "are you okay, I'm here if you need me." Its important that people starting to slip into an eating disorder know that others think their behavior is abnormal and that they care!
How relevant has your doctoral research and academic expertise been for the running of SRSH?
My doctoral research looks at thought processes associated with risk for depression and has focused on changes in breadth of attention, which can be described most simply as looking at the big picture or the specific details. This has quite a bit of relevance for eating disorders as we tend to see individuals focus contracting down to the little details - people with eating disorders can struggle to see the big picture and this can make all the little hurdles in life seem much harder to overcome.
What role does Oxford play in researching eating disorders and other mental health issues?
The university of Oxford has been an international leader in developing treatment interventions for eating disorders. The work done at the department of psychiatry is fantastic. Professor David Clark has recently moved back to the Department of Experimental Psychology. As well as being a world class leader in developing interventions for anxiety disorders, Professor Clark has worked extensively to facilitate the set up of a program called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT). IAPT is a national scheme increasing the provision of support for individuals with anxiety and depression.
Where exactly in Oxford did you carry the torch, and how far? Did you get to meet Roger Bannister?
It was a real pleasure to meet Sir Roger, who is himself an academic and a distinguished neurologist. I took part in an event hosted by the University at the Iffley Road Running Track. I carried the torch roughly a kilometer in total!
Do you plan to work full time for SRSH after your PhD?
My life post the PhD is full of uncertainties! In an ideal world I'd actually love to train as a clinical psychologist and then balance a life working in research with some clinical practice. I'm sure all of this will help me contribute more in building and strengthening the SRSH project. We do however have a full time staff member in place - Elisabeth Reed, a psychology graduate from Queen's College, acts as our project manager and runs the show. I am completely indebted to her for her continued dedication and hard work.
SRSH is registered with Companies House,
Registered Charity:
Registered Charity:
