Welcome to our blog!
We are passionate about offering a service and community which is inclusive, empathic, understanding and non-judgmental. We believe that support should be available for all those affected by eating difficulties and disorders regardless of age, race, gender identity, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
These principles of equality and diversity underpin our person-centred, service user led approach to mental health and a big part of the reason we decided to launch our blog space. Here you’ll find First Steps ED updates, as well as stories and features from our community. We want to give everyone an opportunity to share stories, introduce unheard voices and discuss important topics around mental health and eating disorders.
Book Review: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
Book Review: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan Marina Keegan was a promising young author, playwright and journalist who graduated from Yale University in 2012. She died at the age of 22. The Opposite of Loneliness is the legacy she left behind. The year this
Think Before You Scroll
Think Before You Scroll Social media can be a very scary place for some of us. It can sometimes feel as though everyone is having the time of their lives as you spend yet another night scrolling through your phone, battling today's mental health challenge and
Georgie Lazzari on BBC East Midlands: The Pandemic, Eating Disorders and First Steps ED
Georgie Lazzari on BBC East Midlands: The Pandemic, Eating Disorders and First Steps ED In case you missed it... Georgie Lazzari's interview with with Ann Davies at BBC East Midlands about the rise in Eating Disorder cases as a result of the pandemic and how our
£24m Investment into Adolescent Mental Health to Enable Young People to Flourish
£24m Investment into Adolescent Mental Health to Enable Young People to Flourish UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have announced a major £24 million investment into improving the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents in the UK. First Steps ED Trustee Dr Heike Bartel (University of Nottingham,
How Nature Helps My Mental Health
How Nature Helps My Mental Health If ever there was a time to feel grateful for nature, it’s now. If it wasn’t for being able to walk outdoors, breathe in the fresh air and feel the sunshine on my face I don’t know how I’d have
A Reflection on Everything Life Has to Throw at You
A Reflection on Everything Life Has to Throw at You Recovery is a slow and gradual process. It’s likely I will never be ‘fully’ recovered, my disordered eating habits and anxiety are part of who I am and I accept that. However, I’ve recently been looking
Coping with Eating Disorder Recovery in a Pandemic
Coping with Eating Disorder Recovery in a Pandemic While other people turned to comfort food to cope with the stress of the pandemic, I found myself faced with a different urge: the urge to restrict. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended routines, coping strategies, and support systems
Support Groups and How They Can Help
Support Groups and How They Can Help Anyone with an eating disorder will tell you how much courage it can take to confide in somebody about their difficulty. Such complex struggles are often so hard to explain and there’s always a fear it might not come
Benefits of Volunteering
Benefits of Volunteering with First Steps ED Without a doubt, First Steps ED has played a huge role in my journey to recovery. From attending my first support group five years ago to today, I have so much to thank them for and can’t imagine where
Dirty Little Secret
Dirty Little Secret Guilt. Shame. Regret. Disgust. Weak. Fearful. Powerless. Just a few of the thoughts that went through my head as I endured another uncontrollable binge last night. My family were all in bed, leaving me alone with a kitchen full of temptations. I’d had
Where We Came From…
Where We Came From... After suffering from an eating disorder herself, Cathy Cleary saw a real need for support in Derby. Feeling motivated, Cathy set up the first support group in 2004, open to anyone who affected by eating disorders. Over the following three years many
Write for us!
We are proud to support and offer a platform for individuals who are ready to share their stories and talk about their experiences of recovery. Together we can offer hope to lives affected by eating disorders. If you have something to say, a story to tell or advice to share, you are in the right place.
Get in touch!
