About Us
Who are We?
Brigitte Daniels & Laura Way
We are two Moms who met whilst taking co-facilitator training in 2015, in order to stand-up and run a support group in our area for parents and caregivers supporting Loved Ones with an ED.
We both have relevant experience with EDs and we have realized through our own experiences, the lack of resources, services and supports for those with EDs in our area. This naturally translates into profound difficulty in accessing care for loved ones with EDs and the ensuing stress and burnout the caregiver can experience as a result.
As a result of the difficulties we encountered through having a shortage of ED services/resources in our area, we decided that we did not want one more parent or caregiver to go through what we had. We simply wanted to offer families and caregivers support in our area. This support is integral to allowing the caregiver to remain healthy so they can better manage the care of their ill loved one at home. Without this support, caregiver burnout will be a predictable and preventable follow-on stressor which will negatively impact family relationships, marital relationships, employment and social relationships.
In the early days of forming our support group, we realized that there were legitimate reasons/concerns keeping some individuals from attending our meetings. Some of these being:
- the stigma around EDs (some people do not want anyone knowing their loved one is struggling with an ED;
- the judgements that can be projected onto parents supporting those with an ED;
- time constraints – especially if a caregiver feels they cannot leave their ill loved one alone for any length of time;
- transportation issues- being that we are the only support group in our area which spans from Digby to Windsor, NS, many people simply cannot attend due to the geographical distance.
We tried to address these challenges by hosting a closed Face Book page which we manage through Administrator approval. It is vital that only parents and caregivers have access to our closed FB page/website as this content may be triggering for persons struggling with or recovered from an ED. We post evidence based articles and information on EDs that we feel might be relevant. Whilst the closed Face Book page has been helpful to some, others did not want their family members or friends to see that they belonged to our group – even if their posts were private. Hence the creation of this website!
WE AIM TO:
- Provide Support for Parents and Caregivers Supporting Loved Ones with an ED;
- Promote Self-Care;
- “EDucate” the Community about EDs – Reduce Stigma;
- Address the Lack of Resources and Services in Our Community for EDs;
- Encourage System Change to Increase Resources and Services in Our Community for EDs
Community Involvement and EDucation: If we want to bring the conversation about EDs into the open, we need to reduce and eliminate the stigma surrounding them. By increasing our visibility in the community through attending and presenting at community events we have an opportunity to encourage our community to understand that EDs are not a “choice”, that they are lethal mental illnesses that do not discriminate. When the community is “EDucated” we can harness their awareness and demand that ED services/resources are reflective of the statistics that demonstrate their prevalence. (1 in 10 will have an ED in their lifetime).
*Community Events: we have participated and/or presented at: The Moms March Rally, Vocal Flash Mob at ED Awareness Day, TOOLS for Life (MH Conference), Schools PLUS Meetings, and Acadia Nutrition Club Presentations and Meetings. We have hosted a 2 Day EDucation on Eating Disorders Seminar this past 21 & 22 April 17. Additionally, we have hosted a local meeting with first line professionals who regularly interact with Eating Disordered persons. We continue to collaborate with them and grow our network so that we can provide our families and caregivers with up to date knowledge of relevant contacts and services in our area.
