Director: Jacqueline Allan
jacq@dwed.org.uk tel: 07869 116 832
Diabetics with Eating Disorders: A Background:
DWED in it’s current form has evolved from various websites, blogs and support groups founded by it’s members who have all at somepoint suffered from ED-DMT1/ Diabulimia. At first there was only 1 ED -DMT1/ Diabulimia group with only 30 members, this has evolved to over 1000 members across various groups worldwide. These groups and the 1-1 support given by the founders have become a lifeline to their members and are all implicitly Pro-Recovery with no talk of numbers or posting of emaciated pictures allowed.
As something that is not officially diagnosable ED-DMT1/ Diabulimia tends to cause a confused reaction from even the most seasoned of professionals. Our members have been told that ‘Diabulimia’ doesn’t exist, they have been deemed ‘non-compliant’ and discharged from their health care providers, they have been misdiagnosed with Anorexia when they have a low BMI and Bulimia when it’s normal and treated for something they don’t have. Our members have been treated by Diabetes specialists who don’t understand Eating Disorders and Eating Disorders specialist who don’t understand Type 1 Diabetes, they have been denied access to treatment and they have been sectioned by specialists who don’t understand that insulin is not a psychiatric medication and as such it cannot be forced. Our members have reached out, many of them go to Eating Disorder groups but find them useless as the experience of those without ED-DMT1/ Diabulimia is non applicable. Our members have been brave enough to admit to their specialists that they have a problem and sent to a dietician instead of a therapist or have been told that ‘it’s a phase’. These are people who desperately want help and it is just not there.
Not only is this ignorant it is potentially lethal.
DWED offers support to those with Type 1 Diabetes affected by Eating Disorders (ED - DMT1/ Diabulimia) and their carers. We try to find suitable services in their areas. This information is regularly updated and posted on the website so that those who are ready to seek help know where to go to get it. Everyone on our helpfinder has confirmed that they work with sufferers of ED-DMT1/ Diabulimia. DWED also supports sufferers and their carers personally through emails, phone calls, where possible home visits and through a variety of social networking sites. We also campaign for better (in some cases any) facilities for those with Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders. We are in support of Deliberate Insulin Manipulation/Omission for the purposes of weight loss and ED-DMT1/ Diabulimia being recognised as a diagnosable mental disorder such as Anorexia or Bulimia.
