“I don't feel defined by an eating disorder” – patient experience at Vincent Square Eating Disorders

Meet Maya, a patient at Vincent Square Eating Disorders for the last three to four years following a history of anorexia from her teenage years.

Maya was referred to the service towards the end of 2019 and began therapy in February 2020 - just before the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented.

She says: “That was pretty strange in itself, I was having to start with a new service and getting to know people, but I was mainly doing it online.”

“One of things I avoid is eating in front of people, I’d withdrawn from family anytime there was food involved and with being in lockdown, there hadn’t been opportunities for me to eat around people.

[with the service] we sat and had lunch over Zoom, I actually had to prepare a proper meal, I sat through that and thought this has gone too far, this is not food I find challenging to eat and I just can’t.”

With support from the Eating Disorders Team and being enrolled onto their day program, Maya has continued working with children as a Special Educational Needs Teacher, as well as enjoying her regular hobbies of ice-skating and knitting.

She says: “I’m not an eating disorder, I have a life outside of an eating disorder and being able to go back to work in any capacity, and to hold onto that part of my life whilst I was surrounded all day, every day by eating disorders was really helpful.”

Listen to Maya's story

About Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service

CNWL treated over 1,300 eating disorder patients between 2022-2023.

Vincent Square offers a range of specialist services for women and men suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders. Learn more.