The Stages

This part of the workshop had the most enthusiastic response. Workshop participants were asked to work in small groups to comment on or create a new approach to the ‘tube map' of stages of anorexia nervosa. A great deal of creativity resulted!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photograph: A group presenting their ideas about the stages of anorexia nervosa

 

 

 

 

 

In general, most people commented that the stages were very accurate of their experiences – in particular, people with anorexia nervosa seemed to feel this. Professionals were more likely to want to describe the stages as more complicated in relation to each other.

 

•  The people with anorexia nervosa and their carers found the stages very accurate – they could relate completely to the descriptions of stages, and generally agreed that the stages were valid and succeeded well in capturing their experiences. The participants with anorexia nervosa in the workshops were not at the same stages of the disorder, nor were the people who were being supported by the parents and carers who attended the workshops. There was discussion that it was helpful to be able to think about and discuss what stage a person is at, and participants found it exciting and helpful as well to hear from others who were at different stages to themselves.

•  The stages ‘tube map' was felt to be a nice contrast with a circular diagram of cycle of change that many professionals use. The linear idea of stages implies moving forward, which gives a glimmer of hope and is more heartening than a circular diagram which implies that one might go round and round without an end in sight.

•  Some professionals said they found the stages very helpful. Others said it felt flexible and clinically made sense.

•  Some people with anorexia nervosa said it is helpful to have an idea of the stages people go through – for hope for the future, when one is in a certain stage can't see much beyond it; and so it's great to see that things can get better. One person talked about how she hadn't been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it was after she'd read a book about another person's recovery that she felt she could; and it's the case that on the way to recovery, one can increasingly see it.

•  Some parents felt it would have been helpful to see the stages from the start of treatment, which was likened to being given a ‘road map'; though perhaps not in great detail as it might feel too much to take on board.

•  Some people felt that the stages might merge into each other, that people might be in two or more stages at the same time, or that there could be movement in various directions between stages.

•  The stage of ‘Getting Stuck' was the most problematic and there were suggestions that it might not be a stage in itself but might be a set of features that can occur in many other different stages, so, for example, you could have someone in Stage 3B, Stage 4B or Stage 5B.

 

In conclusion, the ‘tube map' formulation of the stages of anorexia nervosa is just a beginning, and the journey through anorexia nervosa might be a concept that is useful to some people, giving people hope of a way through to the end, and perhaps also some ideas about how every stage could be different. This might help people to decide what might be the best approach at each stage.

 

After looking at all the creative comments and ideas that emerged from the workshops, we have come up with some different ways of picturing the stages of anorexia nervosa. Click here to see them.

 

To remind yourself of the Stages of Anorexia Nervosa we suggested as a result of the research, click here