Support Groups

The Tonbridge Eating Disorders Support Group for Carers

A Self Help Group run by and for Carers

In partnership with the Maudsley and Our Carers Support meetings are usually on the last Monday of each month and are now on ZOOM due to COVID restrictions.

The next meeting date will be confirmed shortly by email.

Please contact me if you would like to be receive the details.

Always remember you are not alone and that there are other avenues of support available, both online and in face to face settings. Here are some examples of alternative sources of support locally:

For further information, please contact Jenny Langley on 07887 840470 before 9pm or e-mail jenny@newmaudsleycarers-kent.co.uk

About Us

Are you caring for someone suffering from an eating disorder? Do you need support and access to information? Do you need a listening ear? A quote from a lady who attended our group when her daughter was struggling with anorexia:

“I really appreciate all the help which you and the team at Carers First have offered me in various ways, particularly in respect of the anorexic issues I’ve struggled with. Your service is clearly run with dedication, expertise and warmth and I feel privileged to have been on the receiving end of it, if only briefly. I have felt both comforted and enlightened at a time of despair, which has meant a great deal to me. Should my daughter decline over coming months, I’ll be back in touch, but for the moment will opt to take a step back from meeting with the group (who I wish all the very best to and will continue to support in spirit).”

Caring for someone with an Eating Disorder can be an enormous burden, bringing with it feelings of anger, fear, anxiety and isolation. Self esteem and self confidence can be affected as you watch a loved one suffer from an illness that you often feel powerless to do anything about, and you may feel unable to deal with the resulting family stresses.

Feelings of powerlessness can often stem from not knowing where to get help, or from being unable to exchange ideas with somebody else who is going through a similar crisis. Carers need to look after their own well being as they play a very important part in, and can have a very positive effect on, the recovery of those they look after. The purpose of the Support Group for Carers is to provide a mutually supportive and confidential environment for sharing experiences and ideas. By coming to our Carers’ Group, we hope that you’ll gain inspiration from:

  • sharing with others and learning from their experiences
  • exploring new ways of dealing with the problems
  • benefiting from the information and literature you receive
  • communicating: through its links with beat (formerly the Eating Disorders Association) and service providers the group co-ordinators can also feed back carer’s experiences of service provision and how they feel it could be improved

All parents, carers and friends of people with an Eating Disorder, or of people who they believe might have an Eating Disorder, or of people who might be at risk of developing an Eating Disorder are welcome. Some people coming to a Carers Group may think of it as a daunting experience.

We understand that a listening ear and somewhere where people can talk in confidence and will not be judged play a vital part in supporting those who care for someone with an Eating Disorder. Jenny Langley is the Group Facilitator. Her son suffered from an acute and almost fatal episode of anorexia when he was twelve years old. He has made a full recovery and Jenny has written a self help book based on her family’s experiences (Boys Get Anorexia Too).

Jenny and her husband Hugo know only too well the importance of carers’ groups. Jenny also works closely with the Institute of Psychiatry and the Maudsley. Jenny’s husband Hugo also helps facilitate the group. Feelings of despair, isolation, guilt and loneliness are just some of the emotions that may occur when caring for someone with an eating disorder.

Our Carers’ Group offers a warm and friendly welcome and, hopefully, the support that will benefit you and those that you are caring for. If you would like to bring any relatives or friends to the group, they would be very welcome. The Tonbridge and West Kent Eating Disorders Support Group For Carers is working in partnership with Beat (formerly the Eating Disorders Association)  and is being run in collaboration with Carers First in Tonbridge and Tonbridge School You can contact Beat in the following ways:

Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677 Studentline: 0808 801 0811
Youthline: 0808 801 0711
Beat Helplines are open 365 days a year from 12pm – 8pm during the week, and 4pm – 8pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Sometimes the lines are busy. If you can’t get through immediately, please do try again or try the one-to-one web chat.
Website: http://www.b-eat.co.uk  

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