The Treatment Programme
Newmarket House provides the intensive treatment of a hospital programme within a non-clinical environment.
On admission each patient is appointed a key nurse. A collaborative alliance between the patient and the multi-disciplinary team is established and nurtured. The patient’s physical health is regularly monitored and assessed.
The care plan that is devised for each individual takes into account psychiatric evaluation, medical and nutritional considerations and an assessment of psycho-social skills. During treatment, changes to the care plan are made at weekly review meetings through consultation between the multi-disciplinary team and the patient.
Nutritional rehabilitation is a vital element of recovery. On arrival, the dietitian assesses the patient’s nutritional needs and tailors a safe refeeding programme. Food is freshly prepared by our cook and is of a high standard. The menu, which includes meat and vegetarian choices, is designed to be as non-threatening as possible and includes the nutrients essential for the restoration and maintenance of physical health. Members of staff offer patients skilled support and supervision before, during and after meals.
The weekly therapeutic programme is designed to reinstate both physical and psychological well being. A structured programme, coordinated by the occupational therapist, provides a wide range of therapies based on psychodynamic, cognitive and psycho-educational methods.
These include:
- a range of therapies to provide a means of identifying links between thoughts, emotions, physical symptoms and behaviour
- group psychotherapy to encourage the individual to express emotions and develop communication skills within a supportive environment
- assertiveness training to explore an individual’s own responses and the responses of other people while
- discovering the meaning of personal responsibility
- anxiety management, using Mindfulness techniques, to enable the individual to cope with challenging situations
- nutritional rehabilitation to discover the benefits of a healthy diet
Patients are encouraged to discover new means of self-expression through creative writing and various forms of art and music. Yoga and relaxation sessions also are included in the weekly programme.
All patients are offered weekly therapy with an individual psychotherapist. The issues that may have precipitated and maintained their eating disorder are explored. The individual is encouraged to question the meaning their eating disorder has for them, to discover new ways of expressing emotion and to gain wider freedom of expression. The aim is to help the patient grow in confidence and develop a sense of self.
I would like to take this time to say a massive thank you for giving me the time and chance to turn my life around; it was hard and very difficult at the time. But with the support and guidance from the staff I managed to stay focused and work through the difficult and painful times. This is how I got to be where I am now, it was a time in my life I’ll never forget but only learn from. (CS)