The feelings and the fears which accompany eating and body image issues can make it very difficult to take the first step of seeking help. But on the journey towards freedom with food, it can make all the difference to have a guide who knows the territory and who can support and show you the way through challenging terrain.

Here are a few possible sources of guides for your journey:

• Ask your doctor what specialist help is available in your area and apply to be on their waiting list

• Book a trial session with a specialist practitioner (for example a counsellor, psychotherapist, life coach, dietician or nutritionist with experience in and knowledge of these issues). The style and approach of practitioners varies widely so it’s worth checking out more than one. Freedom with Food offers a free initial meeting so that you can decide: is this approach right for me?

• Find organisations offering help, information or support in your area. In particular, find out if there are any self-help eating issues groups in your area. The style and approach of groups varies widely, so if one doesn’t suit you another might. If there isn’t a group near you, you could consider setting up your own support group so that you can meet regularly with others who are working towards freedom with food. NZS.com — New Zealand Web Directory and Search Engine-- has a list of support groups (including self-help groups) which is updated daily.
  
  
• Look at the online self-help available, or investigate several self-help books in a library or at a good bookshop to find one that suits you. You can work through a self-help book by yourself or with the support someone you trust, or you can use one as part of your work with a practitioner. Here are some initial suggestions:

• • The Anorexia Workbook, by Michelle Heffner and Georg H Eifert (2004) Harbinger, USA
  • Anorexia Nervosa: a survival guide for families, friends and sufferers, by Janet Treasure (1997) Brunner Routledge, UK; reprinted 2003 Brunner Routledge, UK and USA
  • Getting Better Bit(e) by Bit(e): a survival kit for sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorders by Ulrike Schmidt and Janet Treasure (1993) Psychology Press, UK
  • Transforming Body Image, by Dr Marcia Hutchinson (1998), The Crossing Press USA