Butterfly, the national charity which helps people suffering from eating disorders and body image concerns, is preparing for a surge in calls to their helpline in coming weeks.
The organisation is calling for donations to help support an estimated 750,000 Australians living with an eating disorder who experience a highly distressing eating disorder ‘voice’ or noise in their heads, which is expected to intensify over the Christmas and holiday season.
For those living with an eating disorder, food-centric holidays, such as Christmas, can be exceptionally challenging and Butterfly is anticipating a significant surge in contacts to their National Helpline and other services. With over 1 million Australians living with an eating disorder and less than a quarter of those receiving treatment or support, the need for support is more critical than ever.
Stressful life events can sometimes also lead to eating disorder relapse.
Inner dialogue
The eating disorder voice or noise is a persistent inner dialogue revolving around weight, shape, and eating behaviours, amplified by events such as Christmas dinners.
Research shows that eating disorder self-talk plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of disordered eating behaviour.
Individuals diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa who reported a strong eating disorder voice or noise tended to suffer from more severe eating disorders.
During summer, where warmer weather can mean wearing less clothes and more attention on the body, there is also an increase in the severity of eating disorders, and associated hospital admissions.
Butterfly says it has observed a consistent year-on-year increase in calls to its helpline during the holiday period, a trend that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, between December 2022 and January 2023, Butterfly received nearly 3,500 calls – 15 per cent more than the same time in the previous year and a substantial 32 per cent increase compared to 2019.
According to Butterfly, the pressure of ‘new year, new me’ diets and exercise regimens further contributes to this surge in calls.
Not a happy time for everyone
Melissa Wilton, Head of Communications and Engagement from Butterfly, says ‘For many Aussies, the holiday period is a happy time with family gatherings over food; but for those with eating disorders, it’s a heightened period of stress and pressure where the eating disorder noise grows louder than ever.
‘A staggering 75 per cent of those living with an eating disorder contend with this internal struggle and often highlight it as a pivotal aspect of their eating disorder that requires clinical intervention.’
‘We encourage anyone experiencing this noise or signs of eating disorders and disordered eating to reach out for support. At Butterfly our Helpline counsellors are qualified mental health professionals with specialist training in eating disorders and body image, ready to help quiet the noise for anyone in need of support this holiday season.
‘Donations are also vital to ensure we can continue to provide this critical support to Australians who need it more than ever,’ said Ms Wilton.
Mia Morrissey
This year, well-known Australian actress Mia Morrissey is lending her voice to raise awareness about the ‘ED Noise’ by sharing her own lived experiences.
Mia’s complex relationship with food began when she was 10 years old, however it was at the age of 15 when her life was feeling out of control that she began engaging in behaviours which ultimately led her to becoming dangerously underweight.
Mia says her ‘eating disorder noise was completely isolating. It was all consuming; a deafening cacophony of shame, anxiety, and hopelessness. And for a long time, I thought that noise was all I would ever hear.
‘But recovery, to me, has meant quieting the eating disorder noise by learning to hear the other noise. The noise of joy, art, love, hope and above all strength.’
Butterfly is appealing for donations to sustain its vital virtual and in-person support groups and programs for people experiencing an eating disorder or body image issue and for their carers, friends, and family, as well as supporting the launch of its new virtual intensive outpatient program – a much needed step-down care for people with eating disorders on leaving hospital.
To access more information, resources, or donate, please visit butterfly.org.au/quietthenoise.
Butterfly says that with the support from the Australian public, they can continue to quiet the noise and offer a lifeline to those in need this holiday season.
Short video – Quiet the Noise:
