Feedback from carers and presenters attending past conferences
From Carers:
‘Absolutely well done - from all of us who have been through the grinder! Just knowing that you are not alone is a help, but it is also of immense value to hear others' experiences, to be informed about current research and treatment; recovery stories also give hope. Finally, what happens beyond the conference is of paramount importance in terms of proselytizing, informing and de-stigmatising. The wider Australian public needs to know and they ain't gonna ask! For my daughter and for myself, thank you.’
‘…an amazing inroad into informing and helping people on the journey of recovery - and I very much enjoyed meeting people in the break and talking and sharing experiences with them.’
‘We know what to do now & we're already doing it. I feel this conference pulled us up out of paralysed despair & we can do something to hopefully save our son's life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘I found this conference to be extremely valuable and informative. I finally felt validated that I'm doing the best I can and that recovery is possible for my daughter. Thank you for restoring hope!’
‘This conference was just so overwhelmingly wonderful. My rhinoceros husband had quite a few "light-bulb" moments which has helped us become a better team in the care of our loved one. I feel better supported and validated in some of the hard decisions I have had to make in the care of my daughter because of the input of this conference. I wish siblings & all family supporters could have also had the benefit & opportunity for the insights gained.’
‘My husband and I went to the conference feeling exhausted and after ten years feeling there was no hope. We have come home inspired and empowered ready to tackle recovery once more. We have also located another family in the same area where we may be able to share support. Heartfelt thanks.’
‘Thank you for the invaluable insights I gained from the conference . I feel very fortunate to be living this nightmare in a time where there is greater research and understanding of eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa. The wider community still needs more education about mental illness as it seems to instill fear into the uneducated and uninitiated.’
‘This conference has been a life changing experience. I spent two days feeling like I wanted to run screaming from the room yet I've spent the days since continually talking about it. I have come home and made major changes to my daughter's treatment and have been inspired to completely change how I approach the ED. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘Thank you so much to the organising committee for the conference. For someone who is new to this disease it was really informative and gave us greater insight into the treatments and carer approaches that we could use.’
‘Thank you for reinforcing my hope for recovery . I am deeply grateful for having the opportunity to finally be able to source knowledge and skills to empower my ability to assist my daughter’s recovery.’
‘This conference has been a major achievement in collaboration among eating disorder organisations. We need more of it. Let's build on the foundation that has been established with this event.’
From presenters:
‘I have been attending international conferences on eating disorders for over 30 years in Europe, North America and Australia. This is the first with a focus on carers and families. I am now of the opinion that all leading scientists in the field of eating disorders should ensure that they attend at least one such conference during their careers. This conference which was beautifully organised and executed showed me not only the impact that our research has on those trying to overcome eating disorders but where our priorities should lie when moving our research agendas forward. I was struck by all the heart-felt personal journeys that so many are currently going through, the roadblocks they face and the extraordinary dedication and selfless sacrifice made by so many to assist loved ones through these challenging times.
I would like to see more such conferences.’
Stephen Touyz PhD., Professor of Clinical Psychology and Honorary Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney
‘I thought I was just about as motivated as any scientist could be to crack the enigma of eating disorders. That is, until I attended At Home With Eating Disorders... I think every scientist in the field should attend a carers’ conference. There is quite simply nothing more powerful than sitting in an auditorium packed with parents, partners, sufferers, and survivors to remind us why we do what we do. Every study we design, every paper we write, every hypothesis we generate and test has the potential to transform lives. What we do is not just an academic exercise. It is not just about promotions, impact factor, publish or perish . . . it is about improving lives.'
Cindy Bulik, Professor of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina
‘Absolutely well done - from all of us who have been through the grinder! Just knowing that you are not alone is a help, but it is also of immense value to hear others' experiences, to be informed about current research and treatment; recovery stories also give hope. Finally, what happens beyond the conference is of paramount importance in terms of proselytizing, informing and de-stigmatising. The wider Australian public needs to know and they ain't gonna ask! For my daughter and for myself, thank you.’
‘…an amazing inroad into informing and helping people on the journey of recovery - and I very much enjoyed meeting people in the break and talking and sharing experiences with them.’
‘We know what to do now & we're already doing it. I feel this conference pulled us up out of paralysed despair & we can do something to hopefully save our son's life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘I found this conference to be extremely valuable and informative. I finally felt validated that I'm doing the best I can and that recovery is possible for my daughter. Thank you for restoring hope!’
‘This conference was just so overwhelmingly wonderful. My rhinoceros husband had quite a few "light-bulb" moments which has helped us become a better team in the care of our loved one. I feel better supported and validated in some of the hard decisions I have had to make in the care of my daughter because of the input of this conference. I wish siblings & all family supporters could have also had the benefit & opportunity for the insights gained.’
‘My husband and I went to the conference feeling exhausted and after ten years feeling there was no hope. We have come home inspired and empowered ready to tackle recovery once more. We have also located another family in the same area where we may be able to share support. Heartfelt thanks.’
‘Thank you for the invaluable insights I gained from the conference . I feel very fortunate to be living this nightmare in a time where there is greater research and understanding of eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa. The wider community still needs more education about mental illness as it seems to instill fear into the uneducated and uninitiated.’
‘This conference has been a life changing experience. I spent two days feeling like I wanted to run screaming from the room yet I've spent the days since continually talking about it. I have come home and made major changes to my daughter's treatment and have been inspired to completely change how I approach the ED. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
‘Thank you so much to the organising committee for the conference. For someone who is new to this disease it was really informative and gave us greater insight into the treatments and carer approaches that we could use.’
‘Thank you for reinforcing my hope for recovery . I am deeply grateful for having the opportunity to finally be able to source knowledge and skills to empower my ability to assist my daughter’s recovery.’
‘This conference has been a major achievement in collaboration among eating disorder organisations. We need more of it. Let's build on the foundation that has been established with this event.’
From presenters:
‘I have been attending international conferences on eating disorders for over 30 years in Europe, North America and Australia. This is the first with a focus on carers and families. I am now of the opinion that all leading scientists in the field of eating disorders should ensure that they attend at least one such conference during their careers. This conference which was beautifully organised and executed showed me not only the impact that our research has on those trying to overcome eating disorders but where our priorities should lie when moving our research agendas forward. I was struck by all the heart-felt personal journeys that so many are currently going through, the roadblocks they face and the extraordinary dedication and selfless sacrifice made by so many to assist loved ones through these challenging times.
I would like to see more such conferences.’
Stephen Touyz PhD., Professor of Clinical Psychology and Honorary Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney
‘I thought I was just about as motivated as any scientist could be to crack the enigma of eating disorders. That is, until I attended At Home With Eating Disorders... I think every scientist in the field should attend a carers’ conference. There is quite simply nothing more powerful than sitting in an auditorium packed with parents, partners, sufferers, and survivors to remind us why we do what we do. Every study we design, every paper we write, every hypothesis we generate and test has the potential to transform lives. What we do is not just an academic exercise. It is not just about promotions, impact factor, publish or perish . . . it is about improving lives.'
Cindy Bulik, Professor of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina