Latest news with #BBCRadioFoyle
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm terrified of food - but I can't get specialist eating disorder treatment'
A woman whose wait for a diagnosis of a lesser known eating disorder left her feeling like a "problem that cannot be solved" has called for reform of how the condition is treated by Northern Ireland's health service. Sinead Quinn, from Londonderry, said binge eating compulsions had made her "a prisoner in her own home, afraid of food and afraid of herself". Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is not currently treated by eating disorder services in Northern Ireland - patients are instead referred to general mental health services. The Department of Health said regional adult eating disorder services were commissioned to treat anorexia, bulimia and atypical presentations of these conditions. BED is the second most common eating disorder in the UK, after atypical eating disorders, according to UK health assessment body NICE. The Department of Health said it did not collate data on how many people in Northern Ireland are living with BED. It also said there was no current review of the way the condition is treated. Experts say specialist care within the health service is urgently needed to help people get a formal diagnosis and recover from BED. Ms Quinn said her relationship with food had always been complicated. "Food either brings me great comfort or I am terrified of it and that's because I have carried weight for most of my childhood and my adult life," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "A lot of my days have been filled with either thinking about food, dieting or binging. It's exhausting." The 43-year-old said she experiences overwhelming compulsions to eat, which can lead her to consume up to 5,000 calories in less than 30 minutes. "My binge patterns can change but for me it's about going to a shop to buy certain food items and not the same shop regularly, as you don't want people judging you," she said. "I have a routine around it and, then, knowing the food is there - there is a feeling of release in that. "The minute I finish eating, the shame and self-hatred sets in and that is a really horrible place to be." Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you are uncomfortably full. It is a serious mental health condition where people eat without feeling like they are in control. Symptoms include: eating when not hungry eating very fast during a binge eating alone or secretly feeling depressed, guilty, ashamed, or disgusted after binge eating Binges are sometimes planned but can be spontaneous. They are usually done alone, and may include "special" binge foods and create feelings of shame or guilt afterwards. Source: NHS After losing 7st (44kg) last year through what she described as "restrictive dieting", Ms Quinn found herself returning to binge eating and, in turn, regaining some weight. She decided it was time to ask for help. With "fantastic support" from her GP, who recognised Ms Quinn met the diagnostic criteria for BED, she was then referred to the Western Trust's eating disorder service. The referral was refused on the basis the service is not commissioned to care for BED - in line with all Northern Ireland's health trusts. Ms Quinn has since been referred to mental health services, but she is concerned that care will possibly not be administered by an eating disorder specialist. She described her feeling of being a "problem that cannot be solved", adding that it was a "very lonely place to be". "Eating disorder services in Northern Ireland should treat all eating disorders." According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders, one in two people in the UK who seek help for weight loss eat compulsively. Nicola Armstrong, who is the eating disorder charity Beat's national lead for Northern Ireland, said weight gain was a symptom of BED and that could lead to "shame and stigma". "This illness can be portrayed as someone being overindulgent or greedy and that is simply not the case," she said. "Often people find that their case can be treated as a weight management issue rather than an eating disorder. "What is needed in Northern Ireland is equitable access to evidence-based treatment for BED." Prof Laura McGowan, from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University, hopes the recently announced roll-out of a regional obesity management service for Northern Ireland would include screening of eating disorders like BED. "BED is simply not widely recognised and the services for it not widely commissioned," she said. "For BED patients, especially those living with obesity, there is such an unmet need." NICE guidelines advise that children, young people and adults who have BED should be firstly offered guided self-help. Sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy are then offered if self-help treatment is found to not be enough. Ursula Philpot, a dietician and clinical lead for eating disorders with NHS England, described BED as the "forgotten eating disorder". She was instrumental in the roll-out of an online self-help BED pilot programme provided by the Republic of Ireland's health service. "BED is not well recognised either by people themselves who have it or by the medical professionals. "They can see someone as having a lack of willpower, rather than having an illness. "The work we have done in the Republic, we have found to be very effective - the expertise of the specialist workforce we have in the UK can be delivered to patients in Ireland online." For Sinead Quinn, she's "at a point in my life, I know this cycle of binging and restrictive dieting needs to stop". "I don't want to spend my days locked in the house in fear of food. "It's no way for anyone to live." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, information about help and support is available via BBC Action Line. Anorexia made me hide in toilets at meal times - but it's OK to talk about it Rise in young teens seeking eating disorder help
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm terrified of food - but I can't get specialist eating disorder treatment'
A woman whose wait for a diagnosis of a lesser known eating disorder left her feeling like a "problem that cannot be solved" has called for reform of how the condition is treated by Northern Ireland's health service. Sinead Quinn, from Londonderry, said binge eating compulsions had made her "a prisoner in her own home, afraid of food and afraid of herself". Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is not currently treated by eating disorder services in Northern Ireland - patients are instead referred to general mental health services. The Department of Health said regional adult eating disorder services were commissioned to treat anorexia, bulimia and atypical presentations of these conditions. BED is the second most common eating disorder in the UK, after atypical eating disorders, according to UK health assessment body NICE. The Department of Health said it did not collate data on how many people in Northern Ireland are living with BED. It also said there was no current review of the way the condition is treated. Experts say specialist care within the health service is urgently needed to help people get a formal diagnosis and recover from BED. Ms Quinn said her relationship with food had always been complicated. "Food either brings me great comfort or I am terrified of it and that's because I have carried weight for most of my childhood and my adult life," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "A lot of my days have been filled with either thinking about food, dieting or binging. It's exhausting." The 43-year-old said she experiences overwhelming compulsions to eat, which can lead her to consume up to 5,000 calories in less than 30 minutes. "My binge patterns can change but for me it's about going to a shop to buy certain food items and not the same shop regularly, as you don't want people judging you," she said. "I have a routine around it and, then, knowing the food is there - there is a feeling of release in that. "The minute I finish eating, the shame and self-hatred sets in and that is a really horrible place to be." Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you are uncomfortably full. It is a serious mental health condition where people eat without feeling like they are in control. Symptoms include: eating when not hungry eating very fast during a binge eating alone or secretly feeling depressed, guilty, ashamed, or disgusted after binge eating Binges are sometimes planned but can be spontaneous. They are usually done alone, and may include "special" binge foods and create feelings of shame or guilt afterwards. Source: NHS After losing 7st (44kg) last year through what she described as "restrictive dieting", Ms Quinn found herself returning to binge eating and, in turn, regaining some weight. She decided it was time to ask for help. With "fantastic support" from her GP, who recognised Ms Quinn met the diagnostic criteria for BED, she was then referred to the Western Trust's eating disorder service. The referral was refused on the basis the service is not commissioned to care for BED - in line with all Northern Ireland's health trusts. Ms Quinn has since been referred to mental health services, but she is concerned that care will possibly not be administered by an eating disorder specialist. She described her feeling of being a "problem that cannot be solved", adding that it was a "very lonely place to be". "Eating disorder services in Northern Ireland should treat all eating disorders." According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders, one in two people in the UK who seek help for weight loss eat compulsively. Nicola Armstrong, who is the eating disorder charity Beat's national lead for Northern Ireland, said weight gain was a symptom of BED and that could lead to "shame and stigma". "This illness can be portrayed as someone being overindulgent or greedy and that is simply not the case," she said. "Often people find that their case can be treated as a weight management issue rather than an eating disorder. "What is needed in Northern Ireland is equitable access to evidence-based treatment for BED." Prof Laura McGowan, from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University, hopes the recently announced roll-out of a regional obesity management service for Northern Ireland would include screening of eating disorders like BED. "BED is simply not widely recognised and the services for it not widely commissioned," she said. "For BED patients, especially those living with obesity, there is such an unmet need." NICE guidelines advise that children, young people and adults who have BED should be firstly offered guided self-help. Sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy are then offered if self-help treatment is found to not be enough. Ursula Philpot, a dietician and clinical lead for eating disorders with NHS England, described BED as the "forgotten eating disorder". She was instrumental in the roll-out of an online self-help BED pilot programme provided by the Republic of Ireland's health service. "BED is not well recognised either by people themselves who have it or by the medical professionals. "They can see someone as having a lack of willpower, rather than having an illness. "The work we have done in the Republic, we have found to be very effective - the expertise of the specialist workforce we have in the UK can be delivered to patients in Ireland online." For Sinead Quinn, she's "at a point in my life, I know this cycle of binging and restrictive dieting needs to stop". "I don't want to spend my days locked in the house in fear of food. "It's no way for anyone to live." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, information about help and support is available via BBC Action Line. Anorexia made me hide in toilets at meal times - but it's OK to talk about it Rise in young teens seeking eating disorder help
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Traders welcome street reopening after eight months
Traders in Londonderry have welcomed the reopening of one of city's busiest streets after it was closed for eight months. Foyle Street closed in August 2024 to allow for a £4.2m major upgrade to the water and sewerage infrastructure. It is due to reopen to traffic later on Friday, five weeks ahead of schedule. Record store owner Lee Mason said he was delighted to see the street returning to normal after a tough time for businesses. For five months late last year, and with the work ongoing, he said his business was hidden behind huge hoardings. "The barriers from August to December were awful, we had no visibility, the shop wasn't visible," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "As I have said many times, we were down 50% at weekends, and probably about 40% Monday to Thursday. "I am just glad it is done and dusted." He has now called for traders to be compensated over the disruption. "The work was essential work and we all understand that, but at the same time we need to be compensated if the work has affected our business, and it has without doubt affected our business," he said. When work got underway in August last year traders said they were concerned about the long-term impact of the closure. There was a temporary reprieve over Christmas before the street was closed off to allow NI Water to continue with the upgrade work. Olive McEleney works in her family-run hair salon on Foyle Street. She told BBC Radio Foyle that, like most traders, she totally understands the need for the work the past eight months had been tough. "Needs must, the work had to be done, but business has suffered these last eight months," she said. "We are small businesses, small family businesses, not multi-million pound companies. We were trying to keep the staff we have, keep the flow of business." She agrees that some form of financial support, possibly a rates relief scheme, would help support the Foyle Street traders. "The loss of business, especially in the run up to Christmas, the businesses were badly impacted and the rates definitely should have been considered," she said. Manager of Derry's City Centre Initiative Jim Roddy said local traders were to be commended "for their patience and understanding since work started last summer". He also said they should be compensated, if they have lost money. "Absolutely, and what needs to happen there, the loss needs to be evidenced and then that put to Northern Ireland Water and then let Northern Ireland Water consider if compensation should be paid." But he said the work was essential for the future of the city. "Anbody who knows what's going on with Northern Ireland Water at the moment and any future developments, capacity is a major, major issue for all planning applications," he said. "We were literally at full capacity within our walled city, so developments within our walled city would not have been able to happen without this work. "This now allows those developments to do ahead." In a statement, NI Water said Foyle Street would reopen to most traffic on Friday but buses would not return until the end of June. The upgrade of the 100-year-old water and wastewater infrastructure has included the installation of 400 metres (1,312 ft) of dedicated stormwater sewer as well as 170 metres (557ft) of new watermain. Work on the upgrade's final phase, which includes the reinstallation of footpaths and during which the street will be fully accessible during business hours, will be completed by the end of next month, NI Water added. Traders worry over long-term Foyle Street closure
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
'We're terrified to live at home after arson attack'
A mother has said her family is terrified to live in their home following an arson attack. Courtney McFadden said those responsible for setting fire to her car - just outside her home in Shantallow, Londonderry - could have seriously injured or even killed someone. Ms McFadden said she only discovered her car was on fire after checking on her baby in the early hours of Friday. She said she now feared for the safety of her one-year-old daughter and her mother, who has dementia and lives with her. "We had gone to bed that night as usual," Ms McFadden told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "I then saw that the baby monitor was flashing, saying the room was too warm, so I got up to go and open her window." It was then Ms McFadden said she heard loud banging at their front door. "I went and checked and saw on the video doorbell that my car was up in flames - the whole vehicle was just engulfed," she said. A neighbour called the fire service while Ms McFadden contacted the police. She said emergency crews were on the scene immediately and described them as "phenomenal" for getting the fire under control so quickly. Police said the car was completely destroyed and confirmed they were treating the incident as arson. Enquiries are ongoing. They are urging anyone who was in Drumleck Drive area at the time and witnessed anything suspicious - or who may have relevant information, CCTV, dashcam, or other video footage - to come forward. "The car was parked just outside the house, very near to where my daughter sleeps," Ms McFadden said. The young mother said she dreaded to think what could have happened had they not spotted the fire when they did. "I was terrified for my mummy and for Aoibhí," she said. "They're both obviously very vulnerable." Ms McFadden said her mother suffered a stroke in October 2022 and lives with her full-time. She said the whole family had been badly shaken by the ordeal. "You have left a family terrified to live in their own home," she said. "The flames engulfed the car - it actually blew up right in front of us. "The fumes, the burning, the smell—it was horrendous. I can't even describe it." She said the attack posed a risk to her own family and others living nearby. "This could have caused serious harm—or even killed someone," she added. Ms McFadden thanked her neighbours for their support and appealed for anyone with information to contact the police. "I have lived here all my life, I have grown up here, we live in a really tight-knit community, and we all look out for each other," she said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I could sing before I could speak after my stroke'
Stephen Farlow's earliest memories centre around music. The 45-year-old, from Coleraine in County Londonderry, can remember playing on a piano as a child before he could talk. When Stephen suffered a haemorrhagic stroke (bleed into the brain) in 2016, his family were told it was unlikely he would survive. He went on to recover but soon found he could sing easily before he was able to speak again. Research shows that some people can sing even if they cannot talk because we use different sides of our brains for speech and music. More than a third of stroke survivors are able to sing better than speak soon after their stroke, according to new research from the Stroke Association. Before his stroke, Stephen was working as a gigging musician and in a music shop. Stephen's love for singing showed signs in the early stages of his recovery after he returned home following four months in hospital. "Music is my life, it means everything to me", he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "After I had my stroke, I could only say a couple of words and they were 'keyboard' and 'guitar' but I was using them in the wrong context. "I lost faith after my stroke. I found it difficult to comprehend. It was terrible. "I love country music, singers like Dominic Kirwan and Daniel O'Donnell. "I found I could sing better than I could speak and I felt then maybe, that yes, I could perform again." With encouragement from family and friends, Stephen slowly started to return to music by relearning how to play the keyboard with his left hand after losing the power in his right side. His wife Pauline said music gave Stephen a focus in his recovery that also helped with his mental health. "We got a singing teacher to help Stephen and very quickly he picked it up again. "It helped his mental health straight away. "Our local church and social club let him use their hall to practice. "He just felt on top of the world again", she said. Pauline said they had been told at one stage that Stephen would be bed-bound and require constant care following his stroke. "Music was all Stephen had on his mind, that was so powerful, that gave him the determination to be the person he is today," she said. "It gave him the motivation to get out of bed, practice his speech. "Music gave him the strength to help me return to the Stephen he was before the stroke." In Northern Ireland, more than 4,000 people survive a stroke every year. The Stroke Association's survey found that more than half of stroke survivors said that singing, listening to music or playing an instrument had a positive impact on their recovery. Alasdair O'Hara, the NI director for the Stroke Association, said singing can a be a "powerful tool" in recovery. "According to our research, a significant number of stroke survivors can sing or hum before they can speak," he said. "Music supports people's emotional well-being as it gets people back into what they love. "This is an area we really work to support through the Stroke Association's voluntary groups." A stroke occurs when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. The first signs include: face weakness – it might be hard to smile, and one side of your face may droop arm weakness – you may not be able to fully lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm speech problems – you may slur your words or sound confused Other symptoms might be: sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including in your leg) sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes sudden difficulty speaking or thinking of words sudden memory loss or confusion sudden severe headache sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs Source: 'Don't delay' making stroke 999 call - NHS Aspirin 'safe' for brain-bleed strokes
