I’m a child anorexic Essay

In 2006 the BBC do a documentary c every(prenominal)ed Im a child anorexic (appendix 1) it focuses on Rhodes Farm a treatment clinic in north London that specialises in children suffering from anorexia nervosa from girls as untested as 12 years old. The class follows the girls highs and lows at the clinic the initial tantrums as they struggle to eat the foods they fear most, their interactions with staff, the friendships they make, their family dealings and accordingly the tears of mournfulness when they fin ally give way to leave.The documentary focuses primarily on the struggle of 2 young girls in incident, 12-year-old Natasha and 13-year-old Naomi. I pay back chosen this clip because as rise as educating ab erupt anorexia in young girls, it does a brilliant job of illustrating different emblems of relationships the girls stool with the people surrounding them during this difficult time. It portrays variances in communion betwixt them and their families, cargonrs and peers. It also reveals how the young girls be obtaining during their time at the clinic and acquaints examples of how they ar made to feeling degage and different.Wherever you are and however you may be nobody likes to feel isolated and alone existence part of a community has a unconditional impact on your life. A sense of lonesomeness leads to feelings of sadness and anxiety, which consequently can complicate health problems. In health care tantrums in particular it is grievous that individuals feel a sense of be among other affairs. For this reason if progress is to be made by the girls at Rhodes Farm then is important that their care follows the relationship-centred framework.This framework has been developed so that all participants (staff included) experience a sense of security, belonging, continuity, purpose, achievement and significance (Nolan et al. 2006). Whilst this framework was designed with a focus on older people, the six senses have wider applicability to other clinical areas to. The concept is that if all these senses are met, then the care you are heavy(p) and receiving is at its highest possible level. Throughout the clip in that location are arious sights that demonstrate how happy the girls are to have one another.It is extremely important, in their fragile states that they are not exhalation by means of this journey alone and the fact that there are other girls of similar ages going through the same thing means that the girls can all relate to one another. This is important because it makes them conscious that they are not the only ones that are suffering with this illness. By establishing these close friendships the girls are achieving a sense of belonging within the clinic.Having others that are going through the same as them also gives them the security to know they are not alone, which helps to ease sadness and pain. It is through communication that we build these friendships. Effective mutual communication is of d ominant importance. Research shows that in order to make a difference to childrens lives healthcare practitioners must be able to relate to the children, support them in making decisions, listen to them, and involve them. Good communication in the midst of healthcare professionals and patients is essential (Nice 2012).There are numerous scenes in the clip where Dr Dee Dawson founder of Rhodes Farm (referred to as Dr D throughout) is seen lecture directly to the girls, both individually and in group situations and in my opinion she does not always demonstrate good communication or meet all the senses from the framework I have mentioned earlier. It can be very difficult to judge what a child understands or knows (NHS), and this is apparent when Dr D is talking to Naomi almost her personal progress at the clinic.Dr D presumes that Naomi is aware about the calorific nitty-gritty of water, and by repeating her question and raising the tone and volume of her voice she appears to patro nise Naomi quite significantly. This represents a distinct lack of empathy on Dr Ds part. Additionally what that caught my attention in this scene was how the volume of what Dr D has to theorize focuses on the negative aspects of Naomis journey such as failing all her weekends away and how they feel she is keen to stay on, instead of picking up on the much(prenominal) confirmatory aspects such as the meals she has eaten and the weight she may have gained.You also see in this scene that because of the aflame and cognitive impacts that the illness has on Naomi, alongside the pressure from Dr D, she really struggles to verbalise her feelings. This is validated when Naomi breaks d knowledge in tears. maven of the key qualities central to therapeutic communication is the ability to truly attend to the other person. This has been referred to as giving free attention (Egan 1990). Heron (1975) described this as, a subtle and intense activity of cosmos present for the client. Talking is the main ingredient in medical care and it is the fundamental instrument by which the doctor-patient relationship is crafted and by which therapeutic goals are achieved (Rotter and Hall 1992). In the clip, there is a scene that shows Naomi existence made to drink water, as punishment for her behaviour. What is interesting about this scene is the difference in communication and in the relationship between the carer and Naomi compared with that of Dr D. The carer uses a much healing style when talking to her, using much positive phrases such as, you can do it, and generally being more encouraging.She points out to Naomi what has already achieved in order to support her with what she has remaining. Carers are taught the basic principles of motivational interviewing (Miller and Rollnick, 1991). When people are hostile or indecisive to change the principles of this approach should be used. This approach can be summarised in the phrase less is more. Less serves as an acronym for t he fundamental principles of this approach listen, empathy not sympathy and sharing, af? rmation and support. Whitaker et al. 2005) Chitty and Black (2007, p. 218) explain that communication is the veer of information, thoughts and ideas through verbal and non-verbal communication at the same time. They explain that verbal communication consists of entirely diction whereas non-verbal communication consists of gestures, postures, facial expressions, tone and level of volume. Children in particular once they have gr experience out of infancy, are acute observers of body lyric and the mood of others.In the scene where Dr D is standing at the front of the room talking to the girls as a group I noticed that body language is evident from her and the girls. I also noted that she shows very little empathy or support towards them. In this scene the girls are sat at a lower level, they and so need to look up to her as if she is more important than them. In doing this she is distancing her self from the girls. In their fragile conditions they already see her as the authoritative figure, and this stance clarifies that further.You can see in the girls facial expressions that they lack interest in what she has to say their faces appear jaded. There is little eye contact made between the doctor and the girls as the absolute majority of them have their heads down some have their faces in their hands, other are picking their nails. These are parking area signs of disinterest and anxiety. The language that Dr D uses here is derogatory and I imagine makes the girls feel even more alienated. She emphasises this by categorising them, using phrases such as, you people and referring to non-anorexic people as normal people.It is highlighted in studies how important it is to transfer impassioned, af? rming and respectful methods of communication however as seen in this clip Dr D seems neither warm nor affirming. I do not feel that she is seen to be being respectful of their lo w self-esteem and I do not see any example of her making an effort to be heartfelt or affectionate. To be able to identify and accommodate to the particular conversational practices of different social groups, you must have what Hymes calls communicative competence (Hymes, 1972. This is a term used to describe a speakers electric potential for communicating effectively. Proficiency must be shown across a wide range of social, interpersonal and heathenish contexts. This skill is a prerequisite for Dr D when communicating with these young girls and I would have thought that as the doctor who set up the clinic and therefore presumably has a keen interest in young people with this illness, that she would practice this theory in order to engage with the girls more and make them feel more at home and comfortable.Studies show that an adults values and attitudes effect children close to them quite substantially, therefore it is vitally important that adults develop the insights self-aware ness and skills that are needed to guide the child, especially within a setting such as Rhodes Farm. From the day they are born children start to develop a sense of who they are. One of the main factors that reach to their identities is relationships this can be with family members, other adults and children, friends and other figures such as members of their community.As well as being a standard of ethical practice, finding out what children and young people are feeling, hoping, thinking, and fearing in regards to their treatment, as well as decision making which affects them directly is now a statuary requirement. (Department of Health 2002) Family are important in any environment where young children are involved as they create a balance between change and stability. In early 1960s when Bowlby and Robertson established that there were negative consequences to he well-being of a child that is hospitalised and recognition of the family as a unit change magnitude (cited by Alsop-S hields and Mohay 2001).The concept of family-centred care (FCC) has become much more frequently used to describe a practice that identifies the family as the fundamental source of support. It also considers the deliberate involvement of the family essential to promote the health of all family members (Franck and Callery 2004, Shields et al. 2006). The classic view of parent adolescent relationships is one of conflict, Anderson and Clarke (1982) opposed this view.In the scene where Natasha is about to go out for a meal with her don for the first time since being at the clinic, she is talking to the camera about how hard it is has been for her to spend time without seeing her family. In a situation where Natasha was not sick or separated from her family for a long amount of time, her feelings and reactions on this subject may not be the same. When the parents arrive at Rhodes Farm to see the girls, the girls run out to hug them. Research suggests that children of a young age rely on the support of their families.Through hugging the girls the parents show them love, affection and support. To feel secure, attention to the essential physiological and psychological needs need to be met and part of this can be done through hugging. In the clip when Natasha is alone with her father, I noticed that one of first thing that Natashas father tells her is how great she is looking. Giving children messages of love, approval, encouragement and above all respect, allows them to develop a positive sense of who they are.Sick children in particular need to feel this it can be one of the factors that contribute towards a faster recovery. These messages give them the confidence to voice their own feelings, views and opinions and aid them in making their own choices when appropriate. In Natashas case this support her father is showing her could have a direct regulate on the way she perceives herself and therefore speed up her recovery. As Faulkner (1998) stated To be able to pas s by effectively with others is at the heart of all patient care. All the relationships seen in this clip have an straightaway and vast impact on the girls. Dr D demonstrates how not relating to the girls makes it hard for her to gain their attention and presumably respect. When she negotiation to them as a group they have little interest in what she has to say, when she has one of the girls on her own the girl struggles to verbalise her feelings, resulting in tears. The relationships between the girls are what keep them motivated and happy. Without these friendships I imagine that the girls would feel so much more isolated and less inspired to get better.The carers positive attitude and encouraging words are also key factors in making the girls feel safe giving them a sense of achievement and making them feel secure in these particular surrounding, The relationships between the father and daughter also gives the girl a sense of security as well as continuity. He is supporting her a nd showing love, which will give her the confidence she needs to get well. Within any type of relationship, especially within a care setting, it is imperative that the senses of belonging and security are met. Once these have been met, a trust is in place that makes communication much easier.