Eating Disorder Support Links
Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement of these sites. Eating Disorders of York Region's Riverwalk Wellness Centres is not responsible for the informational content of these sites.
If you are in crisis and need help immediately - visit your local emergency department or call 911.
National Organizations
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC)
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) is a Canadian, non-profit organization, established in 1985 to provide information and resources on eating disorders and weight preoccupation. Their goal is to promote healthy lifestyles that allow people to be fully engaged in their lives. (www.nedic.ca)
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest not-for-profit organization in the United States working to prevent eating disorders and provide treatment referrals to those suffering from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder and those concerned with body image and weight issues. (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org)
Visit NEDA’s Interactive Teen Website www.Proud2Bme.org
Online Support
Looking Glass
In partnership with the medical community, the Looking Glass Foundation in British Columbia is dedicated to helping young women and men get to the other side of eating disorders, returning them to a world where the image in the mirror matches the true one within. (www.lookingglassbc.com)
Online support groups: http://chat.lookingglassbc.com
Looking Glass Online Support Groups Launches New Chat Website
Vancouver, B.C. – The Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders is proud to announce a big step forward in the realm of online support groups with the November 2013 launch of a new chat room. Chat.lookingglassbc.com is a free online resource which will bring together Canadians struggling with eating disorders in a safe, anonymous and non-judgmental setting.
chat.lookingglassbc.com is a platform free of stigma or criticism, where people with eating disorders can access mutual support regardless of age, gender, or stage of recovery. It allows members to become a part of a support system without fear of physical comparisons, preconceptions, or judgement. Readily available and not location specific, chat.lookingglassbc.com aspires to be an accessible community for friends, families, or individuals dealing with eating disorders.
As always, keeping members safe and secure is a top priority for The Looking Glass Online Support Groups. In order to maintain the integrity of this system, chat.lookingglassbc.com has strict privacy and confidentiality policies in place. Additionally, the chatroom will always have at least one trained facilitator present and is for group access only, not individual contact.
Sometimes all one needs is a little support. Sharing experiences and being heard by others can have a profound effect on coping with an eating disorder. The Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders hopes to make a progressive change in the way Canadians approach eating disorders with chat.lookingglassbc.com.
Around The Dinner Table Forum
F.E.A.S.T. is committed to maintaining this site as a FREE service for any caregiver of a loved-one with an eating disorder.
Local Non-Profit Eating Disorder Support
Sheena’s Place
Sheena’s Place is a registered charity offering hope and support services at no cost to people affected by eating disorders and their families. Direct services are provided in a warm, comfortable and safe environment in an old house in downtown Toronto. (www.sheenasplace.org)
Helplines
Krasman Centre Warm Line
A non-crisis, confidential telephone peer support line for individuals or family members. The support line is answered by psychiatric consumer/survivors and provides informal support and resource information in York Region. The Line is currently open every day from 12:00pm (noon) – 12:00am (midnight). If you need someone to talk to call: 1-888-777-0979. (krasmancentre.com)
Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is a free, anonymous and confidential phone and
on-line professional counselling service for youth. Big or small concerns. 24/7. 365 days a year. 1-800-668-6868. (kidshelpphone.ca)
Good2Talk
Good2Talk is a free, confidential and anonymous helpline providing professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being to post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7/365.
Good2Talk is a bilingual phone service staffed by qualified, paid professionals with education, professional experience and specialized training in either counselling or information and referral. When you call Good2Talk, you’ll be asked to choose between two options: the first is to speak with an Information and Referral Specialist who can provide you with up-to-date information about mental health or drug and alcohol services and supports on campus and throughout Ontario. The second is to speak with a professional counsellor about any concerns you might be having, including but not limited to stress or issues affecting your well-being, mental health, academic stress or personal relationships. (good2talk.ca)
Government Organizations
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
CAMH is Canada's leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital. CAMH succeeds in transforming the lives of people affected by addiction and mental illness, by applying the latest in scientific advances, through integrated and compassionate clinical practice, health promotion, education and research. (www.camh.net)
Click here for a direct link to CAMH’s Eating Disorders and Addiction Clinic.
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
CMHA branches across Canada provide a wide range of innovative services and supports to people who are experiencing mental illness and their families. These services are tailored to the needs and resources of the communities where they are based. One of the core goals of these services is to help people with mental illness develop the personal tools to lead meaningful and productive lives. (www.cmha.ca)
Private Facilities
Bellwood Health Services
Bellwood provides treatment for people with alcohol and drug addictions, eating disorders, gambling and sexual addictions, stress-related illnesses and a variety of compulsive or problematic behaviours. Their premiere treatment centre is located in Toronto, Ontario. The have helped clients from all provinces across Canada to achieve a healthy, balanced, addiction-free lifestyle. (www.bellwood.ca)
Homewood Health Centre
A 312-bed privately owned, publicly funded health care facility in Guelph, Ontario, specializing in in-patient assessment and treatment for individuals with mental illness and/or addiction. Programs include: Eating Disorders, Program for Traumatic Stress Recovery, Integrated Mood and Anxiety Program (IMAP), Program for Older Adults, Addictions (chemical and behavioural), and Rehabilitation & Community Programs. (www.homewood.org)
The Renfrew Center
Renfrew provides women suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and related mental health problems, with the tools they need to succeed — in recovery and in life. Offering a warm, nurturing environment, Renfrew emphasizes a respect for the unique psychology of women, the importance of a collaborative therapeutic relationship and the belief that every woman needs to actively participate in her own growth and recovery. (www.renfrewcenter.com)
Remuda Ranch
Remuda Ranch provides intensive inpatient and residential programs for women and girls suffering from eating disorders and related issues. Our Christian based programs offer Hope and Healing to
patients of all faiths. (www.remudaranch.com)
Related Resources
South Lake Regional Health Centre: (905) 895-4521
https://southlake.ca
North York General Hospital: (416) 756-6750
www.nygh.on.ca
Markham Stouffville Hospital: (905) 472-7000
www.msh.on.ca
Hospital for Sick Children: (416) 813-7195
www.sickkids.on.ca or www.aboutkidshealth.ca
Mackenzie Health: (905) 883-1212
www.mackenziehealth.ca
Lakeridge Health Network: (905) 576-8711 ext. 4622 /3656
www.lakeridgehealth.ca
Toronto General Hospital: (416) 340-3032
www.uhn.ca
Women’s College Hospital: (416) 323-6300
www.sunnybrookandwomens.on.cs
TeleHealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
www.health.gov.on.ca
The Peer Project - Youth Assisting Youth: (416) 932 1919
www.yay.org
Health Connection Public Health Nurses: 1-800-361-5653
Jewish Family and Child Services: (905) 882-2331
York Support Services Network: (905) 898-6455
Catholic Community Services of York Region: (905) 770-7040
Addiction Services for York Region: (905) 841-7007
Yellow Brick House: 1-800-263-2231
Women’s Support Network of York Region: (905) 895-3646
Crisis Line: 1-800-263-6734
Victim Services of York Region: (905) 474-2955
Whitby Mental Health Centre: (905) 668-5881
Crisis Phone: 1-800-263-2679
310 COPE: (905) 310-2673
Other immediate resources include:
Call 211 if you are in Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton), British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec.
Provides free, confidential, multilingual access to information about the full range of community, social, health and government services in your area. All 211 calls are answered by live operators who assess each caller’s needs and link them to the best available services and programs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Visit www.eMentalHealth.ca
eMentalHealth.ca provides a directory of mental health assistance, resources and events sorted by province and community. It offers anonymous, confidential and trustworthy information, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Contact your local health clinic or local hospital that provides mental health services.
Contact your local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association: www.cmha.ca.