Esus Centre

Bright, open and intentionally designed — the ESUS space is made to help you feel at ease.

Whether you’re settling into the lounge or being greeted at reception, we want every interaction and every corner to feel safe, friendly and supportive.

Support doesn’t always look like big solutions, sometimes it’s simply someone standing beside you when things feel too heavy to carry alone.

You’re not expected to do it all on your own.

OCD and eating disorders can sometimes look alike from the outside, and even feel similar on the inside. Both can involve intrusive thoughts, rituals, and a sense of being “pulled” toward certain behaviours to reduce anxiety.

It’s also common for the two conditions to occur together, which is why an integrated, whole-person approach to assessment and care is so important.

If you’re noticing patterns that feel rigid, distressing, or hard to interrupt, you don’t need to make sense of them alone.
ESUS brings together clinicians across psychology, psychiatry, dietetics, and lived experience so you can receive clear, compassionate support in one place.

References:
• National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) — Eating Disorders Core Messages & Comorbidity Data (Australia) – nedc.com.au
• InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders — Clinical Resources on OCD–ED Comorbidity and ARFID – insideoutinstitute.org.au
• Butterfly Foundation — Eating Disorder Statistics in Australia – butterfly.org.au
• RANZCP — Clinical Practice Guidelines for OCD & Eating Disorders
• Mindframe (Everymind) — Safe Language Guidelines for Mental Illness and Eating Disorders

Eating disorders rarely exist on their own.
In fact, research shows that up to 97% of people with an eating disorder will also experience another mental health condition, most commonly anxiety or depression.

Because eating disorders affect the body, mind, and behaviour, recovery requires more than one approach.

That’s why integrative care — combining medical, psychological, and nutritional support — is essential for long-term healing.

At ESUS, our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. 🌿

📚 References:
National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC). (2024). Eating Disorders in Australia. https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/eating-disorders-in-australia
NEDC. (2024). Co-occurring Conditions. https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/types/co-occurring-conditions
InsideOut Institute. (2024). Psychiatric and Medical Comorbidities Rapid Review. https://www.eatingdisordersresearch.org.au/rapid-reviews/psychiatric-and-medical-comorbidities
Department of Health (AUS). (2021). Eating Disorders Working Group Report.

Clinical Psychology Registrar Program at ESUS Centre 🌿
Join a multidisciplinary team dedicated to delivering holistic, evidence-based care across the lifespan.

Our two-year (FTE equivalent) registrar program offers:
-Diverse clinical rotations and structured professional development
-Supervision from board-approved and senior secondary supervisors
-Exposure to specialised modalities including Schema Therapy, RO DBT, and DBT

Upon completion, you’ll be ready for endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist — equipped with invaluable experience in both eating disorder and transdiagnostic treatment approaches.

📍 Learn more or apply: www.esuscentre.com.au
📧 [email protected]

There’s no quick fix for eating disorders.

ADHD, anxiety, trauma, perfectionism — often, multiple factors drive disordered eating. Treating one without understanding the rest can leave people feeling unseen.

At ESUS, we use an integrative approach: psychiatrists, psychologists, dietitians and therapists working together to uncover the why behind the behaviours.

Because recovery isn’t about managing symptoms —
it’s about understanding the person beneath them.

🌿 Integrated care. Real recovery.

“Recovery from an eating disorder is not a return to a prior self — it’s an ongoing process of rewriting the story of your body, your relationship with food, and your self-worth.”
— Dr. Cynthia Bulik, leading researcher in eating disorders

Recovery isn’t about going back — it’s about moving forward with compassion, strength, and self-understanding.
Every small step, every meal, every moment of honesty with yourself is part of rewriting that story. 💛

At ESUS, we’re here to walk beside you as you find peace with food, your body, and yourself.

Eating disorders rarely exist in isolation.

They often overlap with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and other mental health conditions — each influencing how someone relates to food, body, and self.
Understanding these connections helps us move beyond symptoms and toward whole-person healing.
At ESUS, our integrated team works together to treat the mind and body as one — because recovery is never one-dimensional.

Courage in recovery isn’t always big or loud — sometimes it’s simply showing up, choosing healing again, or facing the voice that says you can’t.

Recovery asks for courage in a thousand quiet ways.
And every time you choose to keep going — even when it’s hard — you prove that courage is powerful. 🌿

At ESUS, we honour the small, brave steps that make healing possible.
You’re never alone in this. 💛

ADHD and eating disorders may seem unrelated — but research shows a strong overlap in how they affect the brain and behaviour.

Both can involve challenges with impulsivity, emotional regulation, dopamine/reward processing, and self-esteem.
While ADHD often presents with inattention, restlessness, and executive functioning difficulties, eating disorders are marked by body image concerns and disordered eating patterns.

Where they meet is in the shared struggle for control, regulation, and self-understanding.
Raising awareness of this link helps ensure people receive the right diagnosis and integrated care, rather than treatment for one while the other goes unseen.

✨ Understanding the overlap creates pathways to earlier, more compassionate intervention.

🔬 References:
Nazar, B. P. et al. (2016). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and eating disorders: A systematic review. World Journal of Psychiatry.
Bleck, J. R., & DeBate, R. D. (2013). Exploring the co-occurrence of self-reported ADHD and eating disorders in a nationally representative sample. Eating Behaviors.
Cortese, S. et al. (2012). Brain imaging of ADHD: A meta-analysis. Biological Psychiatry.
Faraone, S. V. & Larsson, H. (2019). Genetics of ADHD. Molecular Psychiatry.

October is ADHD Awareness Month

ADHD and eating disorders often go hand in hand. Research shows that 20–30% of people with eating disorders may also meet criteria for ADHD.

Both conditions can share challenges such as impulsivity, emotional regulation, and difficulties with attention — which can complicate recovery if left unrecognised.

By raising awareness, we can reduce stigma, improve understanding, and ensure people get the integrated support they need. At ESUS, we believe in treating the whole person — because recovery is never one-sided. 💛

Eating disorders don’t just affect the body — they rewire the brain.
Research shows that EDs change the way brain circuits process reward, decision-making, and emotions.
• Reward system: Food can feel unrewarding, while disordered behaviours may feel soothing.
• Impulse control: Brain regions that usually help us pause and reflect can be compromised, making it harder to stop harmful cycles.
• Emotional regulation: Fear and anxiety responses are heightened, so food and body image can trigger overwhelming distress.
• Cognitive flexibility: Thinking often becomes rigid, with “all-or-nothing” patterns that fuel perfectionism.

These changes are not permanent. With treatment, nutrition, and support, the brain begins to heal. Recovery restores both mental clarity and emotional balance.

✨ If you or someone you love is struggling, know this: it’s not about willpower. Eating disorders are brain-based illnesses — and help is available.

⸻

🔗 References (simplified for caption credibility)
• Kaye, W. et al. (2020). Neurobiology of eating disorders. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
• Frank, G. K. et al. (2019). Neuroimaging and the brain in eating disorders. Handbook of Clinical Neurology.
• Hay, P. et al. (2017). The Lancet Psychiatry – Eating disorders as serious mental illnesses.
• Treasure, J. & Russell, G. (2011). European Eating Disorders Review.