Dr Donatella Agius- Psychiatrist

23/07/2026

Eating disorders are NOT rare. They are NOT a phase. And they cannot simply be “fixed” by distraction, encouragement to eat, or willpower. They are serious mental illnesses that deserve understanding, early recognition, and evidence-based treatment.

As Beat UK recently announced:

“Eating disorders are not rare and they appear to be affecting more people than previously thought.”

According to their latest estimates, around 3.5 million children, young people and adults in the UK are likely living with an eating disorder—approximately 1 in every 20 people. These findings should serve as a wake-up call. Eating disorders affect people of all ages, genders, body sizes, and backgrounds.

Behind every statistic is a person struggling with an illness that can profoundly affect their physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, education, and work. Too many people still face stigma, delayed diagnosis, or are told that what they are experiencing is “just a phase.”

It isn’t.

Recovery is possible, but it requires compassion, timely access to specialist care, and continued investment in awareness, research, and treatment services.

Let’s challenge the myths, reduce stigma, and encourage anyone who is struggling to seek help early. Eating disorders are real, serious, and treatable.

18/07/2026

Has social media made bullying easier?

As a psychiatrist, I have seen first-hand the devastating impact that online bullying and hate speech can have on mental health. It is no longer something that only happens in the school playground. Today, it can affect anyone—children, teenagers, adults, professionals, and public figures.

Yes, if you are a public figure, criticism is inevitable. People have the right to disagree with your opinions, question your decisions, and express different views. Constructive criticism is healthy and important.

However, there is a clear difference between criticism and hate speech.

Too often, people hide behind fake accounts, nicknames, or anonymous profiles to insult, humiliate, intimidate, or spread hate. Social media has given some individuals a sense of power, allowing them to say things they would never dare say face to face.

For professionals such as doctors, psychologists, lawyers, teachers, and other client facing oworkers, the situation can be even more difficult. We are bound by professional ethics and confidentiality. Even when accusations or misleading comments are made publicly, we cannot simply “answer back” or reveal information to defend ourselves. Our silence should never be interpreted as an admission of guilt—it is often a reflection of our ethical and legal duty to protect the privacy of those we serve.

What happens during an enounter, assessment, or therapy session should remain within that setting. Patients or clients are fully entitled to disagree with a professional’s opinion, diagnosis, or recommendations. They have every right to ask questions, seek a second opinion, or make a formal complaint through the appropriate channels if they feel they have been treated unfairly. What should never happen is for a disagreement to become a campaign of online abuse. Using social media to spread hate, make personal attacks, or repeatedly target professionals through anonymous accounts, fake profiles, or nicknames does not solve the problem. It only fuels hostility, causes unnecessary harm, and discourages respectful dialogue.

Bullying no longer stays in the playground. It follows people home, onto their phones, and into their daily lives. I have seen children, teenagers and adults whose confidence, self-esteem, and mental health have been deeply affected by online abuse. The internet has made it possible for bullying to continue 24 hours a day, giving some people a platform to spread hatred far beyond a single conversation or disagreement.

Before posting a comment, ask yourself:
• Am I expressing an opinion, or am I trying to hurt someone?
• Would I say this if my identity were known?
• Is this helping to resolve an issue, or simply causing more harm?

We can disagree. We can debate. We can hold people accountable. But we should never use anonymity to spread hate or target others personally.

Behind every profile is a human being. Let’s never forget that.

28/06/2026

Being a mother myself, one of the hardest things is seeing my kids anxious or scared. But I have always believed that people become stronger by facing their problems, not by avoiding them. As parents, we want to protect our children, but helping them face their fears gives them the confidence to cope with challenges in the future

Stop Protecting Your Child From Anxiety. You're Making It Worse.

Every parent wants the same thing.

"I just don't want my child to be anxious."

It's understandable. Watching your child struggle is painful. Every instinct tells you to step in, remove the obstacle, calm them down and make life easier.

The problem is that anxiety doesn't disappear when we protect children from it. It grows. Every time we rescue a child from something that makes them anxious, we unintentionally teach them one dangerous lesson:

"You're right. You couldn't handle it."

That is exactly how anxiety strengthens itself. Anxiety is not a sign that something is wrong. It is one of the oldest survival systems humans possess. It prepares us for uncertainty, motivates us to solve problems and, in manageable amounts, helps us adapt. Research consistently shows that learning to tolerate anxiety, rather than avoiding it, is one of the strongest predictors of resilience and long term mental health.

Yet modern parenting is increasingly becoming the art of removing discomfort. Parents email teachers because their child is nervous about a presentation. They allow teenagers to skip school because they're anxious about exams. They intervene in playground conflicts before children learn to resolve them. They avoid birthday parties, sleepovers or sports because their child feels uncomfortable.

It feels loving. It feels supportive. It is often neither. Avoidance provides immediate relief, but it reinforces anxiety over time. Decades of research on cognitive behavioural therapy have shown that gradual exposure to feared situations is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders. Why? Because the brain only learns that something is safe by experiencing it and surviving it.

Confidence does not come before courage. Confidence comes after courage. Children do not become brave because adults tell them they are brave. They become brave because they repeatedly discover that they can cope with difficult situations.

This does not mean throwing children into overwhelming experiences. There is a huge difference between traumatising a child and challenging them.

Good parenting means staying beside your child while they experience manageable discomfort. It means saying:

"I know this feels scary. I believe you can do it."

Not:

"You don't have to do it."

The irony is heartbreaking.

Many parents spend years trying to prevent their children from experiencing anxiety, only to discover that they have raised young adults who are terrified of failure, rejection, uncertainty and discomfort.

The goal of parenting is not to raise children who never feel anxious. The goal is to raise adults who know they can function despite anxiety. Because life will not remove every uncomfortable conversation.

Every difficult exam. Every rejection. Every interview. Every heartbreak. Every setback.

If we don't allow children to practise handling anxiety while we're still there to support them, the world will teach them later, often in much harsher ways.

Perhaps the question parents should ask themselves is not:

"How do I stop my child from feeling anxious?"

Instead ask:

"Am I raising a child who believes anxiety is dangerous, or one who believes they are stronger than it?"

That single question could change an entire generation.

16/05/2026

💙 Supporting someone with an eating disorder can feel overwhelming at times, but please remember — you do not have to do it alone.

Whether you are a parent, family member, carer, or someone working in education, Beat’s online learning platform has been created to give you a safe and supportive space to learn, connect, and share experiences. 🤝

✨ The Hub includes free:
📚 Interactive e-learning modules
🧠 Information about eating disorders and recovery
🎤 Monthly Q&A sessions with clinical advisors
📥 Helpful downloadable resources
💬 Online forums where you can connect with others who truly understand

For those working in schools, the platform is designed to help staff feel more confident when talking to pupils about mental health and recognising early signs of eating disorders. 🏫

School staff are often in a unique position to notice when a young person may be struggling, and early support can make a real difference. 🌱

👇 Live webinar sessions available:

👨‍👩‍👧 Supporting someone in your family?
📅 Wednesday 24th June
🕛 12:00–13:00

🏫 Working in an educational setting with pupils?
📅 Wednesday 24th June
🕓 16:00–17:00

🔗 Click here to access the platform:
https://elearn.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/index.php?

💙 You are not alone, and support is available.

14/05/2026

This message is dedicated to all parents raising children who may experience the world a little differently from what society or schools traditionally expect.

To the parents who often hear difficult feedback about their child, who sometimes feel judged, blamed, or misunderstood because of their child’s behaviour — please remember that neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, and others are nobody’s fault.

As a society, we can sometimes become very focused on structure, routines, behavioural expectations, and academic performance. While these systems are often created with good intentions, they may not always fully accommodate children who learn, communicate, regulate emotions, or express themselves differently.

I also believe it is important to reflect carefully on how quickly energetic or highly active children are sometimes viewed through a clinical lens. Schools and professionals may raise concerns with the child’s best interest at heart, and support or intervention can at times be very valuable. However, recommendations around assessments or medication should always be approached thoughtfully, collaboratively, and on an individual basis.

Not every energetic child has a disorder, and not every child who struggles within a structured school environment necessarily requires medication. Children have different temperaments, personalities, learning styles, strengths, and ways of engaging with the world around them.

Parents can sometimes feel overwhelmed when they repeatedly hear negative feedback or feel pressured into making decisions before they are emotionally ready or fully informed. Alongside support and professional guidance, families also need empathy, patience, understanding, and reassurance.

This message comes not only from my professional experience as a psychiatrist, but also from my personal experience as a mother of three energetic children. Both roles have taught me that every child is unique, and that differences should be approached with compassion rather than judgement.

Sometimes, children are not being “difficult” — they are simply navigating the world in the best way they can. Some may need additional support, while others may simply need more movement, flexibility, encouragement, emotional safety, or an environment better suited to their individual needs.

Every child deserves to be understood before they are labelled.

A little more understanding can make a very big difference.

14/05/2026

Dan il-messaġġ huwa ddedikat lill-ġenituri kollha li qed irabbu tfal li forsi jesperjenzaw id-dinja b’mod differenti minn dak li s-soċjetà jew is-sistema edukattiva tradizzjonalment tistenna.

Lil dawk il-ġenituri li spiss jisimgħu kummenti diffiċli dwar it-tifel jew it-tifla tagħhom, li xi kultant iħossuhom iġġudikati, akkużati jew mifhuma ħażin minħabba l-imġiba ta’ wliedhom — ftakru li kundizzjonijiet bħal ADHD, ASD, dyslexia u oħrajn mhumiex tort ta’ ħadd.

Bħala soċjetà, kultant insiru ffukati wisq fuq struttura, regoli, aspettattivi ta’ mġiba u prestazzjoni akkademika. Għalkemm dawn is-sistemi ħafna drabi jinħolqu b’intenzjonijiet tajbin, mhux dejjem jirnexxielhom jakkomodaw tfal li jitgħallmu, jikkomunikaw, jirregolaw l-emozzjonijiet jew jesprimu lilhom infushom b’mod differenti.

Nemmen ukoll li huwa importanti nirriflettu sew dwar kemm kultant tfal enerġetiċi jew attivi ħafna jiġu meqjusa malajr minn lenti klinika. L-iskejjel u l-professjonisti jistgħu jqajmu tħassib bl-aħjar interess tat-tfal f’moħħhom, u xi drabi s-support jew intervent professjonali jista’ jkun ta’ għajnuna kbira. Madankollu, rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar assessjar jew mediċina għandhom dejjem jiġu kkunsidrati b’attenzjoni, b’kollaborazzjoni u skont il-bżonnijiet individwali tat-tifel jew tat-tifla.

Mhux kull tifel enerġetiku għandu kundizzjoni, u mhux kull tifel li jsib diffikultà f’ambjent skolastiku strutturat neċessarjament għandu bżonn mediċina. It-tfal għandhom temperament differenti, personalitajiet differenti, stili differenti ta’ tagħlim, saħħiet differenti u modi differenti kif jinteraġixxu mad-dinja ta’ madwarhom.

Il-ġenituri xi kultant jistgħu jħossuhom mweġġgħin meta kontinwament jisimgħu feedback negattiv jew iħossuhom ippressati biex jieħdu deċiżjonijiet qabel ma jkunu emozzjonalment lesti jew infurmati biżżejjed. Flimkien mas-support u l-gwida professjonali, il-familji għandhom bżonn ukoll empatija, paċenzja, fehim u serħan il-moħħ.

Dan il-messaġġ ġej mhux biss mill-esperjenza professjonali tiegħi bħala psikjatra, iżda wkoll mill-esperjenza personali tiegħi bħala omm ta’ tlett itfal enerġetiċi. Dawn iż-żewġ rwoli għallmuni li kull tifel u tifla huma uniċi, u li d-differenzi għandhom jiġu milqugħa b’kompassjoni aktar milli b’ġudizzju.

Xi kultant, it-tfal mhumiex “diffiċli” — sempliċement qed jippruvaw jinnavigaw id-dinja bl-aħjar mod li jistgħu. Xi wħud jistgħu jkollhom bżonn support addizzjonali, filwaqt li oħrajn jistgħu sempliċement ikollhom bżonn aktar moviment, flessibbiltà, inkoraġġiment, sigurtà emozzjonali jew ambjent aktar adattat għall-bżonnijiet tagħhom.

Kull tifel u tifla jistħoqqilhom li jiġu mifhuma qabel ma jiġu labelled.

Ftit aktar kompassjoni u flessibilta jista’ jagħmel differenza kbira.

10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible mothers in every form. 💐

Today, we celebrate not only mothers who gave birth, but also mothers through adoption, foster care, stepmothers, grandmothers, mothers-to-be, those who nurture animals with unconditional love, and every person who cares, protects, comforts, and loves with a mother’s heart.

Motherhood is not defined by biology alone — it is found in kindness, patience, sacrifice, resilience, and the quiet moments of showing up for others day after day- the unconditional love.

To those who are celebrating today, may you feel appreciated and loved.
To those who find today difficult, whether through loss, longing, distance, or grief, please be gentle with yourselves and know that your feelings are valid.

And finally, a very special Happy Mother’s Day to my hero — my mum Pauline Gauci— whose strength, love, guidance and your selfless attitude continue to inspire me every single day. We love you a lot❤️