(TW) I reached a bmi of 14.7 - AMA

[pollywolfff]

My weight loss was intentional. I am recovering from anorexia.

How can you help someone realise they've got a problem and recover?

purpleme12 you can't force someone to notice there's a problem. for years i was in denial and no matter how many people told me i was skinny and i was super ill and needed help i just didnt understand. they will eventually realise. i know thats hard to hear but there's almost nothing i believe you can do x

just support them anyway you can

How did you get better (I hope you did)?

What eventually stopped your deep rooted fear of gaining any weight? Well done to you x

Well done for getting better, OP!

When you say "they will eventually realise" what made the penny drop for you?

Are you better now? How did you recover?

Morning, everyone. We've had a few reports on this thread and we are a bit concerned that a thread like this could go the wrong way and either be quite triggering for someone in recovery or (God forbid) give someone still struggling with an eating disorder a few ideas that might not be in their best interests.

Can we ask everyone to steer clear of questions about 'methods' and details of what the OP ate/did while she was still ill? We know this in AMA but we think leaving this sort of subject open to absolutely 'anything' in terms of questions and answers might not be for the best here.

If the thread starts to be a cause for concern we'll have to remove it, we're afraid, so if everyone could just think really carefully about their posts that would be brilliant. Thanks!

What eventually made you realise you were ill? Was it a sudden thing like scales dropping from your eyes, or was it something that crept up on you slowly?

Wow! My first comment deleted in a decade of being on Mumsnet through the hassles and hacks.... I don't think it breached talk guidelines... if it did, I don't see how? Perhaps MNHQ could advise?
The reason I asked the questions I did was my DDs friend suffered from anorexia and I honestly couldn't believe her parents didn't notice how little she was eating or how thin she had become until she collapsed at school. I couldn't ask them so I wondered about the OP's parents.
First time I have ever asked a question on an AMA. I'm feeling a bit miffed... As a mum of teens I am always alert to these things and felt mu questions were valid. Rhubarb rhubarb flounce

How did i get better?
A lot of support from family and ED services. I was watched constantly when I was eating and the toilets were locked/off limits after. That helped gain back the weight. But mentally, im not quite there yet. I am a lot better than i was.

What made me realise i needed to get better?
I wasnt allowed to do anything and i lost everything. i was never on my own, i couldnt go out, could barely move, was freezing all the time, my skin was yellow, i was constantly ill. I was proud of this but hated it at the same time. Eventually i knew i could either just be alive and breathing or be alive and living.

how did i realise i was ill?
I was very in denial as i mentioned and i saw the number on the scales drop dramatically over time but i never saw it as a problem - more as an achievement. as i said, at my lowest i couldnt do anything alone, i could barely move. that's when i knew there was a problem. i just never felt i was able to have a problem since i still viewed myself as fat. eventually it did hit me but it took a while of noticing small things.

HeBeMumsnet

of course i would never reply to any of these sort of questions either. they are unhelpful and when i was in a bad state i would search for anything i could find. my intention is to avoid any triggers and to be honest mainly inform that it is possible to recover.

Your title should be changed and as such I've reported it, not to have it pulled but to have it amended so it doesn't mention a specific bmi. OP, I'm sure you will know from your groups that you should never mention specific weights or BMIs as it's triggering to others, and by its very nature anorexia is a competitive illness.

I do, however, wish you all the best in your recovery. I'm over four years post recovery now. The anorexia did me a lot of long term damage, sadly, and you always have to stay vigilant not to regress. But life is so much better post recovery, so keep going!