Teen Eating Disorders - Thread 5

[myrtleWilson]

Welcome everyone,
Our last thread can be found here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eating_disorders/4279530-Teen-Eating-Disorders-Thread-4?watched=1&msgid=111172926#111172926

That we're on thread 5 in about a year is a reflection of the incredible increase in mental health issues, including eating disorders amongst young people over the last couple of years.

With that in mind, we thought we'd try to include some resources that have helped us along the way to date. No one resource will be a panacea but hopefully this list will be a useful starting off point for any newcomers and a reflection for others. It is our first go at sharing a list of resources on a thread so it won't be perfect!

www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

anorexiafamily.com/?v=79cba1185463

www.youtube.com/evamusby

www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7G1P5WQopVMc9qTSP_lgA

www.orri-uk.com

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/

www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Junior-MARSIPAN-Risk-Assessment-Framework.pdf

People to look up on social media
Hope Virgo
Ro-Recovering
James Downs
Cara Lisette
Adam Fare
BarefootRebel
Ilona Burton

Girlie hope Covid is not too bad for your DD

Betty - great news on a gain!

dark how are you doing?

Oh @whethertheweather that's worrying for you. Dd plans on going to uni next year and I'm terrified at the thought TBH.
40kg is a phenomenal loss and it's frightening that the gp didn't support you. DD got admitted to hospital in may and she really resisted going in, but once there she was totally compliant and it was the start of her recovery.
Are her halls catered?
Myrtle please could you share those details with me. Could be good for dd to watch.

Whether you could definitely offer to go with her to uni support services or the uni Dr. I'm not sure you'll have much joy talking to them without her consent tbh 😕

If she's lost a further 10kg she will need all of those medical tests done again. It is absolutely imperative she doesn't lose any further weight.

If you're on fb the EDSUK fb page might be able to offer you some more support (disclaimer the group can be a mixed bag but I have found it useful.)

Hi NTCDN. The halls are catered for evening meals, but in the main she hates the food. When we signed up for it in the Spring she wasn’t this unwell and we thought having one cooked meal a day was a good idea and all the reviews said it was a really sociable halls that we thought would be good for her. She says it’s all too fancy and not very good but while her friends just pick at it and it makes no difference to them she feels the need to eat it for the calories but then feels like she’s force feeding herself and it makes her miserable.

She’s managing at the moment by buying warm up food (she has access to a microwave and a hob) that she takes down to the dining room and gets a plate of additional veggies from the counter. Pre packed salads from Prets for lunch as she can’t face bread or sandwiches and a porridge pot for breakfast. Sounds good but I know the warm ups are only around 400 calories and she doesn’t use the salad dressing at lunch so not much there. I told her she had to add another 500 calories per day so she’s added in a Pret sunshine pot and a lolly of an evening but that still only adds up to about 1800 per day. What would you recommend she can add in for additional snacks?

@whethertheweather welcome I think the first thing is to be very clear in your own mind that almost everything you've written about your DD's reaction to foods is 'textbook' eating disorder. 2000 calories doesn't take a lot of effort to eat, if you don't have an ED. I'm only saying that because it's important that we don't enable the ED by buying into the idea that our children are really trying to get better but there is 'something' stopping them.

In terms of weight for height, she's around 82%. That, with the rapid weight loss, is quite concerning.

She needs calorie dense foods, preferably with animal fats. Eggs, cheese, milk, cream, butter are all brilliant, but can be hard to accept. Nuts are great too.

DD2 is definitely struggling. We have the Psychiatrist on Tuesday, so I will hold out until then, but something has to change.

Whether the sort of snacks she needs are a large slice of cake, chocolate bars, big bowl of cereal, crisps and dips. Her current diet sounds really worrying, I think you need to bring her home and start refeeding urgently. If you insisted she came home what would her reaction be?

Even if she says no way deep down she is probably desperate for you to rescue her.

Lougle I'm sorry to hear dd is struggling, do you think it's stopping the olanzapine?

Lougle can I ask how you work out the 82% wfh. Is there an app you use?

@whethertheweather @NCTDN have sent you both links - if youtube lands you on the latest videos I'd recommend starting from the earliest - apologies if I've not done that for you!

@Lougle so sorry to hear that - hope you're able to figure out a key to unlock x

@whethertheweather <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=m.apkpure.com/instant-weight-for-height/weightforheight.geneticdigital.co.uk.instantweightforheight&ved=2ahUKEwjMvvf_lc7zAhUMgP0HHcrBC7gQFnoECCIQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw3CHQiZtWvqfCaLsvXLqi6K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=m.apkpure.com/instant-weight-for-height/weightforheight.geneticdigital.co.uk.instantweightforheight&ved=2ahUKEwjMvvf_lc7zAhUMgP0HHcrBC7gQFnoECCIQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw3CHQiZtWvqfCaLsvXLqi6K

Lougle have pmed you 😊

Off to a great start here have already lost my shit with dd smearing her porridge all around the bowl. It's so infuriating!! I need to get much stricter as she is taking the piss and just smirks when I pull her up in it 🤬

Hi @whethertheweather - have you looked at Orri? They are based in London and also offer an online program. They have a vimeo account with some useful videos for you and her vimeo.com/orriuk and I would recommend looking at their instagram too.

I should also mention - Orri are for over 16s only so their support is designed around adults, people at university, with jobs or a family etc.

Arrgh DD2 was sent home from school ill yesterday, worse today and has tested +ve on a LFT. We've all had PCRs but DD1 has started with sore throat and a cough again. She's only just recovered from the last one. I don't know if CAMHS will see her if DD2 has Covid, but I really need them to because she's lost significant weight (2.7kg) since the last appointment.

We've had a tough day. DD seems to think she is fully recovered - even though only 90% it's not far off her usual size (I've no idea what she weighed pre ED). Trying to tackle the fear foods is still a no no yet she's determined that this time next year she'll be living away at uni

Oh no Lougle bloody covid is still causing so much stress.

Nc might be starting to hit extinction burst? We seem to start hitting that around 97% wfh and I'd say still not through the other side yet!

Wish me luck as I've taken dds phone and told her she'll get it back when breakfast is eaten...

What's that @Girliefriendlikespuppies ?

Nc when the weight starts to get to a more normal point the ED starts kicking off and pushing back more. It's sort of the last battle to win the war. You have to push on with more weight gain to get passed it.

It's a really tricky time as it can also be around the time you start relaxing the reigns a bit which is where I think I went wrong!!

Dd are slightly more breakfast but not enough, I had to back down and give her the phone back as she's meeting friends in town today so needed to check plans. I've said as soon as she's home I'm having it back though.

Mmm yes could be that then. We're going on holiday in a week. I'm so desperate for it but part of me is dreading it because of the food situation.

Hi all I made this cake for pudding last night. Utterly delicious and lots of animal fats. I also added ground almonds to the crumble. No idea on calories but served with Greek yoghurt it's got to pack a punch. I'd add a teaspoon on mixed spice next time too.

That looks yummy dark! How's dd doing? Is she still following the plan?

Nc I know what you mean, one of the many things I resent about the ED is how it follows us everywhere when it's definitely not invited!! We're looking to go abroad next year after dds exams and it better have f*cked off by then.

@DarkBlueEyes that looks lovely but I couldn’t imagine my daughter ever eating that. Not yet anyway.

She’s had a really good weekend though. She went to the cinema and for a sleepover with her friends. She came home for meals and she says she had Doritos at the sleepover.

I made a shepherds pie with veggie mince and lentils, sweet potato and potato mash. Used loads of avocado oil and butter. She had a big portion and ate really quickly to get back to her friends and she was home for breakfast.
Now she’s just gone out for lunch with her sister.. all in all I’m feeling hopeful. I know she’ll eat as her sis will report back.

Yesterday she had colour in her cheeks and seemed happy. It was lovely. Let’s just hope the scales show some positive news tomorrow. She’s having purging bloods taken too, I’m not too worried about this but I am worried about secret exercise. Keeping vigilant though.

@Lougle sorry to hear you’ve got covid in the house, hope it doesn’t cause too much disruption for your dd.

Thanks. I had a negative LFT this morning but feel awful, so I've done it again and it's faintly positive. DD1 feels bad too, so I've redone hers.

Oh @Lougle that's the last thing you need right now. I live in a permanent state of dread that it will get us. We've had so many close calls. DD has weigh in on Tuesday which will show a week of being home and how that's impacting. We went out to see James Bond on Friday and she had her snack in the cinema (hot chocolate in a thermos) and somewhat reluctantly finished it when we got home. It's ok but she is still
Hiding and smearing when she gets the chance but we are far more on it now so reduced that little habit and less on the floor. More importantly, much less distress now we have the meds. We have a camhs medical review on Thursday which I'm
Not looking forward to. I have to keep reminding everyone not to say she's doing well as she just can't cope with it. Yet they keep doing it and it really upsets her and makes her not want to eat.

Betty that sounds like a weekend well managed to allow good socialising and food intake - fabulous!

dark that cake looks delicious. Even pre anorexia we have never been a cake eating household even cakes made in celebration of birthday's never get fully eaten. You sound a million miles away from a few weeks ago (not at all suggesting its "ALL FINE!" but the tone of your posts sound so much more in control...

lougle - gah I hope that covid passes quickly and with as little yuckiness as possible. Will CAMHS do an online call if you can't attend - I agree that she does need to be seen. I was lucky that our GP allowed DD to be counted as group 6 for vaccinations as I was worried about impact on her - sending covid recovery vibes..

NC - fear foods are a bugger.. once DD had tried a few of hers for a first time we introduced the challenge jar to encourage frequent revisits to the fear food. That said, we're back struggling with pasta at the moment.

girlie does DD have her phone back yet?

And in chapter 5683 of things I didn't expect to be doing before ED became an unwelcome house guest.... thanks to another thread on here am getting DD a crystal advent calendar (she's getting into them!). Have just messaged the etsy seller to check there are no crystals associated with weight loss. I don't even believe in the whole crystal thing but am now pre-emptively vetting for a belief I don't share - FML what has happened to me