Anorexia

[Patear]

My daughter is 14 and has been receiving support from CAMHS for anorexia for the past six months. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much improvement, and she is still unable to attend school. I’m worried that her current treatment isn’t enough for her needs.
I would like to understand whether we should continue with CAMHS and ask for a more intensive treatment plan, or whether it would be beneficial to seek private specialist eating-disorder treatment alongside CAMHS.
Could you please advise me on what would be the best next step for her and what other treatment options may be available?

I’m so sorry this is happening to your family. We have been there and it’s terrifying. (I’m surprised that she has been labeled with anorexia. That’s a very dated view as there is very often more to it and usually the term eating disorder, ED, is used but that’s not relevant right now.)
Contact BEAT if you haven’t already. Early intervention is crucial with a young person. My YP was just over 18 so was able to access more specialist help but she also saw an early intervention specialist via the NHS as well as a nutritionist . You really do have to push but I’m sure you already know and have done this. Well done on getting your CAHMS referral. Can you go back to her GP? Sending much strength your way.

Hi @Patear this is so difficult for you all.
Are CAMHS saying she can’t attend school? Is it because her weight to height percentage is too low? 6 months is a long time for them to keep her off school if it is due to low weight.

What help are you having from the ED team? Knowing what help you are getting can help us think of what other hellmyou could seek.

we are with CAMHS eating disorder team, they give us family therapy, dietician, 1:1 support with my daughter
yes bcoz of her weight she can’t attend school
she is on Olanzapin 2.5mg but still I can’t seen any improvement

Hi Patear. My DD is 16 and has been under the care of CAMHs for anorexia for the last 6 months. Progress has been very slow for us but she has been back at school since September.

I second contacting Beat. I've done a course through them and just started coaching and found both really helpful.

What do you think is keeping your DD stuck? What do think is missing from the current care she's receiving?

For example my DD she is extremely resistant to restoring weight so won't eat enough to consistently gain weight. Regular weekly weighing was contributing to this so our team now weighs her monthly and this seems to have helped. We had to push hard for this though.

Is she losing weight or just not gaining what she should? Are her physical obs ok? Have they given you a plan or idea of what will happen if she doesn’t gain weight. This is a long time for them to keep her off school.

Are goals something she is interested in? Is she bothered she can’t attend school?

She gain weight nicely and she was ready to school 3 half days but suddenly she has high temp 41.5 then she loose weight again
now CAMHS saying they try everything
si they referral to hospital but ask for more community support rather than hospital
now waiting for CAMHS respond.

Is she eating the 3 meals 3 snacks they ask her to?

Eating 3 meal but snacks hit & miss she not eating all snacks
find very difficult 😞

@Patear its so hard. I would be sure to ask for a clear plan at your next appointment with the ED team. They won’t let her stay at such a low weight. Lots of us have found that a hospital stay is beneficial for both our children and us as it takes all of the pressure off us.

Ya but don’t know she getting better there or not she won’t have her choice of food
Do I have to tell all my relatives what we going though?

I know it's easy to say, I've got very upset at the prospect of hospital myself, but try and take it one day at a time. It sounds like they are keen to avoid hospital so hopefully it won't come to that. Maybe ask some questions about how hospital works just for reassurance though?

As for telling relatives, there's no right or wrong answer. I'd be guided by your DD and whether they will be able to support you. I told mine, my DD didn't mind them knowing and my sister was anorexic so I knew they'd be supportive.

she started Olanzapin 2.5mg dose it’s been 2 weeks but not working, she got more angry mood than before
no change on appetite it’s still same
what can I do to avoid hospital admission
plz help me here

We are all desperate to voice hospital, but if your daughter isn’t eating enough to put on weight, and she’s such low weight she can’t go to school, I do think you need to think what is best for her, not what to avoid. I know this is hard to hear.

Yes you right we can’t avoid hospital but trying my best to go to private treatment
she has to come out from trauma first
even at CAMHS when they go weight her she get very upset and angry.
I don’t know what to do

Private is very difficult, and if the ED team want think she needs to be in hospital, you will have a big fight on your hands to get them to agree to private treatment. As much as I found CAMHS very difficult, if your daughter has been this poorly for 6 months, having different treatment may help. She may need to be refed in hospital so that she can start to get better.

@Patearsending you lots of love, I have also been where you are now. This time last year my 14 year old daughter was in hospital (general children’s ward). She spent three weeks in, gained a bit, lost it all in the two weeks after she got discharged, was back in hospital for two weeks and then she was admitted to a CAMHS ED residential unit for six months. It was brutal on all of us, but she categorically would not be alive now without that admission. She was on olanzapine but apparently it didn’t help at all. She was constantly angry and upset. She was discharged from the CAMHS unit at the end of April and is now a healthy weight, back at school and doing ok.
I completely understand the desperate desire to avoid hospital, but it genuinely was what helped us back onto the right path.

How about if I start private therapy alongside CAMHS to come out of trauma ?

Her BMI is 15 she is eating but not following meal plan properly
and CAMHS look like give up and they referral to hospital. And hospital is very far from us so I can’t go to visit her every day.

@Patear as hard as it is there are several of us like @SendTheNextOneIn who know how vital hospital was. Are they looking at an ED unit?
BMI of 15 is very underweight so they will be within their rights to send her even if ypu would prefer an alternate. I know you’ve come on here for help, and it feels like we’re not helping, but we really do know how life saving hospital treatment can be.

The most important thing that will help her out of her trauma at this point is to gain weight. Her brain is severely malnourished, and is frustratingly the last part of her body to recover. If you feel private treatment will help, then I say it’s worth a try. You really need to be able to throw everything you can at her to get through this phase. But please don’t be scared of saying you need more help and either a hospital admission or even a residential unit is required. It does not mean you have failed.