Freddie flintoff living with bulimia

[Haggisfish]

What an incredibly brave man. An exceptionally insightful programme. I hope it helps others.

Thank you for your kind words, I truly was not expecting them from you lovely nest of vipers. Quite often us men are ridiculed for admitting to having any form of mental ill health, which is why I hesitated to post, forgetting that women are usually more sympathetic and empathetic than my sex.

I have spoken to my GP who has referred me to mental health services. Unfortunately the waiting list for adults is immense. DD2 is recovering from Anorexia with the help of her local CAMHS team, and I of course blamed myself for her condition. Part of my problem is psychogical: I have an oesophageal pouch and have been admitted to hospital and put on fluids twice for having a food bolus trapped there. Also, I have a narrow gullet and must chew every mouthful of food until it is essentially dust. Therefore I only eat alone as finishing a course takes me such a long time.

That sounds very tricky @DoctorTwo. All the best with it.

I work in paediatrics and unfortunately a growing proportion of admissions for younger and younger children are due to mental health issues with disordered eating a major aspect

I'm a bit late to the party, and just seen this on catch up.
Whilst in one way I feel he is brave to bring up a difficult subject and talk so openly about it, another part of me did feel he was in denial about being in control. Especially by the end when he had obviously lost so much weight.
Ive suffered from an ED in the past and used to feel jealous of people that very obviously to me had eating disorders but somehow managed to keep them at a functioning level. That they somehow got the control part of it, but not having to deal with the difficulty of treatment and facing the underlying issues.
It sounds silly but I feel he almost owes it to the guys who he sat in their treatment sessions, who gave quite personal information and insights on their own lives, to actually address his own issues.

I hope that by being very publicly honest about it, that those around him would try to persuade him to get help even if he is still in a denial phase.

I've only just caught up on this and found it really upsetting. He needs help, clearly. Hope he watches it back and sees his situation with fresh eyes, it was so obvious he has a distorted image of himself. I've had a crush on Freddie for 20+ years, he was amazing at his game.

@userxx I agree, I re-watched it with my partner last night and second viewing I actually found it even more disturbing. He is not a well man. It was more apparent on second watch too just how fragile his mental health was as well as how fragile he was physically even though he looks so strong and tall ect. That last scene with the exercise bike will haunt me, he looked so vunerable and his eyes seemed to be simultaneously dead but also screaming for help. I mean surly he is heading for a early heart attack as well? He's training for nothing essentially, he's in some kind of perpetual race with himself, he needs serious help, more so then anyone else on the program in my opinion.

I have developed a fear of solid food due to various factors. I am now reduced to soup and protein shakes. Tomorrow morning I ill seek an appointment with my GP and try to get an appointment with a consultant. There is an operation they can carry out to remove my oesophageal pouch, it's very invasive and involves about a month in hospital, but if it helps me I'll be happy. Right now I am not. I wish fervently I wasn't like this, but my mind is controlling my body. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

Very late to this now, as only just watched it on catch up. I thought everyone who took part was so brave, especially the young men and the family who had lost their son / brother. That was so incredibly sad. I worry for Freddie but am I naive in thinking that making this programme must be the start of recovery? Having said that at the end he was not well.

Sending hugs to those pps who are struggling with their own challenges.

I hope it all works out for you @DoctorTwo.

I do think this programme is the start of recovery for Freddie - admitting it to the world must have been a huge step. At the very least he recognises it as being a definite problem and not as straightforward as just throwing up. It might be a long journey with twist, turns and backtracks but at least that first step is taken.

An update: the property I was guardian of has been sold and my only option was to move 120 miles away. It hurts like fuck to swallow and I've not eaten since Sunday. Most of what I do manage to get down comes back up. It's most distressing.

My fear is that this could be the same thing that killed my dad, he was left in a hospital bed to starve to death because a benign tumour blocked his gullet and by the time they diagnosed it he was too weak to survive an operation to remove it.

Once I've had a shave I'll be going to my local walk in centre, wwhere hopefully I can explain to them the background and get treatment including fluids. If that's the case it means an overnight stay with no laptop which means no MN.

Yes, I am scared, I am weak physically, I'm not 100% sure about my mental state. Please wish me luck. I will update when I can.

Very moving and brave. So enraging that his condition was triggered by the media bullying him about his weight. If I remember correctly this was the same trigger for Karen Carpenter when she developed anorexia, and I believe that was the reason she died. The media can be so cruel and irresponsible.

@DoctorTwo please start your own thread for support. You're getting lost here and you sound in so much pain x

Best of luck @DoctorTwo. I hope you get the help and support you need and deserve x

The walk in centre sent me to A&E so off I toddled. I was seen and, after a short history (of me) lesson was admitted to a ward. I won't bore you with the bits between then and today, my day of release back into the wild, but the takeaway is: a cyst at the top of my oesophagus made swallowing difficult. An ulcer in my food tract upset my stomach, and an infection made me feel shit. I'm on an agressive course of anti-bs which should help, and Phosphate Sandoz, which, if you ever have to take I recommend you neck a few Loperamide beforehand as it runs through you quicker than the speed of (liquid) shite.

I feel better and for the first time in ages am eating properly. Thank you for reading my self indulgent piles of old toss

That's a positive outcome! I hope you continue to make progress.

Much love and support to you, @DoctorTwo

I've suffered from eating disorders for the last 30 years. It's so true there's no help. Not sure I can face watching this but glad it's been made. I went to the Dr's aged 17 because my periods had stopped and she told me it was because I was too thin and I needed to 'stop reading fashion magasines' (I didn't).

Only just watched this programme, very moving. Echoing what previous posters said, thought everyone who took part was very brave.

He's been through the wringer. Sport is extremely stressful and the pressure to be slim and fit is immense.

He's also had alcohol addiction problems as well, hasn't he?