Expert: Joanne - 3/5/2008

Question
hey,
   Ive just been diagnosed with anorexia which has confused me, because although i am petrified of food i make myself eat 3 times a day so my metabolism isnt as slow as 1 meal a day, i take diet pills, laxatives occasionally and purge after eating sugar or many carbs. My normal calorie intake daily is between 200-500 a day. which is still hard to have...and i exercise 6-7 times a week. I am only just 16 and I am so stuck with what to do next...I am from the UK and have a therapist now but i dont think this is helping much, i would like to go into intreatment for a while but is this possible?
also I read someones thing on weight gain, they said they eat 400 calories and have gained weight, this has scared me so bad. ive lost 30 lbs in a few months and have suffered from problems around food since i was 7. I mean...i eat 3 times a day..surely i cant be anorexic?!

Answer
Lindsay

Your calorie intake is very low, and that is most likely why you have received the diagnosis.  Most anorexics don't avoid eating altogether, but eat very small amounts.

Unfortunately, in most areas of the UK, it is very hard to receive inpatient treatment.  There are very few facilities, so inpatient tends to be reserved for those that are extremely ill and are close to death.  It isn't right that you should have to wait that long, and many people think that they need to become even more engrossed in the eating disorder in order to receive any help, but please do not try this!

I think that you should return to your doctor and ask about inpatient and what is available in your area, although there may be nothing for hundreds of miles, and then what is available is only for the worst cases.  There are private treatment facilities in some areas, but again many of their beds are filled with the worst NHS cases!  I think that you need to talk to your doctor and possibly therapist to find out what else is available to you, and mention that you reckon you may find it easier to go inpatient.

I would like to warn you that inpatient can be a very horrible experience.  Unless you are lucky enough to end up in a specialist centre (there are a few aimed at young people, Rhodes Farm is a good example for 8-18 year olds, but you do need to get funding for this.  I'm not sure if you will qualify for help from your health board, otherwise it may fall on your family!), many people end up in general psychiatric wards, surrounded by patients with a variety of mental health problems, which isn't always constructive  to recovery.  Many inpatient treatments are simply focussed on getting you to a healthier weight before discharging you to an outpatient therapist, so you may already be getting the best treatment for you!  I would recommend trying to get an appointment with a dietician if you don't have one already as they can help you with the physical eating part of recovery.

Please talk to the people responsible just now for your care and discuss what you think best for your future treatment!

Joanne