Eating disorder - DD admitted to The Priory - latest post 22nd sept 22

[daytonababe]

Glad to hear of the weight gain but sorry things aren't great for you otherwise .

It's a horrible long hard road she's on.

I too agree about the 18 thing .. My DDs friend who was in a unit as a 15 yr old and continued to get support is now being moved over to adult services and it's really unsettled her .

[buryboy]

Thanks for your thoughts.
Julia - yes she gets regular therapy ( as we do ) but my DD struggles to participate and is not getting the real benefit. With regard to meds , the consultant has recommended some which would help with anxiety and sleep, but DD has refused to have them prescribed for fear of side effects. We keep trying to make her change her mind to no avail.

We are certainly not strong every day . I was in tears at the end of our visit today. DD initially refused to get out of the car to go back on the unit . There has been an incident recently with a staff member who is back on duty tonight , and my DD was in floods dreading how tonight would go. It was heartbreaking.
Edited to add - the nurse on duty has swapped the staff member off onto another ward so for tonight at least all is quiet

[mexico07]

Oh, bless you , my heart goes out to you and your family and i will pray for your dd that she pulls through this , please take care of yourselves xxx

[Loopylooloo]

Reading this made me cry, I really hope that your daughter gets well, and please know we are all thinking of you.

[nickyjw]

So sorry to read what you are going through as a family, hope you find the strength to cope with it all. As a mum with three girls I can only imagine the heartbreak you must be going through. My thoughts are with you all.

[grottyrotty]

Such a difficult thing for you all to cope with. I hope things begin to improve for your DD soon.

Deb

[Helenr]

I'm so sorry to read this, I remember your previous posts.

My friend suffered from Anorexia (as an adult, she was early 20's), it was a tough time for her family too. She was admitted to Rhodes Farm as a private patient, it' was a long process but she did get there.

Fast forward 20 years she now a perfectly normal weight, living in Souta Africa, married to a gorgeous guy who adores her (her anorexia started with a bad relationship) and has a beautiful daughter.

As you know it's a mental illness that skews the mindset and that takes a long time to reset.

Stay positive and stay strong.

[Darwen Bird]

I mentioned that my DDs friend was admitted to the Priory with an eating disorder - just before she was finally discharged she set up a Facebook page called It doesn't have to end with ED- eating disorders. This is a status she posted in May this year.

"Well, today marks a significant milestone for me. Today it has been 2 years since I was admitted into hospital, 2 years since my fiance Rob got a phone call that turned his world upside down, a phone call no loved one wants to receive. He was told I was dying, that I had been sectioned under section 3 of the mental health act. It was the beginning of 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 and a half days of the both the worse and the best period of my life. Worse because when you're faced with the one thing you fear the most, life can feel like hell. Best because I met some truly inspirational and beautiful people and those days in The Priory in Cheadle turned my life around and ultimately saved it. What have I learned? I have learned that bread isn't the enemy, I have learned that although life is hard sometimes there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. I have learned that I am worthy and worth something and the world is not against me. Life is for living. Living a healthy size 8, eating three times a day, and generally enjoying life. Someone once said there's nothing tastes better than skinny does. They were wrong. So so wrong. Because nothing, and I mean nothing tastes better than pizza on a saturday, cheese cake after a days work and picnics on a summers afternoon. Nothing tastes better than living. And nothing feels better than seeing my fellow Butterflies recover and fly over rainbows made of sunshine and lollipops.
I hope you're all well, and if you are struggling today, remember that recovery is possible, that you are lovely and worthy and beautiful.
For now, Laura, admin 😁💞🌼"

Hopefully this may help reassure you that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that the adult unit provides the care your daughter needs. It sounds like your daughter is likely to need more time than my DDs friend (my DD said that her friend was at your daughters stage at about 7 weeks rather than 14).

Are you speaking to your daughters primary carer about her anxieties without your daughter being present? They should be being made aware how anxious she is, including the anxiety about things like eating a cereal bar, so they have a clear picture about her behaviours away from the 'professional' support. It IS tough for everyone, especially those people who love and care for someone going through what your daughter is going through.

[Momofboys]

pleased to hear of progress in one way, so sorry to hear of her continuing struggles, can only begin to imagine how that feels as a parent.

Hope that an overall improvement comes soon for you xx

[buryboy]

Thanks for all your further messages of support. It's really appreciated on what's been a tough weekend. It's always good to hear success stories. At the moment it feels like we entered the tunnel , got far enough down to see the light at the end , then someone has blocked up both ends.

I think the hardest thing is that what my DD could do quite easily a few weeks ago is now an almost impossible task. And that she can't explain to anyone what is causing it and what anyone can do to help.

Darwin - good to hear of a positive story from cheadle adult unit. The staff at Altrincham have been fab. The consultant is trying to speak to the commissioners to get them to allow my DD to stay there beyond her 18th. She is so young for age and has taken so long to be comfortable with some staff .

We are open and honest with the staff about our experiences when off ward. It is the only way as DD wouldn't say anything and they need to know so they can help.