Freddie Flintoff - living with bulimia

[buryboy]

This could be interesting tonight

9pm on BBC1

[Disney Jo]

I plan to watch or set to record this. I wasn't aware of his battle.

[buryboy]

I would be really interested , as the parent of a child who has a severe eating disorder , what people thought of this programme

[sparklegirl]

I caught the second half of it. I was really moved by how open Freddie was and how honest he was. I am not sure if enjoyed is the right term but I found it incredibly interesting and hope that he will get the help he clearly still needs. Food disorders are so complex and affect families deeply and profoundly. Anything that raises awareness is a good thing for sure.

[Anne K]

I think it was incredibly brave of him to make this programme.

I also think he's in some form of denial. He says that as he's not currently purging then he feels that he's in control of his bulimia, but doesn't see that the excessive exercise is still bulimia.

Was very interesting to hear him talk about his public persona ie Fred and being Andrew in his private life. He is one of the greatest cricketers England has ever seen, its heartbreaking to see him like this

I truly hope he gets the help he needs, soon

[DisneyDaffodil]

I found it really moving and an interesting insight into the illness. It was very brave of him to make it. I found it so sad to think that he’s ‘coped’ in his words with it all these years without having any professional help. It shows how many people suffer and don’t get the help they need, as he obviously does still need help as he is still suffering with the illness and the effects it’s having on him. I hope making this documentary helps him realise that he needs help.

I also found it sad that the trigger for his bulimia seems to have been the media bullying he experienced over his weight early in his career. Maybe it should be another reminder to be kind and to stop judging people for being overweight, underweight or anything else that doesn’t fit the perfect model.

[meboo]

[QUOTE=Anne K;14662891

I also think he's in some form of denial. He says that as he's not currently purging then he feels that he's in control of his bulimia, but doesn't see that the excessive exercise is still bulimia.
[/QUOTE]

It’s interesting you picked up on that. I feel the same about Davina McCall - she had well documented substance addiction issues that she has done tremendously well to overcome, but has that compulsion not changed to exercise? People in the spotlight need more support and perhaps straight talking, but this doesn’t happen as long as people are making money out of them. It’s an age old story, sadly

[Island mamma]

Very brave and helpful for people in the public eye to be open about their mental health issues. Both to destigmatize conditions but also to let other sufferers know that they can achieve successful lives. I remember the Nigel Owens interview when he talked about his depression and suicide attempt and his sexuality. I think he did a huge service to a lot of young people by doing that

[sunseeker]

Originally Posted by meboo

It’s interesting you picked up on that. I feel the same about Davina McCall - she had well documented substance addiction issues that she has done tremendously well to overcome, but has that compulsion not changed to exercise? People in the spotlight need more support and perhaps straight talking, but this doesn’t happen as long as people are making money out of them. It’s an age old story, sadly

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Yeah I agree with this, I felt this is what happened to Amy Winehouse. I would never have guessed Freddie has so many demons on his back, and I also think there's a bit of denial there. I hope he can get the proper support he needs.

Dave

[shepherdypie]

Just watched this - I thought he was very brave to be so open and hopefully he can get the helps he needs 👍