Last year my 13-year-old sister was diagnosed with anorexia athletica. She was admitted to hospital for 3 weeks with a low heart rate. Obsessive exercise and limited eating left her with an unhealthy BMI. When she was released from hospital we went to family based therapy (FBT) for four months.
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It’s one week since Lou was released from hospital and my mum, dad, brother and I are in our first family therapy session. Nobody is talking. I know what we are all thinking: Why do we have to do this, it’s not our illness.
Why did she do this to herself and why can’t she just snap out of it? The hospital told us it is the illness talking when she acts like this, but how can it not be her when the screaming and swearing comes from her mouth? Where did she go, I want her back.
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Mum and dad take leave from work and become full time careers of Lou. At school they sit in the car and watch her eat recess and lunch to ensure it is not thrown in the bin. Each morning is a struggle to get her off to school.
She has a habit of throwing heavy objects at us. We have removed the door, curtains and any glass from her bedroom. She threatened to jump out of a broken window yesterday. Mum and Dad have warned the neighbours not to call the police when they hear screaming. When she ran away last time the police accused Mum of child abuse. Mum can’t deal with that again.