Anorexia/Bulimia/Anxiety

Posted , 6 users are following.

My lovely 38year old intelligent daughter has had an eating disorder since the age of 15.  She has recently come off the Pill and this has caused weight gain which is really causing her distress (in my eyes, a bit of extra weight wouldn't be a bad thing) and so she has resorted to slimming pills.  She describes herself as "a fat whale" and has become depressed.  She has a lot of other issues, too.

I can't seem to get any help and there are no support groups in the area where I live.  Is there anyone who can give me some support - maybe other parents out or anyone who can emphathise with my daughter?  She hasn't sought any help though saw a doctor this week who is going to test her hormone levels. 

My daughter lives in The Midlands while I'm in Essex though I'm thinking of moving to be closer to her.  I'd be grateful to hear from anyone.

 

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi,

    You've posted in the mental health - alcohol forum, I think by mistake. Whilst we are all friendly here and certainly there are probably some mental health issues, brought on by alcohol, I don't think here is where you'll get the best advice.

    I recommend:

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/mental-health-1515

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/anxiety-disorders-70

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/depression-683

    I would read a few posts first in each forum, to see which ones are likely to give you the correct response.

    • Posted

      PS You're welcome to stay and have a chat, we're probably all part time psychologists (without any professional qualifications).
    • Posted

      Hi,I realised as soon as I sent it it was in the wrong category - my computer is very slow and I was unable to change it.
  • Posted

    Hello Maz Jane,

    As you now have some links from RHGB, I wish you well in finding a solution to the problem.

    I don't have any experience with eating disorders such as those you mentioned.  

    You are a kind, caring Mother.  You will help your daughter find her way to good health.  She is blessed to have you.

    Good Luck,

    Alonangel 🎇

  • Posted

    Hey Maz....hopefully this is just a phase due to her age...and peer pressure, dating etc..

    Is your daughter in therapy?

    ​All I thought of was my mother when I stopped taking the pill because of weight gain...she said...your going to "gain" a whole lot more if you don't take that pill...like a baby and a ton of responsibility and wait until your 9 months pregnant....you will gain about 40 lbs!

    ​I hope you are able to find some help for her..

  • Posted

    Maz Jane -

    You might find some useful info if you research Naltrexone and Bulimia. I've seen research articles and anecdotal reports that it has a fair impact. One post in a forum reported that it worked well for a couple of years, but in that case, it was taken every day. 

    Naltrexone works great for Alcohol Use Disorder, but it's been found that all about how you take the pill. Taken every day while abstinent, it largely fails in the long run. If taken only when the craving for alcohol is present (an hour before drinking) and NOT on non-drinking days, it has an 80% success rate. See this link about The Sinclair Method:

    https://patient.info/health/sinclair-method-for-alcohol-use-disorder

    One of the benefits of taking it this way is the enhancement of healthy endorphin-releasing activities on non-drinking days. The brain begins to learn the "remember" that the new activity leads to pleasure, while using Naltrexone on drinking days weakens the old unhealthy activity. Inroads have been made into other addictive behaviors using the same drug (gambling, sex addiction, amphetamine addiction etc), as there seems to be a common neurological pathway involved.

    There's a book on the subject of using Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder called The Cure for Alcoholsm. If you like, I can get you a free PDF copy of it. In the book there's a section on using Naltrexone for other addictions, with references to research papers on the subject. 

    A quick google search on Naltrexone and Bulimia yields some possibly useful information, one page on Dr. Alexander DeLuca' s site lists a number of studies about this. If you do a google search on:

    deluca naltrexone eating disorder

    it will be towards the top of the search results, if not at the top. 

    Well, there you have my musings on the subject. I hope it helps you dig up some useful information that you can present to your daughter. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in helping her find relief for this illness!

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