i have an 18 yr niece who was diagnosed with anorexia 1 year ago she had dropped down to 70 lbs when she was 16. got better and now is back down again. i am scared for her life she cant even chew gum has to have someone to chew it and give it back to her.she can barely walk and freezes all the time.
2006-12-07 00:34:47 · 11 answers · asked by lacisnaynay 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
she needs to be hospitalized! you cannot force someone to eat but you can force them to get help! I've struggled with anorexia and eating disorders since I was 16. I'm 31 now and I know I will never be well it is something you have to learn to live with. You need to find out why she is doing it! She needs to be taken out of her current "environment" because that is the reason she is starving herself! Get her into a clinic and after wards she needs to deal with the problems, probably her parents and her relationship with them and all that she thought she could not live up to! Anorexia is a form of control! When a person looses control of all other things, and feels she is in a too controlled environment, food and the body is the only thing left in one's personal control! If I can help in any way please let me know!
2006-12-07 00:48:45 · answer #1 · answered by INC0GNIT0 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot (and should not) "force" her. Girls with anorexia already know exactly what they are doing to themselves, and what the consequences will be, physically, in the future.
This is a disease, not a lifestyle, and your niece is using this as a coping mechanism because of abuse in the past (or abuse currently happening, mentally or physically). Whether she is stressed out or teased outside of the home, for example.
Was she ever overweight? Are things possibly not-so-well in her home?
There are many, many possible reasons for why she is doing this. She does not need to hear "You're too skinny," "You look too skinny," "You need to eat," "You have to see a doctor," or anything like that. She KNOWS. She knows and everyone has already told her anyways. It only fuels the disgust she has for herself; the disgust that is making her starve.
You need to tell her you are concerned, but without being confrontative. People suffering from anorexia are not responsive to this and they are not assertive enough to express that what you are saying to them is hurtful. Tell her that you are concerned and love her so, so much. Do NOT tell her what to do. Tell her that you are there for her any time, day or night, whether she needs someone to talk to or needs a place to stay if she does not want to be home.
Essentially, do whatever you can to make her feel SAFE, not cornered. Let her talk to you when she's ready. Be there for her, let her know you will keep her secrets and not judge her for what she's doing. She is obviously under a lot of mental stress, and it's showing physically.
You say she "got better, and is now back down again." I assume she went into recovery, got out, and then relapsed. This will happen when an anorectic is forced into recovery when they don't want to get better. They will simply gain the weight back until someone lets them go and then they will drop right back down. Unless they want to get better, they will stay sick. Forced weight gain will only cause a more violent downward spiral when they basically "re-starve" themselves.
If you need any help, please eMail me at rheesey@yahoo.ca - I'm not an expert but I will do whatever I can to help you.
2006-12-08 21:17:52 · answer #2 · answered by Rhia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot force anyone to get help, although many times we wish we could. If she has gotten better before, she probably realizes that she has a problem. But now she is back to her old habits. Perhaps it's time you gather her family and closest friends together for an intervention (but not too many people, you don't want to overwhelm her). Talk to a professional psychiatrist about being a mediator and acting as a 3rd party. Everyone close to her needs to let her know that they are scared for her well being and think she is beautiful and love her just the way she is.
2006-12-07 00:47:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt very much that she will listen to you....she needs professional help, take her to a therapist and if she refuses, tell her that her other option would be to be hospitalized....hopefully this will work....I feel for you, I know what you are going through, my cousin has been hospitalized for this horrible ailment, she's doing better, has gained some weight but not that much....Unfortunately, they always see themselves as heavy and gaining some weight really upsets them. Good Luck and God Bless your niece, may she realize that she needs and gets help.
2006-12-07 01:03:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm no longer a psychologist or different specialist so the suggestion i'm giving the following is purely from my personal journey.examine out what I have suggested the following which include your human being police branch or help line in the previous you do something. Threats of suicide in those circumstances are commonly manipulative no longer for actual. you are able to likely: tell her that her life is her accountability, no longer yours. That if she is serous about committing suicide, she desires to get help, yet you are able to't help her. tell her for causes already stated, it really is sweet for both of you now to not keep up a correspondence. You both want to flow on and resources up contacting one yet another.Then carry up and do not reply to her in any respect. once you've a technical way of blocking off her, benefit this immediately..in case you are able to digital mail the police the position she lives, benefit this. in case you are able to, e-mail social facilities interior the U. S. county the position she lives, yet in case you are able to't it really is wonderful. This woman isn't committing suicide over you. you've under no circumstances met. If she does damage herself in any respect (and he or she ought to reduce herself superficially yet no longer dangerously), she does have complications which have no longer something to do with you.
2016-10-16 12:12:00 · answer #5 · answered by pataki 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have Doctors and special clinics for this, Do not take no for an answer... Put her in the hospital, if you don't help her now then you know what will eventually happen. She will kill herself. Try to get to the root of her problem, her issues for doing this to herself... I am sorry for your turmoil with this issue, its hard to see the ones we love hurting themselves, for such a small price.
2006-12-07 00:39:15 · answer #6 · answered by ♥ ღAngelicaღ♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Her gaurdian/parent/conserned party can go to a judge and get awarded power of attorney of her, which gives them the right to make their decisions for them(because they are incapable of making good decisions for themself) and you can force her into a hospital.. It is hard and you have to be very strong, but it is either that or you will have to watch her slowly die.. I had to do this with my dad for alchohol, to get help for him... It is worth the heartache if you can save a loved ones life...good luck, and i will pray for you and your family..
2006-12-07 01:01:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
u cnt exactly force sum 1 to do sumthin cause the more u push the more they will pull away u hav 2 try n gently guide them away from the existing problem otherwise ur makeing no progress foward that works wit many problems i know from exp.............
2006-12-07 00:38:51 · answer #8 · answered by high times 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to google and search for he teen hotline and get her to talk or u can talk for her. it works great!!!best wishes with ur niece!!!
2006-12-07 00:37:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can never force anybody to do anything!!!!you need to talk to her and tell her what consequences this will have on her and tell her that you are willing to help her if she needs you to !
2006-12-07 00:37:37 · answer #10 · answered by silverearth1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋