My daughter was diagnosed firstly with disordered eating and then anorexia in June 2024. It was a very swift decline – almost like she woke up on a Monday and decided, this is the day I’m going to become anorexic. She started walking for miles and drastically reducing what she ate.

Cue an appointment with CAMHS who sent her straight to A&E and we have been in and out of hospital and CAMHS ever since. She escaped from the hospital, refusing to eat in there. At one stage we had to bring in all her food. And she stopped drinking water. When she was discharged intermittently, things at home were difficult. She would hide food, refuse to go to her appointments with CAMHS. She was especially difficult with me (her mum) but better with her dad.

On her last admission to hospital at the end of the summer last year, they had to NG feed her which was very distressing for her and the staff as she refused the relaxant and fought against it. She was transferred to inpatient CAMHS early September for 3 months and regained some weight in that time. However, she refused to engage with any therapy. On discharge, we had a couple of very difficult weeks at home over Christmas where she immediately started restricting again and lost some weight again. She is currently back in hospital, awaiting readmission to inpatient CAMHS.