Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm new here and to knowingly mothering a daughter with ASD. My 16 year old daughter has just been discharged from a CAHMS tier 4 inpatient unit after a 14 month battle. She was admitted due to her being diagnosed with severe anorexia but as her brain became more nourished it was clear to her psychologist that there was something going on in addition to anorexia and was subsequently assessed and diagnosed with high functioning ASD. My daughter has struggled to shake off the anorexic thoughts and hasn't really engaged with any of the therapy provided.
Although she has taken the diagnosis well I don't think she really believes it to be correct. She has just started college but is struggling due to the social anxiety/expectations and is already getting stressed regarding homework and timescales (which we believe led to her anorexia has she approached her GCSE''s). This is making my daughter's anorexia worse and she is very close to being readmitted to CAHMS tier 4.
I'm desperate to help my daughter beat anorexia but don't think she will until she gets help/support for her low self esteem and mental health issues arising as a result of her late diagnosis of ASD. The current family based therapy for anorexia does not work with my daughter. Does anyone have any experience of ASD and anorexia and any treatment or suggestions that might help shake the rigid thinking. I can't see anything positive on the horizon for her at the moment and don't really know where to turn to as all this is so new to me. Thanks.
Hi NAS24893 and welcome to the community.
There may be some community members who can offer you some personal experiences that may help you but the team who are best equipped to answer your question would be our Autism Helpline, they should be able to provide you with information and advice. You can call them on 0808 800 4104 (Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm, Friday 9am to 3pm), although please note that the Helpline is experiencing increasingly high demand, and you may not reach them straight away.
Please see the following link for further information:
http://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/main.aspx
In the meantime, whilst you're trying to get through to the helpline, you might want to look around the NAS website for bits of advice perhaps around anxiety and education?
http://www.autism.org.uk/about/health/mental-health.aspx
http://www.autism.org.uk/about/in-education.aspx
I hope you find some advice that is helpful to you and your family.
Warm regards,
Heather - Mod