Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
My son is 19 years old. He is approx 5 foot 10 and now weighs 8 stone.
He suffers from depression but mainly anxiety. He is awaiting an Autism assessment. He gets very agitated, angry verbally and physically.
His appetite has gradually gotten worse and worse. He does get where he feels hungry but just can't stomach anything. Food makes him feel nauseous , he has no appetite and doesn't 'want' to eat.
He hates his weight loss but just can't eat. He will nibble on things as and when and will occasionally eat 1 small meal a day. He can also go 24 hours without food.
The doctor keeps repeatedly saying that Tom needs to try Talking Therapy but the doctors don't seem to understand that Tom cannot bring himself to talk to someone about his problems. He finds it highly distressing and anxiety levels go through the roof at the thought of it. It makes him physically sick.
He is having Scandishakes as and when he can to try to get some calories in. Is there anything anyone else has tried ?
Tom is asking me to help him but i just don't know what else i can do. I have tried the doctors, i make high calorie snacks, make small portions of food for him, have made a 'snack box' up for him. . . . . . .
Are there any appetite enhancers that he could try ??
. . . . . . not sure how much longer his body can keep going like this ! or his mental health. He already says he doesn't want to live. . .
Any support would be sooooo much appreciated.
Thank you
forgive me but were you one of those parents who tried very hard to keep your children away from unhealthy foods when they were young? If so this could be part of the problem.
In my limited experience:
A) No matter how hard you try its very unlikely an autistic child will 'come round' to liking any food he doesn't immediately like the first time he tries it.
B) if a parent emphasises a really strong regime of avoiding certain foods the child may internalise it as a very rigid autistic self obligating rule.
It maybe that he feels unable to wolf down food that he might find tasty because a part of his brain is screaming at him that it's 'bad food' and at the same time sensory processing issues mean he'll probably never be able manage foods he finds unpleasant.
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in the alternative .... does he have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Has he ever? A lot of young people get supper self conscious about their bodies if they feel they are unattractive to the opposite sex. This of course can lead to eating disorders. Also past trauma. A chronically unstable home life. etc
Hi, Thanks for your reply.
No, he has always had a varied diet growing up with a sensible limit to unhealthy foods too. I have always encouraged him and his sister to leave what they can't eat too.
He hasn't always had issues surrounding food. I feel it started from trying antidepressants and being sick and nauseous with them. Now his anxiety has taken over. His stomach has shrunk and he just doesn't enjoy food.
As far as we are aware, he has never had a girlfriend / or boyfriend.
when i was on anti-depresents it slightly blunted my taste of sweet foods. Some foods that taste ok usually taste really bad if you loose your ability to taste sweetness (think orange juice after you've had toothpaste in your mouth) maybe suggest adding artificial sweeteners to his food?