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
I’m so very sorry you are both struggling in this way. My heart goes out to both of you. I’m no expert but I’m thinking that if you can deal with the depression and anxiety the food and weight issues will improve as a result. I’ve had really severe anxiety in the last few months and I have lost weight. Anxiety makes me feel nauseous, I lose my interest in food because I’m so preoccupied and tense. Depression takes away your motivation to engage with food preparation. There are so many ways that mental health issues impact on eating and weight. So it’s likely that if you deal with the underlying cause things will improve.
My son is having CBT over the phone at the moment. He also didn’t want to engage with this initially - but he has found it helpful (though it’s not made a huge difference for him I must confess). Would your son be willing to try a phone appointment with a therapist? Some services will do conversations online just will typing too. Maybe you could find a way of doing this that your son might be able to try?