Funny how for me it was a cause of celebration whereas for him it was a cause of shock... Thankfully he began to accept it as OK after a while as I reminded him that we're looking at gradual weight gain over the LONG TERM and when we pan out and look at the past month the weight gain is actually very manageable. Mind you, I know it's going to be difficult if he puts on a similar amount next time he's weighed. I don't believe he would be able to handle that at this stage unfortunately... UNLESS we pan out to the long term again and the rational side of his mind accepts that as being OK. As any parent of an eating disorder teenager will know, rational thinking goes totally AWOL for quite a few months as the condition gets worse. But the Good News is that it gradually comes back. This is why I am keeping a chart to show the GRADUAL increase over the long term to avoid potential knee-jerk reactions.
We're into our 9th week of the Recovery Contract and it's still working. This weekend Ben had £30-worth of points to spend, having gained a load of points for Friday's weight gain! And after 8 full weeks of the contract I am delighted to say we haven't had to deduct any points at all for resistance, over-exercising, etc.
Ben is also sleeping much, much better. I believe that this may be due to a reduction in anxiety because all the control is set out in the contract so he doesn't have to worry. Plus there's a general feeling that, yes, we are moving forward after our period of limbo over some of the winter months. Click here for a reminder of what's in our Recovery Contract.
Looking for information on eating disorders in boys? Worried that your son has an eating disorder? How can you tell if a boy has an eating disorder? In 2009 my 15-year-old son developed anorexia. Now, aged 28, he is recovered & studying psychology in order to help others. This blog tells the story of my son's recovery from anorexia as well as raising awareness of eating disorders in boys.
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