Everything is going OK...

Following last weekend's outburst, everything seems to be going OK - almost as if Ben had "let of steam"... which is what he claims it was. As I write, he is singing at the top of his voice, about to walk up to the local charity shop where he works on Friday mornings. Our diet has improved this week in that we've had more fats, especially Omega fats which are good for the mood. Plus, Ben has agreed the GP can refer him for further NHS treatment.


The contrast between yesterday's GP visit and ones we've had in the past couldn't have been more stark. I put the GP in the picture about Ben's eating disorder / mental health history, described the depression from last weekend, the suicidal threats and the outburst at the psych session. I also told her that Ben's been seeing private psychs and a private dietician. Plus, I told her that Ben wants to come off the Prozac.

Then I let Ben take over as she asked questions. He was very positive and very articulate. And, importantly, very open to her impression that he does need further mental health treatment. I was waiting for him to protest that he didn't need treatment, but instead he was obviously taking everything in.

And I am so pleased she didn't go down the "If Ben doesn't want treatment then we can't make him have it" route.

In fact I was quite impressed. I only wish we'd seen her 3+ years ago when we first went to the GP about Ben's emerging eating disorder.

The only thing that niggled me (and Ben, for that matter) was when she said: "You look well. You look healthy. A lot of the teenagers I see don't look so good, they have cancer and so on. You are fortunate to be healthy and well - and maybe thinking about others less fortunate than you might help to raise your mood."

Dear GP, Ben is not strictly "healthy and well", not inside his mind at any rate. His body might be "almost there", if still a bit on the thin side. Ah, if only remedying mental health issues was as straightforward as thinking of people who are worse off than yourself...

Sorry, but one of the reasons we are here is because Ben can't feel any emotions at the moment, except extreme ones. He has just said that he can't feel joy, happiness, sorrow, empathy, sympathy, etc.

But apart from that - and the fact that he is still socially isolated (scream!) - things really aren't too bad at all.