I'll say it again... I am NOT exploiting my son or his eating disorder, and he agrees with me.

Me: There's this girl... She's a former anorexia sufferer, or still has anorexia... and she wrote on my Facebook page saying simply 'Exploitation at its finest'. I can only assume she is referring to my new book. In the past she has suggested that I may be 'glorifying' eating disorders and 'publicising and exploiting' your eating disorder, Ben. I deleted the post. I just wondered what you thought about it, Ben...


Ben: Oh no, you should have kept it because then I could reply. I'd love to have replied.

Me: Well you can tell me and I'll put it up on my blog because I know she reads it.

Ben: No, if you do that, then how the heck is she going to know I said it?

Me: Because I'll say that you said it.

Ben: Er, I don't think she'd believe that... Mum, if she's claiming that you exploit me, is she really going to believe something you say? No. Use your brain! I wish I could talk to her.

Me: I've always told her that you are one hundred per cent behind me.

Ben: Mum, she's not going to believe you.

Me: I mean, you are always going on at me to do more to raise awareness of eating disorders in teenage boys and the illness as a whole.

Ben: Mum, she's not going to believe anything you say. This book is about telling our story, to say that it's not just girls that get eating disorders. Please don't delete things like this in the future, mum, because I really need to reply, but I can't now that you've deleted it.

Me: This is how I responded to a previous FB message:  

My son is right behind me with the blog. It was he that suggested I write it in the first place. Far from glorifying eating disorders, I am writing to help other parents of teenagers, and especially boys, with eating disorders to show them they're not alone in what they're going through and the various things we did that did and didn't help. This is the primary reason for my blog and I know for a fact I've helped lots of other parents. 

I only write about eating disorders, and nothing else, as my blog is exclusively about eating disorders and our journey towards recovery, which has been a team effort, my son and me together. 

No, he doesn't read my blogs. He chooses not to, but he does know why I write my blog and wholeheartedly supports me. In fact he's always telling me off for not doing more i.e. not campaigning for better eating disorder treatment, etc. 

Also, no, you don't find many blogs written by mothers of teenagers with eating disorders (although there are quite a few out there), and this is one of the main reasons I write it - because, at the start, I hadn't a clue where to turn for help or support. I knew nothing about eating disorders, especially in boys. If I can do anything to fast-track other parents through this hellish and complex learning curve, then my blog is a Good Thing - and I know I have already helped quite a few parents.