Stories that connect carers
Caring for a loved one with an eating disorder can be isolating, confusing and heartbreaking. Everybody’s individual story is unique.
Meet the brave parents and carers who have shared their stories of caring for someone with an eating disorder, to help other carers at various stages of their caring journey.
Trigger warning* These stories describe personal Carer experiences with eating disorders, which some may find upsetting. The stories have positive outcomes, but caution is advised before reading.
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Sharing your story can help other carers feel connected, understood and less alone.
We greatly value your contributions.
Anon Carer Story
Take time out for yourself as often as needed, and try and educate yourself as much as possible. This is my advice to other parents and carers on the eating disorder recovery journey. Don’t get me wrong - I wasn’t able to do this in the beginning. You need to be mentally ready to research and give yourself the freedom to focus on yourself a bit.
Anon ARFID Carer Story
Seeing my daughter eat a full meal is my source of joy, along with my other children and my furbaby.
My daughter was recently diagnosed with ARFID. The diagnosis has thrown me - it’s all new to me and it definitely isn’t an easy path to be on.
She spent almost a month in hospital, but now we’re home.
Trish's Carer Story
I’ve very quickly learned not to look too far into the future. Instead, I focus on the little things that bring me joy. The COVID lockdowns weren’t easy on anyone, but the impossibly long ones for us in Melbourne were absolutely awful. For my 17-year-old daughter, it was a lot of sitting at home and doing nothing...
Sharnn’s Carer Story
When my daughter was diagnosed with Anorexia in January 2023, I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. I had to reach out and secure a support network for myself, so I could best support my daughter moving forward.
Kim's Carer Story
My life has revolved around my daughter’s eating disorder for eight years now. The first two years were spent supporting her through FBT, which appeared to have helped her to recover within those two years. And for a while, everything was back to normal, and it appeared our daughter was her happy, healthy self again.
Kirsty's Carer Story
The weight of doing this all alone has been something that has shocked and challenged me in ways that I would wish on nobody.
You are always doing your best and that is always enough. Keep breathing and try to remember each day a little something about yourself.
Elisa's Story
My son was born with an intellectual disability, ASD and ADHD. He didn’t really fit in ‘the box’ and was bullied heavily at school. This is when the eating disorder entered our lives.
Bridget's Story
My daughter Ellie was diagnosed with Atypical Anorexia when she was just 14, in September 2021. Thanks to the incredible support I received from EDFA, I was empowered to advocate for our daughter.
Dee's Carer Story
My daughter Emmy was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa last June at 14 years old. It was a shock as there was no warning..other than that she was being ‘healthy’ with eating and exercise.
Jennifer's Story
My daughter was 21 when the first signs of an Eating Disorder (ED) occurred. She had just returned from a 3-month volunteer trip overseas, moved out of home and was studying mental health nursing. We realised something was wrong at a family meal in a restaurant.
Sallie's Story
My daughter Isabella has suffered from ARFID since she was 9. She had extreme anxiety around food, and an irrational thought that she was going to choke or vomit. This anxiety meant she wasn’t able to eat adequate amounts of food.
Kel's Story
By treating myself as important I have been able to connect with my daughter more deeply, with more patience and less control and that has only improved our recovery journey.
Maree's Story
My daughter was 13 when she started to restrict and lose some weight. She became medically unstable quite quickly. Her GP didn’t have experience with Eating Disorders, so we didn’t have a great understanding of how bad things really were.
Michelle's Story
My daughter Karlee was extremely anxious from a very young age, very shy, obsessional and a perfectionist. She worried about everything and always feared the worst.
Merril's Story
My daughter suffered from restrictive Anorexia Nervosa from age 16 until 22. She was extremely underweight and malnourished, and required seven hospital admissions over these years.
K's Story
It was very difficult to get anyone to listen to my concerns about E's weight and her disinterest and aversion to food. Every time I raised it I was told it is common for autistic kids to be picky eaters and to be underweight.
Tanja's Story
I wish I had known what anorexia was and how it would go on to affect my child. It was not helpful to hear “you know your child, get your child back”. It literally rocked my world.
Robyn's Story
My daughter was 21 when the first signs of an eating disorder (ED) occurred. She has just returned from a 3-month volunteer trip overseas, moved out of home and was studying mental health nursing. The first time we realised something was wrong was at a family meal in a restaurant.
Angela's Story
My daughter's eating disorder journey started during our very first lockdown in 2020. She started cutting down on food, increasing exercise and losing weight.
Kylie's Story
Our daughter was 12 when diagnosed with anorexia. What followed was nearly 2 years where the days blurred into each other through difficult, consuming and life changing treatment to keep our daughter safe and well.
Xavier's Story
My older sister was diagnosed with bulimia when she was 16 years old. Being 10 years younger, I didn’t really understand what was happening at the time. Mum recognised the warning signs..it was very overwhelming.
Leanda’s Story
When Amelia was 10, I found a sign in the pantry snack drawer – a hand drawn picture of her and her friends standing on weighing scales. Her friends’ scales were all in the normal range, but Amelia’s scales said the word ‘fat’.
