Dana: 8 year old anorexic

I'm almost in tears too. not sure i can watch anymore, tbh.

My daughter is eight and it would kill me if she were like this. It's so incredibly sad, and must be so tough for her parents.

I don't pretend to understand anorexic thought (although I'm learning more), but I find it really difficult to accept that someone so young could think in that way

I'm concerned at her mother - she seems to think Dana is "cured" and I don't think she is. I think she ate to get out and I think the reasons/root of the problem might still be there.

And her attitude about having to count calories for the rest of her childhood? And "negotiating" by letting her eat the muffin while she was walking along? Mmmmm. That would worry me if I were her counsellor.

See, i identified with everything she and the older girls said. i've said the same things in my own head over and over. especially the 'if i was dead i wouldn't have to think about this anymore'. when she said that MrF looked at me and gave me a massive hug. i've said it so many times.

i'm glad they showed this and i hope it helps other sufferers and their families realise that they are not alone. although the chocolate cake part was awful and i'm so sad that she was allowed to continue making herself feel ill for so long. the parents should have had some more guidance before taking her out for a meal, imo.

i agree with everything you have said. there's definitely more work to be done.

I agree CBH, but then expect there's a bit of trying to convince herself. I wonder if they underwent family counselling during her stay

The end said it all. Dana was allowed to get up from the table after her main course even though she said she would have dessert. I would have her sit there while I watched her eat both. I said to my H that it would be so easy for Dana to go upstairs and throw up and her mother would not know.

The warning signs are there. I do hope she doesn't relapse but are anorexics ever "cured"? Do they ever fully "recover"? Isn't it something you learn to live with and have some control over? I might be wrong on this and am happy to learn more but I just felt at the end of the programme that her mother particularly wasn't handling it the way I would if it were me.

Just watching this now. So sad.

I am not anorexic but I can so understand the "I wish I was dead so I didn't have to care" although from another perspective, it is an awful thing to live with. These poor children.

Having had anorexia I had some apprehension to watching this. The parents thing got me, it is not a blip, she is not cured it will always be there.

I felt just so sad.....