3rd day of the program

I thought since I told you about the first two days of the multi family week program I might as well tell you about the others. 

So on the night before this day mum and dad asked me if there was a fear food I would like to choose to try for this day. A food I used to eat a lot but don't anymore is feta cheese so I found a recipe for a pumpkin salad with feta (though the only salad thing was a few spinach leaves). And they made me have lasagne for dinner!!!!!! :O

Anyway at the program it was the sibling day so the activities were whole family focused.

First we had to describe a time when things got really upsetting and then trace back to recognise the steps that led up to it. We then came up with ideas of how to prevent things from escalating which was helpful.

Then we separated into parents/siblings/unwell people and came up with things that are helpful when it is distressing. These are some things we came up with:

- give us space to process what we are being asked to eat

- make sure after meals we aren't left alone to our own thoughts (distractions such as this playing games or watching tv)

- don't always treat us like anorexia, listen to our suggestions and how we are feeling. 

- tell us what you expect us to eat before we have to eat it; no surprises

These are things we found help to prevent major distress.

Picture from my young happy days that I hate looking at now :(

Then after lunch we were in a group and one of the other girls was picked to make a family sculpture to visualise the way she saw her family at the moment.

She put her parents standing over her while she was on the ground and her brother was standing far away. This represented her parents making her way and taking away all her independence and her brother being distant and never being home. It was really sad to see how anorexia can put strain on family relationships and my family is no different. I'm constantly angry at my family and I can't stand it if they try and touch me or anything. 

It really helped her brother especially though to realise he hadn't been there for her and he really wants to do that now :) 

After we went home mum and dad had said to me they were choosing a sweet fear food for me to have on Friday.

However once they went to talk to me about it they had decided I had to get a really fatty chicken subway so I felt betrayed and angry that once again they had changed their commitment to me :( 

Anyway life keeps going...