Anorexia, as well as a period of Bulimia/Purging Anorexia in my teens, has ravaged my health too. I've lost some of my teeth, and the rest of my top teeth are too badly damaged to save, so at some point in the next few months they will need to be removed and I'll be fitted with a denture; I have permanent muscle damage from having severe electrolyte imbalances, chronic malnutrition has left me with Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage), and my digestive system no longer functions properly - I have IBS, Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying) and GERD (Gastro Oesophagul Reflux Disorder). Because of the damage that's happened to my body due to having Anorexia, I'm now dependent on daily pain medication (Tramadol).

I developed Anorexia at the age of 8, although first signs appeared, looking back, around the age of 5 tor 6. I'm 41 now, and I've been in recovery for 10 years this year. I'm not fully recovered, I'm about 75% of the way there, but I am weight and nutrition restored and have been able to stop most of my behaviours and reduce the compulsive thoughts down to more a background noise that I can easily ignore most of the time. I do have little slips here and there, I do have minor relapses from time to time, and I do still sometimes struggle with ritualising around food or food shopping, but for the most part I'm doing pretty well. If you look at my timeline over all, I was actively eating disordered for 24 years, and currently in recovery/remission for 10 years, so that's an over all total of 34 years of dealing with this illness. In that time as well I received two separate death sentences, and my parents were told to prepare for my funeral.

The reason I'm telling you this is because nearly every GP, Pdoc, and T had given up on me by the time I was really ready to recover. They considered me too chronic a case, too far gone, I'd developed the disorder too early, there was nothing they could do for me except help me learn to just 'exist' (more like subsist) with my illness, and that was it. And that was bull! I've come further with recovery than any of the naysayers said I ever would, and so can you. There is no such thing as a hopeless case, or someone who is too sick, or too far gone. Yes I still have issues that I am continuing to work on with my current Pdoc who actually does believe I can recover fully, and yes recovery is/was bloody hard work. But it's worth it. It's worth it for that one moment of freedom when you look around and suddenly realise that the Anorexic voice has stopped screaming at you for a few hours, and then a whole day, and then a week. It's worth it for the times when you look in the mirror, or look down at yourself in the shower and for a moment you actually like what you see, you feel proud of your body, you get dressed up and go out with your head held high because you actually feel good! The Anorexia might still be there, buzzing away quietly in the background, but now it's just an annoying mosquito that you can swat away.

Recovery is possible for everyone. And that includes you.

Good luck!