[turbulence]

Hi. I have bipolar and I read that forum usually. Yesterday I was told that my 15 year old son has EDNOS. I don't really know anything about eating disorders. My son weighs 69 pounds and I am freaking out. I don't know where to begin. I have an appointment to see his pediatrician (again) and he has started with a therapist. Should he see a psychiatrist and be on meds like me? Did my being bipolar contribute to this illness? Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

[precious things]

There is absolutely no reason to blame yourself or think you caused this. The best thing you can do for your son is be supportive, let him know how much you love him and are willing to help him get through this. Meds typically aren't helpful in treating an eating disorder, however it really depends on if there are other issues going on (depression, anxiety).

I would find a therapist that has experience with eating disorders or you could lose a lot of time coming to that conclusion years from now.

[spondiferous]

Hi, turbulence. I'm sorry you're going through this with your son. It's impossible to say whether or not your bipolar influenced his ED. But I agree with precious, all you can do is be supportive, and get him the help he needs, which you absolutely are doing. You mentioned that he's in therapy. Do you have contact with the therapist? Is he responding to therapy? You may not need to get a psychiatrist involved, but EDs are considered part of the spectrum of mental illness. While he may not need meds, it might not hurt to have his mental health evaluated. A lot of people can develop EDs due to mental illness (depression, addiction, PTSD, bipolar, Borderline, you name it).

[buttrfli42481]

You in no way are to blame for his ED. I agree with the posts above. One thing that I wish my parents did was learn about my diagnosis and educate themselves on it. Be there for him to ask questions and by your education of the disease you will be able to help him more. Another person you may want to help treat your son is a dietician. They can be helpful in planning meals and monitoring weight. Speaking of weight, have you looked into an inpatient treatment center for him? I am guessing that he is well underweight and would need to be monitored closely as he restores his weight. Let him know that he is not alone. How did you find out that he has EDNOS? I hope you are able to get some questions answered by his pediatrician. Keep posting here will help too.

[turbulence]

Thanks for the input everyone. We found out he had EDNOS because he stopped growing. He always seemed like a super picky eater but we never kept track of the amount of food he is consuming. At first the doctors checked him for a growth hormone deficiency. He tested out as normal, but they still put him on the growth hormone therapy. We were told he would start eating a lot and growing. Nope. That is when I decided to take him to a therapist. She is very concerned but did not mention inpatient treatment yet. I just feel lost with this...

[Victoria'smom]

Is his therapiest a specialist in eating disorders or adolecence ? Working with a dietitian may help

[spondiferous]

Hang in there, turbulence. EDs are difficult to treat, and unfortunately there's no set way to go about it. The treatment and healing is different for each person, specific to their needs. I wish you all the best. I hope you are able to get the help for your son that he needs, and I admire your commitment to his wellbeing.