I think my son has a eating disorder

[germansunshine]

Hello there! I am despairing with the eating phobia that my son seems to have developed.
Here is the story: He has never been a very good eater. This year he has been really sick and lost a lot of weight. The last several weeks now he always gets anxious and scared when we mention that he should eat something. Comes dinner time he gets all upset and says he is too sick to eat. He has developed weak and shaky legs and seems to carry our cleaning bucket around with him. This is driving us crazy! His body weight is only 10% away from becoming underweight. Blood tests have revealed that everything okay. Oh how I wished they would have found something. I don't know what to do anymore. This is starting to put a major strain on our family.
I am slowly starting to believe that somehow he considers food his enemy, but the only thing I can figure is that he is too scared to eat so that he doesn't get sick and have to throw up.
We have decided to let the school counselor deal with him and see what she can do with him. This is tearing me and my husband apart, we feel helpless and ready to drop him off at the hospital for a major check-up.
If any of you have some helpful input, please respond! I can not take this very much longer!
Thanks, Suzanne

[Amy]

Suzanne, you need to go to the Army hospital ASAP and get him checked out by his Peditrician again. If he doesn't help you after you tell him your fears, DEMAND a referral to have him seen somewhere else for psychiatric testing. You are the parent, and if you are this concerned, you need to fight to get him the help he needs. It sounds as if he has a phobia of food and that needs to be addressed by a professional child psychiatrist. Good Luck!

[kat]

Susanne, I agree with Amy. We are a group of friends here ready to help one another in any way we can, but this sounds like something that a professional should handle. You know your child better than anyone. Demand that he be seen by child psychiatrist.

[vea29]

hi! I'm just wondering what's keeping him from eating....does his stomach get upset...maybe he has and ulcer or some sort of food allergy. I would demand the doctors keep looking.

Try talking with your son and ask him exactly what he's feeling, although I would recommend not descussing it in front of others...It may embarrass him and make things worse. Good luck.