Teenager suffering anorexia since age 12 deteriorated amid GCSE stress - the five things all worried parents should do

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

"The stress from GCSEs and having a big change in my life made my eating disorder behaviours much worse and they were noticed by others." Eden began struggling with her eating disorder when she was just 12 years old, after being diagnosed with diabetes.

But when she got to her GCSEs, the stress of exams only made things worse. Now 18, Eden, who asked to only be referred to by her first name, is sharing her experiences of seeking treatment - even though she felt 'ashamed and afraid' of talking about her feelings - in a bid to make sure others do the same. READ MORE:My eating disorder 'blew up' during lockdown and almost put me in hospital "I first began to struggle with disordered eating when I was 12 after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes," explains Eden, from Tameside. "The focus on food portions and counting carbs led to counting calories and obsessing over any weight changes. “I was referred to the Community Eating Disorders Service when I began my first year at sixth form, the stress from GCSEs and having a big change in my life made my eating disorder behaviours much worse and they were noticed by others. "For many years I had known that something wasn’t right with my thoughts about eating, but I was ashamed and afraid of talking about how I felt." It can be difficult for outsiders to understand how disordered eating can pull you into a vicious cycle, continues Eden.

For her, 'it's like having a voice in her head that tells her not to eat and that she should lose weight'. And that voice grow dangerously loud, overwhelming any thoughts reminding Eden she does need to stay healthy. “It’s difficult to explain what anorexia feels like to someone without it because it doesn’t make much sense; how restricting food