Anorexia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi op. Me again. I also wanted to add.
Since it started so young it is very possible your daughter had another medical condition going on that made her averse to food to begin with
This was the case with me. I had food allergies and generally was never a big eater and food made me feel sick so when I needed a coping mechanism starving myself wasn't a far stretch
Do you suspect she has any allergies or other medical issues?
Not that it helps too much after several years, but maybe it helps you understand the why more
I know for many people they can't understand how one can starve like this
Is she managing her own food intake now or are you on a certain plan or requiring her to eat etc

I agree with looking into whether there is some underlying medical cause. One PP has suggested Lyme and this one allergies. PANDAS could be another cause. Anorexia starting at age 7 is highly unusual and would cause me to look outside of the usual anorexia box.

[Anonymous]

I would always look for a medical cause, however parents should know that anorexia often presents itself at an earlier age than previously thought.

Often it has been present for years but doesn't get recognized until the child hits the high growth years of puberty. In hindsight many parents of children diagnosed with anorexia at age 15-16 realize the restricting started at a much younger age.