Daughter's Tragic Eating Disorder Battle Exposes Flaws in Mental Health System

In a deeply personal account, a parent has come forward to share the anguish of their 14-year-old daughter's battle with an eating disorder. The parent, whose own child has also suffered from an eating disorder, recalls the same feelings of horror and loss of control when their daughter was sectioned three times under the Mental Health Act.

The daughter, who was the same age as Ruth when sectioned, ended up in locked institutions for 15 months, where self-harm, suicide attempts, and absconding were the norm. Tragically, the family was isolated, with no access to therapeutic support as the daughter was deemed "too ill." The parent describes the labyrinthine system they navigated, writing letters and making phone calls, just to eventually gain access to a six-week family support group outside their own health authority area—the only such support available.

While the parent is grateful to still have their daughter with them, the trauma of the institutions to which she was sent continues to haunt the family. They live with the guilt of allowing the sectioning to happen, as the choice was taken from them far too quickly. This heartbreaking story shines a light on the critical flaws in the mental health system, where vulnerable children and their families are left to navigate a broken system with little support.