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'I need your help': Woman with anorexia makes public appeal

TRIGGER WARNING - This article contains images and themes which may upset some readers.

A southern California woman suffering from a severe form of anorexia nervosa is publicly pleading for help now that her weight has spiralled out of control.

Rachael Farrokh, who is five-foot-seven and weighs just “40-something pounds” and has battled anorexia for 10 years.

The 37-year-old actress posted a video to YouTube, detailing her ordeal and asking for financial donations to help her get the treatment she desperately needs.

“I need your help,” she says in the video.

“I’m suffering from an eating disorder. It’s a very severe kind of anorexia.” Farrokh says hospitals in her area have refused to treat her because her weight makes her a “liability.”

Her husband Rod Edmondson quit his job as a personal trainer to be her 24-hour caregiver, she continued, and she’s currently unable to walk on her own.

How did things get so bad? “I wanted to drop a few pounds to get better abs,” she said.

But when she lost her job and kept focusing on a painful memory from her past, things “spiralled out of control.”

Farrokh says there’s one hospital across the country that can help her, adding “my chances are very slim.”

“I’m not one to ever ask for help,” she says.

“I need your help, otherwise I don’t have a shot. And I’m ready to get better.”

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, and only one in 10 people who suffer from an eating disorder receive treatment.

ABC News reports that Farrokh went from 125 pounds to her current bare-bones weight. But how can this happen? Didn’t other people notice and step in to help?

Unfortunately such shocking weight loss is not uncommon with eating disorders, says Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, assistant clinical director at eating disorder treatment facility The Renfrew Centre.

Rachael Farrokh has battled anorexia for 10 years. Source: Facebook/ Rachel's road to recovery.
Rachael Farrokh has battled anorexia for 10 years. Source: Facebook/ Rachel's road to recovery.

She says that people suffering from an eating disorder often hide their early weight loss by pulling away from friends and family and lying about their eating habits.

“There’s a lot of secrecy and shame, and they don’t really believe it’s a problem,” DeCaro tells Yahoo Health.

It's often only when an eating disorder sufferer has rapidly lost weight and likely has been doing harmful behaviors for some time that people realise there’s a problem. At that point, DeCaro says, professional help is often required.

Experts say things spiral out of control because many anorexics see their eating disorder as a way for them to take control of their lives and don’t realise what’s happening.

Rachael Farrokh and her husband Rod Edmondson in earlier times. Source:Facebook/ Rachel's road to recovery.
Rachael Farrokh and her husband Rod Edmondson in earlier times. Source:Facebook/ Rachel's road to recovery.

“Some of these people have histories of major negative events in their life or have been traumatised,” Philip Mehler, MD, chief medical officer at Denver’s Eating Recovery Centre, tells Yahoo Health.

“There are a lot of things going on in their minds. Even though they’re wasting away and critically ill, they continue to be obsessed with those thoughts.”

But while anorexia sufferers like Farrokh may recognise that they need help, it’s not as simple as just starting to eat again. People who seek treatment for an eating disorder often need to start eating again through a process called “refeeding,” says DeCaro.

Refeeding slowly introduces food back to a person who is malnourished, and has to be monitored by a medical team. Experts especially keep an eye on how a person’s heart is doing, since the refeeding process is a physical strain on the body.

“There are lots of shifts in electrolytes and fluids, and it can really increase the cardiac workload,” DeCaro says.

If you’re concerned that a loved one may be suffering from anorexia, DeCaro recommends looking out for the following red flags:

'''- An obsession with food, nutrition, and calories
- Continued weight loss, even though the person is already thin
- Skipping meals
- Being on a diet even though they’re not overweight
- Hitting the scale multiple times a day'''

If you notice any of them, she suggests gently confronting the person at a calm time and voice what you’ve observed.

“Try to avoid talking about weight and food, and focus more on their mood, relationships, health and offer to help,” she says, adding that patience is key.

While Farrokh’s situation is dire, Mehler says it’s possible that she can get better.

“I’ve personally taken care of patients that are that severe,” he says.

“People can recover but there are certainly a group of people that don’t.”

Farrokh is raising money for her treatment on her GoFundMe page.

Her goal is to raise $100,000, and she has currently raised more than $62,000.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact ReachOut.com on (02) 8029 7777 or The Butterfly Foundation.

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