Topic : 08/25 Extreme Food Obsessions

Prader Willi Syndrome is a genetic disorder.  Infants at first don't know how to suckle & have to be taught how to breast or bottle feed.  Once they learn to eat, it's hard for them to stop.  They aren't born with the nerve that tells them they are full & they are born without the gag reflex.   They never feel satiated, & have been known to eat non-edibles as well.  My Brother-in-law was known to eat wood, light bulbs, entire sticks of butter & jars of mayonnaise, to name a few.  He had insulin-dependent diabetes & heart disease.  He had mild mental retardation.  He graduated high school in a special education class, but was never able to be gainfully employed.  His skeletal structure was large boned, but short instead of long.  He was also morbidly obese, & died of heart disease in his mid 40's.  It's extremely rare & there is no cure.  Successful households have locks on refrigerators, freezers & pantry cabinets.   But don't be fooled.  If they want it bad enough, PWS's can find food in the most unlikely places.  But locks do help. 

Joyce, could you post the info regarding Mercy Hospital?  I checked their web site and didn't see any links or anything relative to this program.  I'd like to give him more information on it if possible, but if it is expensive I'm not sure he'll do anything, he doesn't make much money and the girl already has HUGE medical expenses.  But it sure would be nice to see her thrive more if it's possible.  Your absolutely right, she isn't getting any treatment right now, except when it suits her mother's needs and ego.  And then it's only a variety of antibiotics, and many doses of insulin.  

When I originally did some research, that is what I thought that some PWS people can move forward in life.  I don't believe his daughter will because her retardation is significant at this point, she's at about a level of a 9 year old, if that.  Only success she would get is to be away from the mother, as I said she doesn't seem to want to help her child.  Thank you and god bless you and your family. 

hi, i understand how you feel about yourself when you see a person smaller than you, fat, fat fat 

 this is what our minds want us to see ourselves, it is the sickness of the desease. you need to love yourself, and the person you are. if you one bit think you may have a problem, wich in my opinion i think you do, just because it sounds exactly the way i felt when i bad anerexia/bulimia, i tell you dont let it get you, it got me good i was so thin, yet i thought i was so fat, i was so sick i couldnt eat more than a quarter of a sandwich without non-intentionally throwing it up. my hair starting falling out, i was cold all the time, and my body was literly starting to shut down on me. i would cry and cry because i wanted to stop doing what i was doing but i was embarrassed to tell anyone what i was doing, untell one night i almost died, i coulnt breath barely i felt i was fighting for every breath i could take. i was so scared and all i thought was my two young children would find me dead in bed in the morning. i guess god was there for me that night and spared me, and i vowed ever since than to get healthy, i still think about doing it, because i am not as small as i was after my 3rd child, but i stay strong. at 5'2 i am 127. i feel good and eat right, most important i am finally healthy. i just pray that if you are leading in the path i did please get help while you can. god bless you.    just someone who cares........ 

OK, first of ALL... until recently I did not know what my daughter had. Second of all, your son is ONLY 21 months....you have NO clue what the future holds for you with a child who has that disorder. Savannah has terrible fits of rage, violent outbursts, and screams bloody murder when she doesnt get her way. DEAL WITH THAT!!! you havent seen anything yet. Im a 24 year old SINGLE mom with 2 spoiled little brats. I try to do the best I can. I DO spoil them sometimes because I love them, but its taking its toll! NO ONE who knows me will EVEN watch my one year old. (she was born a mamma's girl and a screamer!) IM ALL ALONE. I went to Dr. Phil for help because OBVIOULSY I felt I needed it!!! Can I get SOME credit?! People dont air their dirty laundry JUST BECAUSE! Do you think I want the whole world to think Im a jerk?! NO, but I DO Know I need help with dealing with my daughter. I cant handle it by myself. Dont come down on someone that had the nerve to even come forward! its a good thing! I HAD THE "BALLS" TO SAY ON NATIONAL TV WHAT EVERY OTHER FRUSTRATED PARENT IS THINKING, AND I WASNT SCARED!!!! be a jerk if you want, but i think I just opened up a whole can of worms...youll see. TUNE IN!!!! 

I was so relieved to read your post. I love watching the Dr. phil show, but....I just left my second treatment center that I have been in this year. Anorexia is so glorified on TV...seeing the bones is a huge trigger for me. It seems like TV shows flash pictures of the worst cases on TV and quote weights up and down. here is my thought.....if you wouldn't ask or post the weights of "normal" people (because it is considered RUDE), why in the world would anyone post and talk about the weight of a person who is obviously more sensitive about it than the average population? I feel pulled to watch the show, but am scared to death of being triggered into relapse. I am already holding on for my life as it is....I wish that someone would do a show about anorexia and bulemia without focusing on pictures of people at their sickest.  The public already seems to think that eating disorders are about food. Dr. Phil says that you can't fix money problems with money. I say you can't fix anorexia with food. If only he could say that.... 

On a better note, the author of Life Without Ed will be on the show, and that is the best book I've ever read about eating disorders. It's as if the author has climbed into my head and written all of my thoughts on paper.