Q. I have this friend who has an eating disorder. She is extremely thin, She weighs 96lbs. She refuses to go to the hospital. She continues to think she is fat when it obvious she is not. What can I do as a friend to help her, I’m really scared she is going to die. She said she has not had any thing to eat in 2 1/2 weeks and is only drinking 1/2 cup of diet pepsi a day. Can her doctor make her go to the hospital against her will? Please help!!!
A. I am not sure if her doctors can commit her against her will to the hospital. It is certainly possible they could make her go to the hospital against her will if they are aware of the extent and nature of her specific, current situation. If death is imminent in the near future, in many states this is grounds for an involuntary commitment. There is not much you can do about your friend expect encourage her to get help. Encourage her endlessly. You can also call her doctors and make them aware of her situation. They probably know she is not eating but they may not know exactly how long it has been (2 ½ weeks) and that she is down to drinking only a half can of diet Pepsi a day. With confidentiality laws, it is not likely they will call you back to discuss her case but there is no law against you leaving them a message expressing your concerns about your friend. The more information you provide them with, the more information they will have to go by if they decide to try and commit her to the hospital against her will, which is seemingly what she may need at this point. You can also try calling her family. They may be able to help get her to go the hospital. You are limited in how you can help but there are still things you can do. Encourage her to get help and call her doctor and/or therapist and leave them a message about your concerns. Keep encouraging her to go to the hospital and consider calling her doctor and family. After that, there is unfortunately nothing much else you can do. I wish you the best of luck.
What's Related
- Other posts by Kristina Randle, LCSW
- Eating disorder question
- Eating Disorder and Cutting
- Do i have an eating disorder?
- My Eating Issues Have Returned: What Should I Do?
- Friend doesn’t know where to turn
