My mother has an eating disorder. Some years back, she was treated inpatient and we all thought she was doing much better. She always wears baggy clothes so it is difficult to really get an idea of her weight.

She told me that she has been passing out and falling over the last few months. She said she didn’t tell me earlier because she didn’t want me to worry–it made me so frustrated that she hid telling me.

She went to her doctor and he said her blood pressure was extremely low and prescribed medication. He believes that this medication would help with the issues she has been having. He also told her that she has to eat more and be hydrating or else she was going to run her body to a state of simply shutting down.

She doesn’t want to take the medicine because one of the side effects is weight gain. Again, I feel helpless because I know I can’t make her take the medication or eat or take better care of herself.

My uncles and aunts think that I should be able to help her. I just feel afraid and hate to think about how much I would blame her if something bad happens to her. Why can’t she see it?