Anorexia advise please

I am suffering from anorexia and know I need help.  I visited the Renfrew center for an eval and was told that I needed to go 'in patient.'  This is impossible for me at this time in my life due to work and family obligations and because the conditions are unacceptable to me at my age (42-the oldest anorexic around I imagine).  They told me they could then not do anything for me.  My question is were can I turn to for help???  My internet searches show nothing in my area.  Where do I go from here????

You won't be there for "work and family obligations" if you don't make yourself a priority- so go in patient and accept help! YOU are the most important. You won't be there for your family or work obligations if you're dead because you've starved yourself. I know that this sounds harsh, but it is merely the reality of the disease. So get the help that is offered

Sweetie, I say this with love. Accept the conditions and choose life. So what if you are 42 and accustomed to more freedom etc--if you keep on the path you are on, you'll be right--dead right.

I'm a 47 y/o woman and I've been in recovery for over 10 years. Anorexia doesn't give a rat's ass about your age or your station in life or your family obligations, it just wants you dead.

Do you want to get well and BE there for your family? Then make the inpatient program work--do it, give it 100% and don't hold back.

Recovery takes work, hard work, and none of it is sexy or glamorous in the least. But the pay off is fantastic. I am so glad I'm alive, that I chose to do what needed to be done. I hope you do too.

I agree completely with the other two posts.  You'll be an amazing role model to your family if you take care of yourself.  It's the best thing that you can do for them and for you.  And federal law protects employees who need to take time off for medical reasons, so your work can't penalize you for needing to be out for a while.

Until you're ready to go in for in-patient care (which I encourage you to do, particularly considering that you have been advised by experts to do so), have you looked for support groups in the area?  In my area there are several Eating Disorders Anonymous support groups and Kaiser (our local big HMO hospital chain) has several eating disorder specific classes. 

Also, you should at least be able to find a therapist in your area that specializes in eating disorders.  I found my therapist by doing a google search for the name of my city and therapist and eating disorder.  Granted, I live in a big city, but a ton of names came up.  Eating disorders are so pervasive that wherever you live there will be someone with experience with Anorexia.

There are also lots of great books that you could read.  I recently read Caroline Knapp's book, Appetites:  Why Women Want.  It's about the author's struggle with Anorexia.  It was incredibly emotional to read, but did give me a lot of insight into a struggle that I have, well into my 30's. 

I have been ip at Renfrew twice but about 9 years ago. I went ip again somewhere else a few years ago but now am doing really well. I really think you need to realize health is number 1 and those other things mean very little if you are sick. I'm not sure what you mean by standard there but this is not a vacation but support and guidence for your health. The support and tools you can learn from an intense program can really help change your life. I would encourage you to look at what are excuses out of fear and what is true in your life.

Try something-fishy.org.  Look for treatment in the lefthand sidebar.

I agree with contrary.  An impossible time is when you are no longer able to function at work or take care of your family at all due to the ED... or even worse, you don't make it and  your family loses you forever. 

I am a 40 year old woman who has been walking the latest road of recovery for close to a year now.  I have suffered from anorexia and bulimia for over 25 years and had a major relapse that landed me in the hospital last year.   You would be surprised how many women our age are either experiencing a relapse or emerging into an eating disorder later in life.  If they think you need to be inpatient, please remember that they are the experts and, due to the stage you are at in your disorder right now, I can promise you that you are NOT thinking clearly due to lack of nutrition.  Been there, done that.  Let someone you trust be your compass right now and accept the help you deserve.  Go get re-fed in the hospital, learn how to start down the path to recovery and get your head back.  It will make all the difference in the world to you and your loved ones - they are suffering too.