Skeletal size four woman cancelled three holidays after doctors warned her heart was so weak cabin pressure on a flight could kill her
AN eating disorder survivor was forced to cancel three holidays after doctors warned the cabin pressure could prove deadly as her heart was so weak.
Emma Oldfield, 23, from Clacton-On-Sea in Essex, has finally reached a healthy weight for the first time in five years.
The children's entertainer dropped to a size 4 dress size at her darkest times with eating disorders and struggled with body image issues as a teenager.
Like many eating disorder survivors, Emma first began struggling with issues with food around the time her mother died.
She explained: "My eating disorder started around the age of 18 shortly after my mum passed away from cancer.
"I used food and body image as a way of coping with what felt like my entire life falling apart."
Signs and symptoms of an eating disorder
- if you're under 18, your weight and height being lower than expected for your age
- if you're an adult, having an unusually low body mass index
- missing meals, eating very little or avoiding eating any foods you see as fattening
- believing you are fat when you are a healthy weight or underweight
- taking medication to reduce your hunger (appetite suppressants)
- your periods stopping (in women who have not reached menopause) or not starting (in younger women and girls)
- physical problems, such as feeling dizzy, dry skin and hair loss
While in the grips of disordered eating, Emma would use work as an excuse to avoid meals and cycle everywhere to burn extra calories.
She said: "I began losing weight and through working 12 hour shifts as a waitress, biking to work daily and not having enough time for breaks and food.
"This spiralled fairly quickly and I viewed good as guilt and attached negative connotations with the feelings of being full."
The former camp counsellor also had to fly home from America and receive treatment for her disorder in 2015.
When Emma was at her "worst", doctors warned that she was at risk of sepsis and cardiac arrest.
Furthermore, she was also banned from flying on three separate occasions for fear she'd suffer heart failure from cabin pressure during a flight.
Emma said: "I've had to cancel my last three summer holidays due to the fact I wasn't healthy enough to fly.
"I was supposed to be going to Spain in 2016, Prague in 2017 and Turkey last year."
In the past year, Emma finally beat her eating disorders with the help of a recovery programme and counselling.
She said: "For me there was no 'light bulb moment' - I didn't wake up one day and decide to stop my behaviours.
"It was gradual, it took time, tears and determination, I always wanted a life without an eating disorder and I was fully aware that it was killing me.
"It was making me weak and hurting those around me - as well as myself - but my behaviours and habits were so ingrained I just didn't know how to stop even though I was at death's door."
Now a healthy size 10, Emma no longer cuts out certain food groups she deems "bad" and is more flexible when it comes to her diet.
She said: "With the help of professionals and eating disorder services I was able to progress and start introducing new things, adding them to my routine and embedding them before I moved forward with the next step.
"I would be lying if I said I was 'cured' and I didn't have set backs, but overall I'm the healthiest and happiest I've been in years.
"I will never deprive myself of life again all be it pressures from society, perfectionism, stressful life events or anything else that might happen."
What is the treatment availabe?
Treatment for eating disorders is usually a combination of psychological therapy and supervised weight gain but it's important for a person to start treatment as quick as possible.
Psychological treatment
There are a variety of psychological treatments that can be used to treat anorexia and depending on the severity of the condition, treatment will last for at least 6 to 12 months or more.
Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT)
Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is based on the theory that mental health conditions such as anorexia are caused by unhealthy patterns of behaviour and thinking developed in the past.
CAT involves a three-stage process:
- Reformulation – looking at past events that may explain why the unhealthy patterns developed
- Recognition – helping people see how these patterns are contributing towards the anorexia
- Revision – identifying changes that can break these unhealthy patterns
Emma has also discovered her love of fitness as part of her recovery and hopes her experience will help other sufferers.
She added: "Since speaking out about my battle, lots of people have thanked me for my honesty and hope.
"I have worked so hard to get to where I am today and I hope my journey inspires at least one person to know the future can be what you make it."
If you need someone to talk to the Samaritans are free to call on 116 123, or call CALM on 0800 58 58 58.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder visit for free help and advice.
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