Lawrence Smith developed diabulimia, an eating disorder where people with type 1 diabetes deliberately reduce their insulin intake to lose weight, when he was a teenager. He expressed that recovery was difficult due to the “siloed” nature of diabetes and mental health services. Lawrence said there is an emphasis on numbers when it comes to diabetes, and this approach cannot be applied to eating disorder services.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland has published new guidelines to ensure access to better support for people living with both conditions. Early referral to eating disorder services for people with diabetes is included in the recommendations. Lawrence is an advocate for these guidelines because the danger of diabetes is fast complications compared to other disorders that take time.
Despite his long recovery from diabulimia, he reflects that he is “fortunate to be so far along in my recovery that I can reflect upon it.” He mentioned that he can help others living with the condition to feel less isolated by speaking about his story
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