Critical Anorexic Patient Refuses Treatment | Chicago Med 

Law: Suicide is bad! Her: Can I starve myself to death? Law: Uh, yes

With suicidal patients they can hold them 3 days without consent, but they can’t feed someone dying without consent?

Honestly, if someone is so weak they literally can't get out of bed, and at that point they are STILL refusing food, I'd consider them no longer of sound mind and no longer capable of rationally refusing treatment.

When anorexia gets this bad it should really be considered just as bad as being suicidal- even before it gets this bad. She's obviously not "sound of mind" even if her papers say so.

Chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions...

Everyone’s saying the dr Choi was focusing on her physical health rather then mental and mental should be first priority. But to be able to make progress with her mental state you have to treat the physical state before to make the patient strong to survive the mental rehabilitation

They’ve clearly never heard of refeeding syndrome 🙄3000 calories in one go that would kill her

"she suffered enough, please stop" I cried

I made friend with this little girl who suffered from anorexia in the psychiatric ward. She wasn't actually little, she was 23, short and frail, blessed with a delicate face and cursed with a horrible father who used to beat her, remind her everyday how useless she was, what a burden her existence was in their lives and how she never was meant to be born. She started feeling like something that wasn't even supposed to be in the world and her desire to disappear led her body to shrink down to 32kg (70 pounds). Then she moved out to a far away private rehab clinic; we used to text each other every week. Then after 2 months she stopped. Her name was Angela.

The hardest part of this for her is seeing her food going into her as I went through this but I survived i am a healthy weight now.

My ultimate respect to those that have beaten or are fighting anorexia, you will get through it and you will be healthy and happy soon ❤️

Are they sure feeding her 3000 calories is good for her after she’s had an eating disorder for 15 years?

It's interesting that she said yes until her parents showed up - a major trigger and cause of anorexia are problematic family behaviours and attachments

When she started screaming and panicking when the food was going through the tube... I felt that. I truly felt that. I wouldn't wish this hell upon anyone.

I wonder how Dr. House would handle a patient like this

My friend had bulimia really bad for 3 years. We were able to convince her to get help. She is doing wonderful today and looks great

I’ve never cried due to my ed or from watching triggering content, but the thought that I ideolize these types of situations made me sob for ages

I've seen other Anorexia patients, and, god, They're terrifying. It's much worse than this.

last time I was this early my mum and dad were still together.

As a young person who constantly yo-yo diets and had an undiagnosed ed for at least 3 years, I always go back to this episode and remind myself that I don't want to go down this path in order to become acceptable by society standards. It really shows how far things can go.

I shouldn’t laugh, but I loved it when she says to Dr Choi, “I’m ok - I just need to rest...” As my psychologist says, “people with EDs are EXCELLENT at minimising their symptoms”. It’s funny because I’ve literally said the same thing. Laying splat on the floor after fainting a few seconds after standing up and they’re calling paramedics and shit and I’m just laying there, too exhausted to even move, and the words that come out of my mouth are LITERALLY, “I’m ok... I just need to rest for a little while...” 🤦‍♀️😂

How do you cast someone for a role like this? "Looking for female extra, must be over 5'5 and anorexic" Or do they just find someone who's naturally unnaturally thin? Edit: smh some of y'all don't get that it's a JOKE

Refusing forced feeding is similar to getting a "do not resuscitate" order. Tragic as it is, people must have the right to decide, in advance and while still of sound mind, what medical treatment they do and do not want if worse comes to worst. If after 15 years of suffering, she just wants to stop fighting, that's heart-breaking but you can't really force someone like that to get better. I've been in a similar position and ultimately, I had to decide between dying and living. Nobody could have made that decision for me and have it stick.

The doctors in the vid got something wrong. •they shouldn’t feed her 3000 calories in her condition, especially not 5000. She is high risk for refeeding syndrome and I can tell this because of her nutrient levels, weight and condition of organs. If someone is high risk for RS then they should be fed around 1500 calories at the most and via NG tube (one of the things they did get right). If she gets refeeding syndrome then she can die. They should keep feeding her 1500 cals everyday for at least a week to ensure that her obs become more stable than they are atm. They also need to do her obs every 30 mins or, if she’s extremely unstable, they should keep a constant heart monitor on her. She must be kept on strict bed rest and as she is high risk mentally, she should be on a 1:1

8:27 "The odds of her recovery are..." Dr. Charles is trying to avoid saying "slim" so hard lol EDIT: Holy shit over 500 likes. Thank you kind strangers!

Patients have to be physically rehabilitated up to the point where they can get psychological treatment The brain does not function normally and the patient needs some stability before therapy I got to know a girl with a bmi of 9 (!!!) She was bed bound At the bmi of 12 she started to cooperate with the doctors She was in inpatient for over a year and wanted to gain but couldn't She was released at bmi of 17 and got a guardian

She’s actually a good actor

The reality is that after 15 years of anorexia your parents won't be watching you die because they will have left you long ago, just like everyone else. You'll only have Ana and the doctors to see you pass. I'm on year 14, and my blood is basically water, been through the lightest form of refeeding syndrome twice, losing my hair, my gums.

It’s so sad to know that people actually get like this and believe they need to look like this I just want to give them all hugs it makes me so upset *edit : I forgot I made this comment, for everyone in the comments replying telling me its more than how you look, of course I know that, I was responding due to my own past ED which came on from body image, I didn't mean anything by not including the control factors and coping mechanisms in my original comment

Im not anorexic, but i am a recovering addict/alcoholic. After over a decade of addiction, I am happy to say that I am almost six months completely sober. i gave up substances for alcohol several yeard back, and last year I only drank 8 days and while that isn't a perfect record, going from drinking 3 litres of wine a day just to function, that is a massive improvement. I feel like it's finally behind me. I just moved out of a shelter and in to a place of my own again and I've held a full time job for 8 months! Recovery is possible.

I’ve always wondered how they find actors with these kinds of body to portray this kind of sickness? (Sorry if my grammar is bad)

I’ve been through this sutuation, it is painful both mentally and physically. When you’re at this pony you see everyone as your enemy as you think they want you to be “fat”. Hopefully, as you recover, your mind does the same

First 4 seconds sound like the alien I took from area 51

For anyone struggling with anorexia I hope you get through this you’re strong 💖💖

As a anorexic myself knowing that when it comes to being at this point there is no will to live or to recover. Death was the easiest way for her to be at peace

As someone who was anorexic in her teens (not as severely as this, but certainly enough to get a clinical diagnosis and receive therapy) I feel like Dr. Charles was the only one who really understood her, and knew the reality of this horrendous condition. I've seen a lot of comments here along the lines of "why can't they just force-feed her..." "She's clearly not of sound mind, so the law should be allowed to override what she wants..." "They should treat her physical symptoms against her wishes, and that will change her mental state so she *wants* to be helped..." IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE. No-one ever got 'cured' of anorexia by being forced to comply with medical procedures performed on them against their wishes; at best, they might allow it to happen for just long enough to get to a point where they can be safely discharged - but then the minute they leave they'll just go straight back to their old habits again. There has to be something else, inside of their own heart, that finally flicks the switch to make them WANT to get better - and without that, all the therapy and medical intervention in the world won't 'cure' them. All those anorexics out there who DO make that breakthrough and beat the disease - you are incredibly brave and strong people, and you deserve huge credit for that. But those who don't... we'll never know their reasons for not feeling able to leave that behaviour behind. It's so desperately sad, but some demons just grip too tightly for too long, until succumbing to them completely feels like the only form of release they can hope for.

Though it's funny how this hospital is so empathic. A realistic hosp wouldn't waste time treating her if she refuses. They'd have her sign a waiver and out the door by the hour. Lots of patients needing help.

Am I the only one that to notice the time of death time every death they have has 21?

3 years ago when I was 13 I was 6’ and was 90 lbs. I went to the hospital with a heart rate of 25bpm, now I’m 15 and healthy. The worst part of it for me was feeling trapped in my own head. No matter what you look like, NEVER stop eating. Have a good day everyone

Anorexia is the hardest illness. It's so trippy bcz to get ok you have to want to be ok and the disease itself doesn't wants you to be ok

sometimes i watch things like this to scare myself off starving myself when my body dysmorphia gets really bad lol. bc this is scary. to anyone who has / is recovering from an eating disorder, sending much love

wouldn’t she suffer from refeeding syndrome at BMI 11 getting fed 3000-5000cals 💀💀

As a recovering anorexic im so incredibly proud of myself for hearing "3000 calories" and getting excited at the prospect of that much energy 💪 👏 weight gain is hard yall lol

She would get refeeding syndrome from having food reintroduced all at once, which could kill her. One of the weird things about anorexia is some people barely look underweight before they've already done fatal damage to their organs and then there are people like Eugenia who are somehow still alive even though their body resembles a corpse.

This patient had gone to a lawyer before her recent downturn. When the no feeding request was made, she was still mobile, and no reason to assume shes not of sound mind. It was a medical directive no different than a do not resuscitate request.

It’s sad because there was a woman who appeared on a talk show and she weighed only 66lbs at 5’6”, she kept saying she is fine and she wanted to go as low as she could. A few months later she got to 55lbs and her body gave up on her 😢

Not me getting jealous when they said her bmi was 11,i only got to 15 lol in recovery now.

As someone with an eating disorder, i really felt The fear when i Saw The food coming through The tube

Okay don't get me wrong BUT i feel so bad for the doctors- imagine how they felt when they couldn't save their patient- just becuase the patient didn't listen to them

To anyone here who is struggling with this horrible disease, or having a really bad day/week/year... Please know that you are enough and you have a choice. Choose to live. Always choose to live. You are so very worthy of life and living, and you have a purpose, even if you don't know quite what it is yet. You are far braver and more beautiful (outside and inside) than you think you are. Please trust me on that. I know I don't know you personally, but as another human being sharing the same oxygen and sleeping under the same stars, I just want to say that I love you. I truly do. Even the bits you don't love yourself. You're not alone. Together, we've got this, ok? Anytime you wobble, feel too tired to keep going or feel completely on your own, just look up at the stars and know I'm looking at them too and sending you a warm, strong hug. Your friend in Italy x

This is such a terrifying disease I couldn’t imagine being able to starve myself like this I can barely go without 3 meals a day plus snacks. stay strong to all who have it keep fighting.😢

The reason why it’s so hard to help someone when it gets that bad.... is we don’t think the help is needed till we look like the image. So many people are in danger when they “look like they should lose some weight”

Imagine if you where wearing like Gucci supreme and all that and they just cut it up like that

Anorexia is the deadliest mental illness

It baffles me that in the USA they couldn’t force her into treatment. Here in Aus she would be formed as soon as she was brought into the ED, and the dietician would state how much you have to have through the tube.

mind is a powerful thing. your body is sick you can take a medicine but when mind is sick it’s hard to tell if one is fully recovered. I had a postpartum depression briefly and that led me to the decision not to have another baby. I never want to feel like that ever again

The sad part is that I have an eating disorder and I just keep going back to this video to remind myself that if I keep doing what I’m doing now, I’m gonna end up like that.... now I know why my mom is so scared...

Honestly this makes me want to recover. I don’t want this to be my future. It nearly is.

Has anyone else noticed that the time of death is almost always 18:21 or 19:21

i was this patient around the time this video came out. spend my days in the hospital planning to break out. had a real masterplan to avoid the security infront of my door, de other kids on the kids station and the nurses. I even escaped so much i hated the treatment i got. my parents found me 200 km away in a different city.

to everyone out there struggling with anorexia, we’ve got this :), your anorexia manipulates you into believing that by giving into its lies you will gain control, when really you are losing control and yourself by listening to it, anorexia isn’t your friend, the people around you helping you recover are, be strong and know recovery isn’t easy but it is so incredibly worth it, your body and your weight is not what defines you

Doctor Charles is a good doctor I’m Surprise the video when he got shot and the electric pads he’s even alive

Allison: I don't need food, they disappoint me.

thank you for making this video , this video shows the side effects of anorexia . I am in recovery and this encourage me to get better thank you to whoever made this video

I was anorexic for a few years and was almost skeletal for a while. The one thing that changed my outlook was my prom pictures. I was stick like and I was disgusted with myself because of how ill and gaunt I had made myself look in order to try and be as skinny as I could. I cried looking at them and I vowed to myself that I would put on more weight, even though my metabolism was extremely active aswell and now I am alot healthier.

Guys, I was anorexic and now I'm bulimic. It's so hard to eat. It's so hard to get something in stomach and not feel bad about it. I totally understand her, I'd be dying and would refuse to eat and there is nothing anyone can do. Because it's inside our heads. Its inside our bodies. We can't eat. We can't be happy. Because we're not thinn enough to do it. Please Look for help Or you will finish like her

To be honest, when people with very severe illnesses choose to give up, that's their decision because no one knows how much pain they're in. We don't have to deal with pain 24/7 and other illnesses are recognized for that but for some reason people don't respect anorexia patients.

“Healthy BMI is between 18-25” damn my 29

just the words "Time of Death" sends me chills...

I struggled with several ED’s for 13 years. For anyone struggling, it is possible to recover from them, even if it is all you have known for such a long time!

EDs like this are heartbreaking. I'm so grateful to my parents for having me hospitalized as a child. I hated it, but I was close to death's door and the terrible disorder had hijacked my brain and personality. Luckily I was underage and didn't have a choice, because anorexia this bad definitely takes away some of your sanity.

this literally made me cry because i relate to it so much. if i don't fix myself, that's me in a few years.

sometimes sickness have to be treated from the inside (mentally) thats y i admire a good psychiatrist more than a specialist doctor

Had a guest in a hotel I worked before. She was anorexic. Asked baguette for food, gave her the perfect ones. Wrong shape, refused to eat. Tried again and again and again. Gave the smaller size baguettes, feed those to the fish. Unfortunately, in the end she was passed away, while she was thousands miles from home. She was from France and the hotel I worked is in Bali. Saw her once, seeing the kitchen demo, and her eyes are blank. It felt like the notion of food is something allergic, something strange, or even non existent. Been more than ten years, but her face still inside my mind.

So heartbreaking hearing the dad say "she suffered enough,please stop" 💔 RIP beautiful soul✝️💔

When she pulled that tube out of her nose 🤢

Some people don't realise some people have been so fucked up their whole lives but unable to commit suicide that the temporary solution was the only way to go. It gave people enough warning. It gave them enough time to help. I'm not pro eating disorder I just have one and understand. Killing yourself is impossible or heartbreaking if just done. So this is sometimes the only way we see. We don't want to be saved

Nobody Dr Charles: Hello. I am here now. I wont tell you were i came from but im here to bless you with knowledge

This just goes to show how catastrophic anorexia can be. It's endless counting of calories in/out, rituals and straight up delusions. I was still a minor so I was kept barely conscious enough to use the bathroom and try and eat and drink, almost 3 weeks on sedatives because I was just enraged and a danger to myself and others. I remember telling the nurse in the ED I'd rather die than gain weight (after a cardiac event). The dark horrible side of this disease is brutal, I have several friends who have died in their late teens-barely 20ies.

I'm crying so much. I have an anorexic friend and this just hurt so bad

It's an addiction, you think you look good because you're getting thinner, especially if the person has previously been over weight. Then the obsessive calorie counting starts. It's like OCD with weight and food. But the being thin and food, calorie counting becomes and addiction. Which is a mental health disorder. That's why when people call addiction a disease is wrong. Its addiction.

Between preserving life and wanting to reach the point of no return...Dr. Choi and Allison... there's a tragic beauty in the acting.

A mental health professional, psychologist, etc can make the patient be compulsory admitted for being a danger to themselves or others

5000 kcal? Refeeding syndrome, hello?! OMG they have no idea about anorexia.

4:02 it sounds like she's saying "vscos"

My mind and body won't allow me to miss a meal...I can't imagine what these people go through.

So sad. Kudos to the actress.

I am wondering if this is real, or an exaggeration. I mean, euthanasia is not allowed, but at the same time, refusing treatment you'll die without is allowed. How come?

15 years, that means she was 12. She was 12 and starving herself.

the ending made me cry. gosh that poor girl and her parents looked destroyed.

D.r Choi is very strong doctor .Please send his videos again

This was a journey, made me nervous and broke my heart

When I was in this position, I had the doctors/nurses try and tube feed me and every time I’d just pull it out, they couldn’t do anything, even when they restrained me to my bed I was able to do it by moving my head near to my hand. Eventually they just stopped trying. It’s more realistic that people give up on long term anorexia patients than persevere to recovery. Unfortunately. Thankfully I ended up going to a really helpful recovery centre so im pretty okay and healthy now (it took years but yeah).

This girl had probably been fighting anorexia for so long she couldn't even imagine getting better anymore. Not even in her wildest dreams. She already knew she lost the fight long before she went into the ER. And that's why she signed those papers I think. I'm glad her rights were respected in the end. Sad and glad.

I really love doctor Choi, doctor Rhodes and doctor Halstead 😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️ they're the bests

if she has has anorexia for 15+ years and still refuses treatment after seeing numerous doctors and going to wards, it is considered suicidal. if you were starving yourself and not letting those around you help you and get the support you need then you would just "wither away"

When I was a baby I nearly died bc not enough oxygen and I couldn’t eat so I had to get a tube up my nose 😮

I dealt with anorexia before it was really awful

This hit me really hard in the heart because I have been struggling with anorexia for a time that almost made me go inpatient but I never did.

In times like these, no matter how much someone cares about someone, you should never take their body away from them.