Dear Diary,

I’ve been on the phone to my friend Becca, she’s in a pretty bad state.

She suffers from an eating disorder, is a self-harmer and has trouble with anger management. She’s in a bad place at the minute – she’s struggling with uni, but at the same time it’s the only thing that she’s got going on at the minute. She’s desperate to finish. Even though she’s struggling with every day life – her eating disorder makes it difficult for her to socialise with others, she’s anxious and she’s got very low self-esteem.

She’s been trying for a long time to get help. She knows that without professional help she won’t get better. So she’s taken a very brave step and asked for help from the NHS.

She’s just found out today that they’re unwilling to help. The mental health section of the NHS said that she’s not messed up enough to be admitted, but she’s too messed up for out-patient support. They’re refusing to help her. The eating disorder section said that because she’s a self-harmer and has anger issues they can’t help her. The depression section said that because she has an eating disorder they can’t help her. It’s just ridiculous.

She’s in a pretty bad place at the minute – she’s desperate for some help, and she’s taken a very brave step in admitting she needs it. But they’re refusing to give it to her. She’s at her wits end – she knows that without professional help she won’t get better.

She’s considering going to the media, because the way she’s being treated is ridiculous. But she’s scared she won’t be able to handle the media as well as everything else, and she’s worried that the media wouldn’t be interested.

Please pray for her.

V