Eating disorders, mental health issues rise on Sunshine Coast

Hannah Mitchell has revealed the “living hell” of battling an eating disorder as the Daily teams up with Wishlist to shed light on youth mental health in the Five Reasons Why series.

A “terrifying” disorder quickly swept a young Hannah Mitchell into a “living hell” before she knew it as a stressful time in her life took hold with devastating effect.

After 12 years, Ms Mitchell, 28, is finally coming out the other side of a long suffered eating disorder.

It’s a mental health issue experts say is surging among Sunshine Coast youth during the pandemic and one to which Ms Mitchell can attest was “one of the hardest things” in her life to overcome.

Ms Mitchell said she first developed her eating disorder, anorexia, at the age of 16 with the problem quickly transitioning into bulimia by the time she was 17.

EndED worker Hannah Mitchell has opened up about her past struggles with an eating disorder.

“I had just transitioned from living with my mum to living with my dad, so that was a huge transition and really confronting,” she said.

“And I was working (a lot) - I’d taken up working two jobs, was doing high school and I was in fashion college.

“So, I pretty much would skip meals to keep working virtually.

“It happened without me kind of thinking about it - It very much got me in the grip of it.”

Now in a recovery phase and working at EndED helping others, she said the eating disorder had been an extremely tough experience to break free of mentally.

“When it transitioned to bulimia it was terrifying, truly terrifying” she said.

“It felt as though I was living in hell.

“It has been one of the hardest things to overcome in my life due to the shame really controlling it.”

Emily Seebohm (second left) is the new ambassador for EndEd, an organisation offering help and support to those with eating disorders. Pictured with Emily, Mark Forbes, Millie Thomas and , Andrew Wallace MP. Photo: Patrick Woods.

She said breaking the shameful thoughts surrounding the issue had been key.

EndED founder Mark Forbes said eating disorder issues had ramped by 600 per cent nationally as the country deals with Covid-19.

He said parents of children as young as seven had been in touch for help on the issue.

“On the Sunshine Coast we’ve been inundated for calls for help from families or people dealing with eating disorders themselves,” he said.

Mr Forbes said his organisation had even been asked by schools to help students deal with body dysmorphia and other issues.

He believed kids’ early access to social media was a major concern.

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Psychiatrist Dr Rachel Taylor said eating disorders were a growing issue on the Coast.

“The prevalence of eating disorders amid the pandemic has significantly increased,” Dr Taylor said.

“Previously we would see peaks in presentations a couple of times a year, and the referral rate might reduce for some time.

“But on the Sunshine Coast, it peaked mid-last year with COVID-19 and it has not slowed down.”

She said there had been a “surge of referrals”.

“At any one time at the Adolescent Mental Health Unit at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital there are four to five patients admitted with anorexia nervosa, which really paints the picture of where things are at,” she said.

Teenage mental health issues gained international attention through the successful TV series 13 Reasons Why.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has teamed up with Wishlist to run a five-part series, called Five Reasons Why, to show how close the issue is to home and the importance of donating money.

Wishlist aims to raise $2 million to house and service patients at its new Wishlist Centre - with mental health issues being a major concern among its young clients.

All profits from the sales of the first weekly Sunshine Coast Daily print edition on August 27 will also go to Wishlist for Wishlist Centre.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing depression or anxiety or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. Support is also available through Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.