Surviving Anorexia | Hollyoaks IRL

“Anorexia always controlled me in the past. Whereas I control anorexia now.”
Ben Robinson shares with Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen) his experience of having an eating disorder, a storyline also portrayed by Nadine’s character in Hollyoaks.
True Stories looks at the fictional storylines in Hollyoaks and how they’ve made life changing impacts on real people’s lives.
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[@chellyw63]

Glad this is being spoken about, I was ill with severe anorexia for 35 years, I ended up admitted to our local hospice in 2010 on end of life care, glad to say I pulled it around and I went into a private eating disorders clinic , I was there for a year, and that year was the start of me living, instead of barely existing , when I was first Ill, there was so little known about eating disorders and I was very admitted at 16 to a general psychiatric unit, they had no idea how to treat anorexia and I was given insulin therapy , nothing was done to address my fears and why I feared weight gain, when I got out of hospital , I packed my bags and moved miles away, and I kept as far away from doctors as I could, this fear of treatment due to past experiences , is what prevented me from getting help again, until I became so unwell I collapsed, I was so lucky I survived and was able to enter treatment as it is now, eating disorders are better understood now and the help is there, so please go and get help as soon as possible , I now try and help other sufferers, it is never too late to get help, but the sooner you get help the better , I am now fully recovered and so wish I had got help sooner 🌸❤️🌺🌺🌸

[@zsazsanoden94]

So hope you feeling better hunny... I know what eating disorders are like and it's taken me years to get over mine and I am honestly 99% over it now... Lockdown has helped me.... Its helped me alot... Being with my hubby and listening to him and finally allowing him to speak and putting my self stategies into place... Its been hard but please If you ever need to chat hunny [e-mail] you can email me xxxxxx

[@stephpowell7648]

Needed to see this. Convinced myself that because I'm fat, I'm over my bulimia, but this highlighted that I'm not. Going to see my gp tomorrow.

[@frothe42]

Good for you, and the best of luck! One day at a time.

[@X.rock.X]

Well done ❤

[@fatoujobe1307]

You are a very brave young man 👨, wishing you all the best recovery. My heart feels for you.

[@shenkiesami7963]

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[@RebeccaJayne5x5]

Thank you so very much for this, we do not hear from enough boys and men when it comes to eating disorders, thank you for your bravery!

[@jamiewain4079]

The actor who plays cleo is a fantastic actor she nailed the bulimia storyline

[@chloeh8332]

she didn't have anorexia she has bulimia

[@stephpowell7648]

Bulimia

[@tomspence8506]

Although it's good that the Hollyoaks producers raise awareness with these eating disorders storylines they already did eating disorder storylines previously when Hannah Ashworth had anorexia and then they repeated the exact same storyline with Jason Roscoe and in both those storylines Hannah and Jason had friends who also had anorexia and who encouraged their illness called Melissa Hurst, who was Hannah's friend and Leon who was Jason's friend, and in both these previous storylines Melissa and Leon died of their anorexia. In addition Cleo's sister Celine had bulimia nervosa as well. Even though Hollyoaks had done a good job at raising eating disorder awareness I do wish they would stop repeatedly doing the same storylines again and again as it's getting repetative in my opinion.

[@kerryholland4822]

I had a similar experience as Ben. Put into an inpatient in unit at 15-16 for 4 months (had to go do my GCSEs whilst still being a inpatient) and I’m really grateful he’s talking about it. It’s a terrifying experience. I was on watch instantly and it’s humiliating. It also doesn’t go away just be putting weight on. My sickness started in 2004 and there was no mental health conversation at the time, I really hope that the change and more awareness saves people lives as once it’s started, it’s hard to undo the damage it has caused

[@shaz2868]

I'm sorry to hear what you have been through. I hope you have a support system and saty healthy and happy always. ❤️

[@Emily-cb5ut]

I've followed Ben on insta for a while and he is honestly the most uplifting and inspirational person, a role model to me recovering from an eating disorder myself. And Nadine is just incredible❤

[@IAreSam]

Thank you so much for this little series, I've really looked forward to it each Wednesday. Great work everyone involved!

[@its.SxnnySoul]

Hi

[@its.SxnnySoul]

Hi

[@pakistanpak4777]

@@its.SxnnySoul ni 9i9i9 iin99n99in9i into i9999n9i8. to i9 9 9niikk

[@cloedythemedium]

When he mentioned his heart rate was low at night that hit close home to me cause had three weeks ago a replase again and felt my heart dropped now waking me up each night like I feel faint....😑

[@angelcorstorphine]

Thank you for this.

[@pendafen7405]

Been struggling for years with forgiving my male cousin who went through the same as Ben. My misgiving is that he physically attacked and verbally abused my mother & grandmother during the time he was ill, and also the way he behaved and appeared in the depths of the illness left me and my family traumatised for many years (longer than he was sick). At one point, he was close to death. Yet today, a decade later, he's totally well, but pretends it never happened and makes light of anything related to ED. I do understand him wanting to leave the past in the past, but it's made it hard for everyone around him to process and grieve. He doesn't seem to care about reconciling or making peace, though all my family ever did was care for him (literally and metaphorically), more than his parents bothered to do. Dgmw, I don't want to make his suffering all about me or my mother, but sometimes I feel like the decent person I knew before he got ill died, and the recovered version of him is a stranger, now. If he'd just come to me today and talk it over, explain, cry it out, apologise to my Mom, then I think we could easily come to a place of reconciliation and I could move on, the way he has. I loved him once, and still miss him now. It feels like he's holding me emotionally hostage.

[@randomtierlists8342]

Another hollyoaks Show saves a life! 💕

[@randomtierlists8342]

@@jetnight88 There tv shows ,Make people wanna stay alive! Like Cleos story showed the person on the show that life is something even if you are different and have something wrong with you.

[@randomtierlists8342]

@@jetnight88 yes but the tv shows make them want 2 stay alive

[@josephlucas4246]

Love the way Hollyoaks is showing us real life problem

[@scouser2010ify]

People think men don’t suffer with these conditions but we do good on him for being so outspoken brave lad

[@mrtry8982]

I know the feeling of the control being taken away from me still in care. It’s absolutely horrific but touch 🪵 never self harmed nor do I wish to, It felt like it’s never ending. Sorry for sharing this 😔

[@adryavannila1054]

Its very hard for me in a day i can lose a kilo , in a day i can gain but I'm never stable

[@lifewithelle.]

I love that Hollyoaks are doing these real life videos now 😊

[@LilProPlays]

These videos are really good

[@GamerBinarypointlive]

i had eating disorders survived 2x i was told i was near to death by doctors i was lack of all good stuff you need bascily to survive . i wasnt allowed to eat although i wanted to i just cant in case i get punished for eating etc . now i living healthy attending gym and doing things women should do for 14 yrs i went through hell point where i wanted to end this im surviour now some parts vid reminded me how i lived and survived

[@tanzeelaamjad2414]

Thank u so much Very inspirational 👏🙌👍😊🙂☺️❤️

[@RobynEmilyyyyy]

Apparently CAMHS is shit. All they do is tell you to have a bath 😂

[@Emily-cb5ut]

100%

[@joshuaadams1178]

I’ve not heard great things. A “friend” of mine went and she came back worse.

[@hannahgoodchild5255]

Yes they were awful for me

[@JYMAHJAMES]

yeah they really just don’t care tbh 💀

[@RobynEmilyyyyy]

@@JYMAHJAMES this is just from what I have heard

[@814912]

Not really relevant, but I absolutely love this guy's accent!

[@rayraybee8400]

Fab story. However - maybe don’t say he looks ‘healthy’ as someone with same issues - this comment hits hard. But yea positive story

[@zahidainlondonvlogs]

Great 🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@RobynEmilyyyyy]

It's childish to think only girls get anorexia. Anyone can get it x

[@frothe42]

It isn't childish but unrealistic. And men suffering from anorexia is nothing new. It needs to be addressed as well!

[@RobynEmilyyyyy]

@@frothe42 I never said it was anything new 🤣

[@frothe42]

@@jetnight88 Yes you do need to hear it regardless of what you think. Everyone has a distorted view of themselves, as well as some having a severe trauma.

[@frothe42]

@@RobynEmilyyyyy I did not say that about you, but addressing others that men having anorexia is nothing new. Just like men can get breast cancer.

[@cottonballandbells7605]

I also have anorexic friends

[@loveislovexx2157]

I hope you recover I have mental illness been through my struggles ended up in psych ward twice but things can get better good luck

[@hooriakhalid163]

Ty

[@kamelbakir6415]

amazing

[@kamelbakir6415]

The recovery is amazing but

[@kamelbakir6415]

Its not good ik

[@cottonballandbells7605]

Ive syrvived arfid at 10

[@rajkaur4091]

way is add in path

[@maryamakrammaryamakram2645]

mashallah

[@amber-pe3pn]

Hi4*😃

[@craigcox6326]

Narcissism manifests itself in multifarious ways.....

[@elifaydn6399]

🙏

[@odhoraislamsumu6660]

👍👍

[@DJJAW11]

... Via all gender's, you mean it can effect Males as well as Females 🤷🙃🤦

[@dragonflyy7439]

Those are sexes

[@andrewjennings7306]

Based

[@CG-mx6rv]

First comment ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️