I'm submitting my story to the Mental Health Inquiry - please push my petition one last time

Since I began my petition to the New Zealand government several things have changed. My daughter has had several setbacks, relapsing losing weight and rises in the co-occuring mental health conditions she suffers from. Despite this she was discharged from Waitaki Mental Health Services earlier this year. Their letter even acknowledges her loss of weight and increased behaviours yet they have no services to offer us. Current Needs I am still caring for supporting my daughter three years after she was officially diagnosed with Anorexia. This has left me unable to work and our family has been badly hit financially and with stress, depression and ongoing illnesses. Due to a lack of support, I have relied on a Facebook Parent Group and an ED Professional’s page to help me with nutrition, refeeding and therapy techniques. She now goes to school more regularly and is starting to look and behave at an age, mixing with her peers and learning to cope with teen dramas. Her recovery is similar to travelling on a roller coaster and may times I’ve had to step her back from life and activities to concentrate on refeeding and working on her mental health. What We Need Now and Future Needs. The government has changed but the situation of good services hasn’t. We urgently need to access good quality evidence-based CBT or DBT therapy now my daughter is in a better position to process this cognitively. This isn’t available other than by using a private therapist at the cost of $130-$150 a session which is needed weekly at this stage - this is seriously hampering her in life. She needs the skills and support to be able to move forward into high school which we’ve already had to delay a year because of her illness, and to be in a position to reach remission. This is an all to common situation for many families. Official figures are vastly inaccurate reporting prevalence of ED which is causing misery and financial hardship to many others. This needs to be immediately addressed, assessed and evidence-based treatment and support put into place. Thank you for your support, it makes the world of difference. Sarah.