Will they put me in hospital?

I understand how you feel about the doctors, but I think with your bmi and situation they would probably admit you as soon as possible - if there are no beds available probably to a general hospital until they could find space. Your bmi is dangerously low and you're at significant risk. I know this because I was in basically the same situation. Fortunately in my case they did have a spare bed straight away but I know that the NHS doesn't always work that fast.

Specialists are experienced with eating disorders and understand that you don't have to fulfill all the criteria to get help. It's clear you have a serious problem and you sound like you really need the help, and I reckon they will see that too and should give you the help you need. It would really concern me if they turned you away, or only offered you outpatient care. You say you're eating relatively normally, but 1200 calories isn't normal and is restriction. You're restricting your diet if you're maintaining a weight that is under healthy for you. You don't have to have weird food behaviors or be trying to lose weight to have a problem. Your health is at risk, you are clearly very unhappy - that is more than enough.

So please go to the doctors, and hopefully they'll give you the help you need.

It's possible but not likely especially if you don't want to be there [i.e. self discharge against medical advice] however if they feel that there is no other option they can detain you and force treatment if ordered by a judge [Mental Health Act 1983, section 63] however this is very rare for obvious legal reasons.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/jun/15/anorexic-woman-fed-judge

Thanks but I think you misunderstand. I'm going to ask to be put in hospital and I wanted to know whether it is likely that they will agree to admit me.

Oooh right, well in that case its a similar situation as they cant relly do much for you and the condition is fairly prevelent. They will generally only admit people when the situation has become life threatening otherwise it'll be outpatient care, psychiatric help and so on. It does depend on the doctor to a large degree though.

This is what I'm afraid of. I've done outpatient before and the whole experience destroyed my family. None of them are willing to support me through that process again and I can't do this without help. Whereas, there would be people to support me in hospital. Also, the outpatient care I received last time was terrible. My psychiatric help was virtually non existent and as such, I relapsed immediately on discharge.

Im sorry to hear that! Mmm i can definitely see your dilema, it could just be you struck out and got some terrible doctors.. try asking for different ones or just go to a different doctor/hospital?
the main problem is most hospitals are not equippedto deal with this condition due to their technically speaking no cure [as in surgery medication etc.] thus they cant do much beyond palliative care. I believe theres a few specialized psychiatric hospitals but im not sure how easy it is to be admitted.

I was referring to specialist eating disorder wards, not a regular hospital. ED patients are never treated in normal hospitals, unless there are no beds available in an ED ward and even in those cases it's only a temporary situation. In an ED ward, the doctors work on restoring patients to physical and mental health before discharge. From what I understand, my BMI does fit the criteria for inpatient treatment. However, because I am not losing weight or restricting, I fail certain other criteria.

My mistake again, sorry.
However i would say my point still stands im afraid, having consulted with my cousin, who is a nurse, she saysin general said wards are only for critically malnourished people [due to numbers and such] and the generl assistance is limited in what they can do beyond feeding you and councelling. I believe the standard treatment plan is;Either way I wish you the best of luck!

Yes, that's my understanding of the programme too. The thing is, a BMI of 12.3 does put me in the critically malnourished category and my friends who were inpatient were hospitalised at considerably higher BMIs. However, as I said, because I'm maintaining this BMI instead of continuing to lose, I am considered much less at risk than those at higher BMIs who are losing.

Hey, have you managed to get help yet?

A few months ago I went through quite a severe relapse with my anorexia, and dropped to a bmi of 13.5. They still said I was not 'low enough' for help and they would only admit me to hospital if it dropped below 11. I managed to stabilise completely by myself and am now up to 16.4. I had to find the motivation from focusing on things like my nursing course etc.

Access to a dietician is really helpful. I know you say you are eating, but the fact that you're maintaining a low bmi means you are restricting your calorie intake at least. Is there any way you could manage to increase it a bit? I could help you with meal plans etc.

So actually, you are restricting... 1200 calories a day is restricting. I've been in a similar position to you, where I got to the point of 'x' bmi and knowing in my heart I couldn't get better without and inpatient admission - that outpatient just wouldn't help me. It took some serious balls but I went to the doctors and explained it all. The first point of call was to refer me to the outpatient team but only because the GP wasn't specialised in ED's and they couldn't refer me straight to an eating disorder hospital due to funding - eating disorder outpatient teams have much better access to funding and commissioning bodies so you may have one appointment with the outpatient team but if in the appointment you explain everything, then they will refer you. The GP can refer you straight to a+e so that might happen but then you'd be referred from a+e to an eating disorder unit. I had that appointment, they weighed me and asked about nutrition and what I was eating and then asked what I thought the way forward was and I said about being admitted. They agreed and I was admitted a few days later to a specialist unit.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best of luck with your recovery. If you want to message me again, I'll come off anon x