Dear Prudence,
I’m a middle-age woman who has struggled with anorexia my whole life. I’ve been in recovery for about 10 years but have recently relapsed. I am seeing my doctor and therapist regularly and taking good care of myself—my health right now is not the problem. The problem is I’ve lost some weight and people keep complimenting me on it. I want to remind your readers that sudden weight loss is not always a sign of health: I could be sick, or depressed, or any number of things. My question is how do I respond to these compliments? I don’t want to say “thank you” because this can lead to further disordered thinking. I’d like to say, “Thanks, but I have an eating disorder, so I’m hoping this is temporary,” but obviously I don’t want to tell everyone about my illness. My close friends know what’s going on, but how do I respond to “compliments” from acquaintances and strangers?