Over-exercising is also a symptom of anorexia. A kid in the same ward, 12 or 13 years old, presented anorexia by obsessively exercising.
The desire to take it past the breaking point definitely puts them in dangerous-thinking territory.
At 18, though, I'm not sure how much help you can force on them. I'm vaguely concerned that, if my daughter has issues past 18 then what can a parent force given we're no longer a legal guardian? Could she call the police and we're arrested for some kind of restriction of liberty or kidnapping or something? She has literally said that she can't wait until she's 18 so she can leave and follow this starvation pursuit outside of our influence.
(the disease is horrible in that they literally are thinking and believing these things and there is no way to reason with "it" that doesn't reinforce the position - this is the first thing I've come across where logic and rationalisation are useless tools).
I was not correct with past the breaking point -- it is more with no regard to a breaking point, he is not suicidal at all, just believes that he can do more.
He is very happy with his body and eats a ton (and healthy) to build muscle and strength. It is just that this is way, way too much in terms of effort and time spent on exercising. There are plenty of articles on the topic of people of all ages who got addicted to sport and needed professional help to break the dependence. At least they wanted help.
His parents are not looking at forcing him to do anything, this is not in the picture at all. They want to help him. He has a good relationship with them and is leaving the house to study as expected (and normal)
The desire to take it past the breaking point definitely puts them in dangerous-thinking territory.
At 18, though, I'm not sure how much help you can force on them. I'm vaguely concerned that, if my daughter has issues past 18 then what can a parent force given we're no longer a legal guardian? Could she call the police and we're arrested for some kind of restriction of liberty or kidnapping or something? She has literally said that she can't wait until she's 18 so she can leave and follow this starvation pursuit outside of our influence.
(the disease is horrible in that they literally are thinking and believing these things and there is no way to reason with "it" that doesn't reinforce the position - this is the first thing I've come across where logic and rationalisation are useless tools).