When your daughter has anorexia

By Clare B. Dunkle, Special to CNN

Updated 1828 GMT (0228 HKT) June 24, 2015

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Photos: Overcoming anorexia

Clare Dunkle's daugher, Elena, had trauma-related anorexia in her late teens. Now, Elena is healthy. Click through the gallery to see her progression.

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Photos: Overcoming anorexia

Although Elena didn't want to admit she was anorexic, she was hospitalized to get her back to a healthy state.

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Photos: Overcoming anorexia

A photo of Clare and her daughter, while Elena was in the hospital.

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Photos: Overcoming anorexia

Elena and her sister, Valerie -- both in childhood, left, and later in life.

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Photos: Overcoming anorexia

Elena and Clare both wrote books about their experiences and the process behind Elena's descent into anorexia, as well as her recovery, from their own perspectives.

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Story highlights

Clare Dunkle's daughter had anorexia in her teens
Elena's anorexia stemmed from being raped at age 13

(CNN)In 2002, close to my daughter Elena's 14th birthday, her whole personality seemed to change. She became tense and silent, and she developed insomnia. Most troubling at all, she became skinny and stopped growing. Her rising anxiety seemed to keep her from being able to relax enough to enjoy a meal.

The changes we saw in Elena's weight and behavior worried her fat