Woman's weight plunged to 5st 7lb after OCD made her believe everything she ate was POISON Samantha Brown, 27, was eventually diagnosed with unusual form of OCD Had she lost another half a stone, she may have suffered organ failure Says her weight loss was rooted in her desire for some control in her life Research has shown OCD increases the risk of suffering an eating disorder An artist saw her weight drop to just 5st 7lb because she was terrified that all food was going to poison her. Samantha Brown, 27, was eventually diagnosed with an unusual form of obsessive compulsive disorder. Her chronic anxiety, an effect of an obsessive compulsion to control her food intake, caused her weight to shrink dangerously low, to the horror of her family and friends. Recovered: Samantha Brown's weight plummeted to to 5st 7lb because she thought basic foods were poisoning her. She was later diagnosed with a rare form of obsessive compulsive disorder and now weighs a healthy 9st 7lb having undergone therapy Miss Brown was working as a freelance fashion stylist when her OCD began to manifest itself. She said: 'I was incredibly stressed, doing a job that I hated. The recession had hit and the work was drying up. I was working so hard to make something of my freelance career, which involved a lot of rejection. I felt as if I had no control. 'I began dictating to myself what I could and couldn't eat. As my behaviour developed, it became an OCD, where I thought practically everything was poison. It was all rooted in my desire for control. Decline: Samantha pictured while she was rapidly losing weight. Her chronic anxiety, an effect of an obsessive compulsion to control her food intake, meant she only ate Coco Pops, salt and vinegar crisps and pizza While OCD is treated as an entirely separate condition to eating disorders such anorexia and bulimia, it is known that patients with OCD tend to experience eating disorders more severely. Miss Brown, of Leicester, suspects her paranoia that food was harming her was made worse by the fact that she also suffers from ME, which causes chronic fatigue. Shrinking: Samantha says her eating habits were rooted in her desire for control Miss Brown said: 'I didn't want to be thin. I wasn't avoiding eating to stay skinny. Instead, I was convinced that unless I restricted myself to the foods I had decided were OK, I would poison myself. I drew up an "allowed" list and a "forbidden" list. Before long, the "allowed" list had just three things - Coco Pops, salt and vinegar crisps, and thin-crust pizza. Eventually, all I could manage was Coco Pops. My mum became really concerned. She would try to tempt me with new foods like macaroni cheese, but all I could do was sob into the plate, pleading with her and warning her that it would kill me. At her lowest ebb in the spring of 2012, Miss Brown, who is 5ft 8in, weighed just 5st 7lb. The physical and emotional exertion was so great that she contemplated suicide. She said: 'I thought I was being an enormous burden on my parents, and I didn't know whether I would ever get better. I couldn't see any way out.' An appointment with her GP finally put her anxieties in context and, after an intensive course of cognitive behavioural therapy, she finally began to put on weight. She said: 'I stood on the scales and the doctor said, "if you lose another half a stone, your organs are going to fail." It was a wake-up call. When the doctor diagnosed me with OCD I was surprised because I thought I would be described as having a simple eating disorder. It never occurred to me that my behaviour - my systematic approval and disapproval of foods - was compulsive. But once I heard that I had OCD, it all started to make sense. He said it was rare for OCD to have the effect it had on me, but not unknown. He had seen two other women in a similar situation over the course of his career. Now Miss Brown, who exhibits art all over London, weighs a healthy 9st 7lb and maintains a balanced, varied diet. She said: 'I want to help other people who are struggling with OCD issues, if only by raising awareness about the different forms the condition can take.'