A TALENTED teenager who dreamed of becoming a nurse jumped to her death from cliffs at Brighton Marina after suffering from low self-esteem and anorexia, an inquest heard.

Elizabeth Ralph, known as Libby to friends and family, was found dead at the foot of the 60ft cliffs on January 2. She was 18 years old.

An inquest in Brighton heard that Libby had autism and Asperger’s and a borderline personality disorder.

On the day she died she had booked a one-way rail ticket from Crowborough to Brighton.

Libby had been shopping and had said goodbye to friends before going to the marina, where her body was later found.

Coroner Catharine Palmer asked whether Libby had been discharged too early from getting help for her eating disorder.

Occupational therapist Lisa McKenzie tried to build trust with Libby after she had been discharged from Amberley Ward at Eastbourne Hospital, the inquest heard.

Ms McKenzie said the schoolgirl had been a talented musician who also enjoyed arts, crafts and dance, and told the coroner she was “devastated” to learn of Libby’s death.

She said Libby cared very deeply for other people’s problems, perhaps as a distraction from her own.

The coroner asked Ms McKenzie whether there had been any signs or dangers in their final two meetings on December 13 and December 20.

Ms McKenzie said Libby had been “definitely low” on December 13, but had expressed no intentions or plans in their one-to-one sessions.

If she had, the therapist said Libby’s GP and parents would have been told.

A week later on December 20 Libby seemed much happier, the therapist said.

The coroner asked Ms McKenzie if this could have been a “brave face” or a “smoke screen” but the therapist said that Libby had appeared genuine.

A problem was that Libby had refused to be weighed – a key part of tackling her eating disorder, the inquest heard.

As a result, the health experts agreed to discharge her from that part of her treatment until she was ready, the inquest heard.

Mrs Palmer said experts knew Libby had tried to take her own life a year earlier, and said treatment for eating disorders could take a long time.

She said: “Her illness left her vulnerable to changes of mood and anxiety.

“She faced some enormous challenges to get back into the groove when she left hospital.

“She struggled to be weighed, and she couldn’t overcome this difficulty.

“I understand why the health service felt weighing was so important. I’m not convinced she was given sufficient time to overcome these problems.

“It was a premature decision, and Libby may have seen it as a door being closed. It could have been a catalyst.”

The coroner said Libby’s conditions were contributing factors in her decision to take her own life.

She said Libby was “caring and a credit to her parents”.

Her father Graham previously said: “None of us had any idea what she was going to do.”