how do you tell your doctor?

[thisisabadidea]

hey everyone,

so i made an appointment with my doctor with the intention to talk about my b/p but now im freakin out and i dont even have a clue what to say and i just don't know how to approach this at all. i really wish it was as simple as just opening my mouth and talking but i know im going to panic and just find a scapegoat.

any suggestions/ideas?

[annaliese]

Just do what you said, tell him about your binging and purging, and they will understand, I promise they will treat others with this often, and hopefully they'll refer you to a specialist or start the wheels turning. They might ask you to have a blood test or weigh you. Honesty is the best policy, if you're going to lie, then you're sabotaging yourself and might make it harder later. Good luck <3

[lilgrlblue]

You just do it!

I was wondering about your age, and how long you've been dealing with this, so I took the liberty of viewing your profile and other posts. I'm also curious about the name you chose?

Where my response is coming from (as in, I feel ya): I'm 32, have been with my ED almost 12 years. I B/P, overexercise, and restrict. I've been in and out of treatment and hospitalizations for both my ED and alcohol abuse, and dealt with quite an array of health-care professionals, and I have to disagree a little bit - most of them *don't* understand. A vast majority of the health-care people I talk to just get preachy and have no fucking clue, BUT sometimes they do, and sometimes they can gear you toward specialists who really DO understand. Whether or not they understand, they will definitely take you seriously! No one will judge you for whatever size or whatever anything you may feel like undermining yourself about - EDs come in all shapes and sizes - healthcare people know it, and most of all ED people know it!

So far as the doc's ... you aren't going to be able to get out of the dumb-ass B/P cycle without help of some kind. The sooner you do it the better; the longer you wait, the worse it's going to get. You aren't going to get the help if you don't say something, especially to the people who can help you. If you're worried you'll chicken out, maybe you can write it down before hand and pass a note - or if you get a check-in sheet to fill out, make sure to write it as a part of your reason for your visit! Eliminate your escape routes. You told your sister - maybe she can go with you, or someone else who you trust? Need text support? I or others here would probably be on board! DO IT!

For some reason I'm feeling compelled to share a book - have you read/seen "Purge" by Nichole Johns? It's a quick read, and I loved it! She speaks the truth as a not-stick-thin girl struggling with an eating disorder, specifically binging & purging. I wrote her an email a few years after I read it (I was rallying protesters about a TV show) - she's super nice! We've been in touch on goodreads and facebook ever since

Hang out here, on this site, it's a good place! If you want nagging texts on the day of your doctors visit ... !