I need the strength to go to see GP about binge eating and alcohol

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Ive always had a bad relationship with food, since I was a pre teen and really skinny people used to tease me so I ate loads to try to put weight on.

I think I have binge eating disorder, I meet almost all the symptoms. but im scared of just looking greedy, I know you'll say GP wont think that but I really feel like they will think it.

I also in the last year or so have developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I think I must have an addictive personality? I don't drink during the day but it does get earlier, especially now in winter its dark at 4pm so feels like night time. ill drink a bottle of wine 4 times a week or so, but I think if I had more in the house I would drink it.
I don't really feel anything in the morning after a bottle of wine, maybe a headache so I say I will cut sown and then by evening im making excuses like the kids are being hard work etc and go and get a bottle.

I feel like I need help but ive spoke to dh and he just says ah its fine its not as bad as you think.

ive filled a gin bottle with water and put it back in the fridge so dh doesn't realise how much ive drank.

I just need a hand hold I guess that I will be taken seriously. is there even any funding in the nhs anymore? am I likely to get any kind of help?

btw ive had a bottle of wine now but tomorrow when I haven't Ill more than likely think theres no way im going to the GP, not because theres no problem but because I will think they will just think im pathetic.

If you're regularly drinking 40 units of wine a week then you do have a problem

Your GP will have heard it all. They aren't there to judge. They will just want to help

I'm more worried about them jug don't about the eating. It just sounds like a fat cow making excuses :(

Judging*

My GP pointed me in the direction of a support service when I admitted how much I drank. However some GPs are better than others. Give it a try..and if GP is shite, try another GP! Be prepared to wait if you want funded counselling tho....

I don't even know what i want? I have no idea what they can offer or what will help me? Maybe I just need more will power but no one can prescribe that, just feel so down about it. I feel like it's OK to say about drinking, but it's the eating that's more of an issue for me and I feel like anorexia and bulimia are more known but binge eating is just me being a fat cow

Hi OP, issues with drinking and eating go hand in hand. I've been in AA for many years and a lot of friends there also attend OA meetings for a variety of issues - bulimia and anorexia but also binge eating, over exercising, simply over eating or having rigid control over every morsel they put in their mouths. I haven't actually attended an OA meeting but they sound very accepting of any disordered eating, you don't have to speak if you don't want to and you can just sit and listen to others talk and hopefully identify with them. That's exactly the same as AA works.

If your GP is understanding then just say exactly what you have explained here and see what he/she recommends. It might depend on funding or groups in your area.

Good luck - admitting that you have a problem is the first and most important step to recovery.

Thank you :)

I went to see GP about binge eating (had iot since early childhood but never really had confidence to talk about it) and she referred em back to MH services whom I had been under for other issues, They were quite sympathetic but told me that although my case was quite severe (and am v overweight) I still do not meet the criteria for their local service which was inpatient with 4 beds and geared more towards bulimia and anorexia (I do purge but not enough to meet criteria) and was told try OA (Overeaters Anon) or something similar?

I tried FA (Food Addicts Anon) but found them very inflexible and it seemd a bit culty so switched to OA and wow- it was great!!! I am bingeing less and purgeing very rarely now. I do recommend them- I go to meetings weekly in person when I can but there is online support available and I have a sponsor. I find they are very non-judgy (with FA, although they use the same 12 step meeting formats as OA, I felt like I was on a diet or something- they disregarded what I said about my trigger foods and just put me on their own plan, which was not working for me. With OA, they listened to me and the root causes of my eating)

I also managed to find a private therapist who would take me on at a very low cost, as my bingeing is linked to complex trauma issues and although it has been a slow process, he is a great help to me.