What exactly will happen if I go to my GP with a suspected eating disorder?

[Username90210]

I need some help with my eating but I keep putting off calling my GP.

Can anyone give me a bit of advice about what sort of questions I might be asked and what the next steps might be if I do work up the courage to make an appointment?

I've just eaten an entire cheesecake, a swiss roll and two steak pies, then thrown it all up, so I do realise I need help but I'm conflicted.

Good luck in the job and the eating, and for your meeting, glad your parents listened, it sounds like you were really clear about it and set yourself up not to be thrown off course, really great. Hope your brain enjoys the new challenges at work, exciting times for you moving forward.

Just a quick update - I have been referred to the specialist adult eating disorder team and had my first appointment today. Just an initial assessment and there's a follow up appointment the same time next week.

I've been continuing to lose weight and they say they will have to consider hospital admission, which would be an absolute disaster in terms of work etc.

I've agreed to get weekly blood tests and to stop walking to work and back in the hopes of avoiding hospital.

I think I am ready to put on a bit of weight.

In other news - work is great. Very challenging, busy, working with nice people and loving it so far.

@Username90210 That sounds amazing, well done on getting help. Keep going with the positivity.

@Username90210 You're showing that bloody ED who's about to take charge!

I think it was the suggestion that I be assessed for the day hospital that 1) made me acknowledge how unwell I was (to this day I'm still baffled she thought I needed it) and 2) shook something in my brain up and made me realise that I needed to actually DO what I knew I needed to do.

Day hospital couldn't possibly have fitted in with my job and being a lone parent.

It was baby steps to just keep myself out of hosp, but baby steps lead to bigger steps.

You've got this and we are behind you (actually, no...we're holding your hand).

Sorry, I made that all about me, though I guess me being able to empathise might be helpful.

They might refer you for counselling but there will be a waiting list probably. They might ask you if something triggers the binging and throwing up, how long it's been going on.

@tribalmango it's very helpful to hear your experience. It makes me feel like less of a weirdo to know that others have been through something similar

Go to the GP and then get a referral

Please read the thread.

@Username90210 how are things? Been thinking of you 💐

I had my second appointment with the eating disorder service today. Just more general chat and background questions but they're going to set up an appointment with a dietician next week and get regular meetings with my key worker in the diary.

I haven't lost (or gained) any weight since last week but everyone is a bit worried about me as I have been having quite severe leg cramps and feeling weak and faint, so I will keep having weekly blood tests which will hopefully be normal enough to reassure people so I can stay out of hospital.

Still feeling positive-ish, but I did have a bit of a breakdown today when it was suggested that I should eat something before lunch, maybe a banana. A whole banana seems impossible but I am going to try a bit of fruit on Wednesday morning when I am in the office (WFH tomorrow so there's no point as I will just throw up)

Really thinking of you OP, well done, you're doing so well xx

Hi OP. How are you getting on today? I think you are doing great. Day by day you can manage this, and things will get easier. You are doing the right thing now engaging with the professionals who can help you.

Bananas are quite good for potassium I believe, which might help the leg cramps and the things they are worried about x

I did what I was told and ate my half banana this morning. No issues at all, felt fine about it. I've also added oat milk to my morning coffee so I feel like I'm making lots of steps in the right direction.

Work has been very tiring this week, but in a good way. Very intellectually challenging and lots to learn.

Feel very slow, physically, but mentally fine.

The job sounds like it can stretch you in a helpful way, congrats on getting it and getting stuck in to the learning. I find my job intellectually challenging and it's such a bonus. Glad it went ok today.

What a great update OP.
It's a pivotal moment when the world doesn't implode after you do something (eat 1/2 banana) that has been really hard for you to do. I think following instructions can take the agonising decision making away from you - someone told me to do this, so OK, I'll do it. That's the role of the dietician and ED team right now. I felt infantilised being weighed (refusing would have indicated I was not engaging and thus not ready to recover) and patronised being told what I needed to eat, but once I accepted that I was quite unwell, and (importantly) trusted the professionals I did my best. At no point did any of the professionals give me reason to feel infantilised or patronised. Importantly, though I was being 'told' the decision to act was all on me, so you're doing the hard work, just with support.
It was not a linear thing - not at all.

I love that your new job is going so well. Isn't it great to see that you can learn new things!

Update - I'm going into hospital on Friday morning for a minimum of 2 weeks. I'm not sure what to expect, but I think I feel alright about it.

I'm out of control at the moment. Binging/throwing up every day and not eating anything in between. Maybe someone telling me what to do and making me stick to a routine will help me reset and get back to some sort of normality.

Work is fine about everything for now - time in hospital this side of Xmas will not be too disruptive, but after that it would get a bit trickier.

I’m so pleased to hear this OP. You will be able to rest and have the stress of deciding what to eat taken away from you for a while. Good luck xx

The new e-consult thing is handy for this as well- I much prefer it

Good luck OP, let the programme take charge and get well.

All the best OP. 💐

Hi OP, hope you are settling in well and managing to relax a bit.

It's pretty awful so far. The schedule for the day is so focused on food/watching what I eat/supervising me after eating, that all I'm thinking about is mealtimes and my weight.

Most of other people in the ward (apart from 2 young women with eating disorders who have been very friendly) have acute mental health issues that can be quite confronting/scary. This morning a very large man spent a while shouting at me about Putin sending missiles to assassinate him.

I'm at risk of refeeding syndrome (not entirely sure what this is...) due to excessive binging/purging, so my meal plan is extra restricted for the first 10 days. I'm hoping I might get home shortly after the 10 days is up if I do everything I'm told, but it feels unlikely at the moment. And even though I came in voluntarily, apparently I can't discharge myself.

To make things even more fun, the heating is broken in our bedroom and it's freezing cold.

Hi OP, it will take a while for you to get used to this new environment (I’ve had two inpatient stays in MH wards myself so I speak from experience) but try to focus on the fact that you are being looked after and getting the help you need and deserve. Take care xx