Do you find it difficult to share your eating disorder and symptoms with your GP?

[ABC-]

[Hidden]

It can be varied. I know GPs get a lot of stick for not being up to date or knowing the right things to say........but to be fair they are GPs, General Practitioners who have to be knowledgable on a vast host of ailments and then there are specialists they point you towards. I think it is the role of the eating disorders teams in the community to make themselves known and advise the GPs. At present In my local surgery, on the whole the doctors are good and try their best. It does however frustrate me as i sitt anxiously in the waiting room, scanning the leaflets and magazines, of which there are many.......you know cancer, strokes, alcoholism, domestic abuse, Heart, eat your 5 a day, exercise.....all of which are improtant, but where are the ones on eating disorders! Even if it does not directly help me, it would help others so it is not such a taboo isolating subject.

[Angelus]

I completely agree with 'september' we all need to spread the word because eating disorders would not be the taboo subject if people had good understanding of them, unless you have been or are a sufferer you do not have much knowledge, we really seem to have less NHS services and yet this isa rapidly growing issue which needs urgent attention.

[Jazzie10]

I have always been honest with my GP (I see 2 regularly) and I've been lucky that I've managed to access ED services pretty quickly once referred. I know not everyone as lucky tho.

Re: ED leaflets, if you can get them from b-eat, support group, then take them to your surgery & they should be willing to stock them for you. I've done that before.

I have found that the more honest i've been with people abvout my ED, the easier it has been to recover. Don't get me wrong, i'm not out of the woods yet, but it makes it easier when socialising with friends, going out for meals, etc.

Keep fighting.

x

[Citylife]

Ive been really lucky and have a great GP who has had experience dealing with eating discorders. She offers a gtreat listening ear, never judges me and is really supportive. She arranged counselling for me, a dietician and also regular feedback sessions with her to discuss my progress and concerns.

[Smileitsok]

I think I tend to minimise things and so my GP possibly doesn't know how much of a problem it still is. I sort of think it is her job to ask me more questions than she does, but I think they don't want to know because there isn't really any help I can have in my geographical area. They do do bloods regularly though. I don't want them to judge me so I always try to present as coping and together, even when I am talking about things I find difficult - like at the moment I am very anxious and not sleeping but I try to talk about it in a way that makes me seem normal and in control.

[Anne601]

I can't bring myself to tell my GP I'm too ashamed its terrible i know to be ashamed but i can't bare to let them know although they may suspect something I'm not sure but i can't go back to the gp i ve been twice in a month about something else

[noah1]

I have at last made an appointment with my GP as I can't carry on excess eating and being sick. They can't see me for 2 weeks but I feel great that I have made the move.