If you are developing an eating disorder

missylectro
missylectro Posts: 448 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Should you go see a doctor? And if yes, then what kind of doctor?

Replies

  • AutumnElf80
    AutumnElf80 Posts: 58 Member
    Yes, and your family practice or general practitioner should refer you to someone with more experience. Someone such as a dietitian.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Yes, Registered Dietitian
  • JessicaBlackman
    JessicaBlackman Posts: 8 Member
    Yes. If you have a trusted GP, go see them, they might have a recommended dietitian or be able to give you a referral if required. Ultimately seeing a dietitian and maybe even a nutritional psychologist is what you need to do :)
  • Life0fbrian
    Life0fbrian Posts: 69 Member
    a therapist could be a good start, it helped me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Should you go see a doctor? And if yes, then what kind of doctor?
    Hi. I suggest going to your family practitioner and asking for a referral to a professional who deals with eating disorders.

    What helped me with my eating disorder years ago was individual therapy, and also group therapy with other people who had eating disorders.

    I don't understand why some of you would recommend a dietician. A person does not get an eating disorder out of poor eating habits, it goes a lot deeper than the food, often to the core of a person's being. Would those of you who recommend a dietician please elaborate?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    You need a psychiatrist. You might need a referral from your family doctor. Psychiatrists are actual doctors, so they can treat your body as well as your mind.
  • SammieDQ37
    SammieDQ37 Posts: 37
    a therapist could be a good start, it helped me.

    this:flowerforyou:
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    Should you go see a doctor? And if yes, then what kind of doctor?

    Eating disorders are mental illnesses. You need to see a psychologist, but a family practitioner can refer you to one.
  • soidade
    soidade Posts: 116 Member
    You need a psychiatrist. You might need a referral from your family doctor. Psychiatrists are actual doctors, so they can treat your body as well as your mind.

    Psychiatrists primarily deal with medication... Medication isn't very effective for eating disorders unless you also have a mood disorder. The appropriate doctor is a psychologist, who can provide psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
  • suiteblooms
    suiteblooms Posts: 100
    I will say that when I realized that it was time to see a doctor for a mental health issue, the cost involved, and the frustration of making phone calls, dealing with insurance made me wait. I wish I hadn't waited. *JUST INCASE THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR YOU* Most cities have a clinic that works with your insurance and then goes on a sliding scale based on your income. My suggestion is to check online for mental health clinics in your area. Call them and get an appointment as quickly as possible. Then dig out a current pay stub. Make a list of your current regular bills. Ask a friend to go with you the first time. Then be honest. Show them your food log, and be sure to tell them about recent changes in your life that seem to influence you. I'm so sorry that you are struggling. I truly wish you the best. Remember that your body will have to take care of you for your whole life, so you have to take care of it. Warm wishes :flowerforyou:
  • Strawberriesandlime
    Strawberriesandlime Posts: 3
    Start with your GP (family doctor). They can also give you referrals to a dietician and/or therapist- eating disorder recovery generally requires a multidisciplinary team approach seeing all three of them to manage every aspect of the problem.
    Hope it goes well darling! <3
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    You need a psychiatrist. You might need a referral from your family doctor. Psychiatrists are actual doctors, so they can treat your body as well as your mind.

    Psychiatrists primarily deal with medication... Medication isn't very effective for eating disorders unless you also have a mood disorder. The appropriate doctor is a psychologist, who can provide psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

    Not all psychiatrists are drug pushers. My boyfriend is a psychiatrist. He does one hour individual psychotherapy. Yes, some of his patients are on medications, but prescribing medication is certainly only a part of what he does to help people.
  • VeganScotland
    VeganScotland Posts: 4
    Firstly, it depends on where you live. The NHS is completely different from the American private health care system. Treatment times differ greatly between the two.

    Otherwise, your history (or lack of) psychiatric illness will play a role. If you already have a psychiatrist or psychologist, tell them. If you haven't been diagnosed with anything in the past, go see your GP. Depending on your BMI, they might monitor you for a few months (if it isn't too low), or refer you straight away to a specialist or for inpatient treatment (if it's very low). Either way it could take a while to receive therapy, so you might see a dietitian before that.

    Also, if you're at school, college or university, try to seek treatment there. The waiting time will be far, far shorter. They should have a visiting psychiatrist at the very least.

    I hope you feel better soon.
  • TutuMom41
    TutuMom41 Posts: 278 Member
    Yes, Registered Dietitian

    eating disorders are disorders of the mind not diet
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
    Yes, Registered Dietitian

    eating disorders are disorders of the mind not diet

    I agree. A dietician can tell how much and what to eat, but they are not counselors and cannot get to the underlying issues. You need a mental health professional. Good luck. :flowerforyou:
  • vismundcygnus27
    vismundcygnus27 Posts: 98 Member
    You need a psychiatrist. You might need a referral from your family doctor. Psychiatrists are actual doctors, so they can treat your body as well as your mind.

    Psychiatrists primarily deal with medication... Medication isn't very effective for eating disorders unless you also have a mood disorder. The appropriate doctor is a psychologist, who can provide psychotherapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

    Not all psychiatrists are drug pushers. My boyfriend is a psychiatrist. He does one hour individual psychotherapy. Yes, some of his patients are on medications, but prescribing medication is certainly only a part of what he does to help people.

    That's interesting - when I was dealing with a variety of mental health issues, I saw both a psychologist and a psychiatrist. I met with the psychologist once a week for an hour of talk therapy. I only ever met with my psychiatrist once a month for 40 minutes to see how I was doing on my medications. I've had a few different psychiatrists over the years, and while we would talk about how I was feeling and such, the focus was on the medications, not therapy. It was more like a standard doctor's visit. But perhaps it varies from doctor to doctor, patient to patient.

    Anyway, OP - like others have already said, talk to your doctor. He'll want to give you a referral to someone better equipped to deal with the issues that you're having. Good luck, dear!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support

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