I'm sorry that this can't be more of a positive post... well, I guess it kind of is in a roundabout way. I've hung around the ED board for over 4 years now, which in a way suggests I've known for a long time that I've had food problems, however over the past three months, I've gone from being able to cope with my anxieties and preoccupations in day-to-day functioning, to being pretty out of control.
In short, I'm at my lowest weight, which is about the same as what I weighed at my most mentally unstable, aged about fourteen or fifteen. Baring in mind, I'm now twenty one, and probably also somewhat taller. I'm not stupid, I know that my BMI is that of an anorexic, I know that I've lost my period, and I know that my restricting is out of hand. All the factors add up, and my peers are concerned, though my parents seem quite happy to make passing comments when they see me, but buy every excuse and hence continue their denial of the problem.
Things aren't great. But still, I do not have an eating disorder.
My uni work is suffering majorly; I started my third year with the potential to get a first... but at the moment I have five pieces of outstanding work. And that would be outstanding for the wrong not handed in reasons.
Eventually I was forced to see my GP, by my housemates. This was the first time I had ever seen a professional about any food issues. I started a prescription of fluoxetine, which has reinforced in my mind the feelings of regression, and am awaiting a psychiatric assessment. Uni know this, hence the extensions, and thankfully they are dealing with it in a supportive manner.
I am, however, petrified about this assessment. It is on Friday.
Could anyone, please, briefly explain what to expect from such an assessment?I've had one before, however I assume that with regards to an eating disorder, it could be quite different?
Many thanks. Hope you are all well. I will try and stick around in the forum for a little longer this time :)
Are you sure it's with an ED team or just with CMHT? *hugs* Either way this is a step in the right direction. I can't tell you what to expect from an ED assessment as I'm waiting for one myself but I expect a lot of questions.
It's at a general mental health centre, I believe, with a view to being referred to an eating disorders unit, which is local to me at uni.
I was just told it was a 'psychiatric assessment'. Maybe it will just be general, like in my previous treatment, perhaps to look at any other possible diagnoses? I don't know.
Thanks for the reply anyway :) I'll post back after Friday, so that I can feedback how it goes.
In that case it sounds like a general psych assessment so don't expect your doctor to have any specialist knowledge about ED's. They should at least ask you the basics about your eating behaviour, thoughts towards your body & food, when your food issues started, do you think you have a problem etc. and will probably request your weight or ask your GP to weigh you, along with blood work/any other physical tests that you may need etc.
You'll probably be asked about your mental health in general; moods, self harm, history, any other symptoms you may have and go from there. I'm assuming that not much will come of this other than hopefully a referral to ED services, which I understand now has to come from CMHT's and can no longer come from GP's, which is why you've been referred. This will be an initial assessment so you can access the ED team. You may not see the person who is assessing you again and they may discharge you or not offer you another appointment with them, if you don't have any other mental health problems that they need to address. So if the only reason you are going is for your ED then you will be just referred and hopefully picked up by the ED team.
Well, they made a diagnosis of anorexia, although I felt that the two female doctors I saw were very vague about everything, and I am having a difficult time accepting that this diagnosis is true, especially considering I started my period again yesterday, and told them this, yet they still made the diagnosis.
So, now I am being referred to the ED unit, which will take a few weeks, where I will then get a more specialist assessment, a while after which I should start therapy. Other than this, the only action taken is that they wish to see me again in 2-3 months, and that my fluoxetine dose has been doubled to 40mg a day.
I feel no different to before now... so I have a diagnosis, but I fail to accept it, due to the manner in which this morning happened. So now it's just a case of going back to my everyday life and habits.
What I learned in the US in treatment: anorexia (my diagnosis) is not about the weight. It's about the relationship with self and food.
so
- your weight
- your period
- the doctors who can't support you in the way you need
have nothing to do with whether you have an ED. (And obviously I cant diagnose you ).
You are doing a great thing by putting yourself into the path of getting help. But/and: can you get some more short term help while the ED process kicks in?
Eg most unis have some sort of counselling service: you could get support with some of the things like "feeling out of control" even if not with the eating aspect neccessarily (and to be clear want you to keep going with that too).
).