Hi Em Bel. I had to go to several doctors before I received treatment or was taken seriously. I had to admit I needed help first, and learn to ask for it, not something I like to do. Anyhow, go and keep going until you are heard. Hopefully they will do what they should and take full labs, & check your heart. Don't give up. Someone will help you. Hugs!

My doctor didn't feel I had a problem even though after looking at my labs for myself I have several low areas. I even pulled up my shirt and showed him my rib and back bones. I told him how I didn't like the feeling of gaining weight and how others approached me with concerns about my weight and he pretty much told me "haters gonna hate" in a more professional way. I mean, he said, "well those are probably bigger out of shape people telling you that, right?" My therapist disagrees with him. Even my doctor's nurse who hadn't seen me for a while was amazed at my low weight, but he wasn't.

Good for you. Im glad youre preparing to seek help. Opening up to a doctor, especially for the first time can feel pretty daunting. Do you know which doctor youd be seeing or is it going to be someone strange? As the previous answers confirm, it makes such a difference WHO the doctor is - her or his professional expertise in the area of eating disorders matters, and maybe even more, her or his personality and communications skills. You should be taken seriously and medication is unlikely to be the first step in care and treatment.

When I was young I was acutely ashamed of my eating disorder and "admitting" to it was terrifying. Nowadays although basically recovered, I can talk about it and other mental health problems fairly easily. With "practice" it does get easier to talk about these things. So my advice would be to go ahead and make the appointment. If you think you might be nervous then write out a list of your symptoms and other important points you want to make and dont be shy about checking your list in front of the doctor. Id hope youd get your symptoms checked and be directed to whatever suitable treatment exists where you live.

If youre unlucky enough to get an incompetent doctor - well even that will have given you practice in finding the words to use to explain yourself. Use the experience to keep trying with other doctors if possible.

All the Best! Lets know how it goes!

It's a good idea to tell your doctor about it. It's true that some regular physicians don't know much about eating disorders or what to do about them, but thats not true for every one. My doctor was really supportive when I told her about my ED a few years ago and ran a bunch of tests to make sure my organ function and nutrient levels were okay. But she also knew that she's not a therapist or ED expert so she didn't try to tell me what to do or scare me with the risks of it, she just made sure I had a counselor and I went to her for follow ups to keep making sure I wasn't causing too much damage. That was a few years ago and I'm really struggling again but haven't told my doctor yet (same doctor) because its a lot worse now and im scared theres going to be something wrong this time, but im going to tell her soon too. I would just recommend being completely honest with your doctor. I think most doctors are going to be supportive and want to help you, unless they suck at there job. I'm here if you want to talk (: I hope it goes well!

Don't give up but keep looking for a medical professional who will take your concerns seriously. Good on you for admitting you have an ED and that you need help. Don't let one person stop you from pursuing the recovery and healing you need in your life :)