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I feel like the reason why there's not that big of a concern with me trying to get help is the fact that I don't LOOK like a person with an eating disorder. I look healthy. What do you think? Do you feel like a person has to be skin and bones to be considered anorexic, bulimic, or otherwise just have an eating disorder?
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Of course you don't look like a person with an eating disorder. Who looks like they have an eating disorder? Most doctors don't catch it until the poor person experiences kidney failure, heart failure, or seizures.
Now really, the fact that you were willing to confide in someone is great, and it should have sent up some high-flying red flags. Perhaps the notes on your chart were not bold enough or well-worded? Or maybe the doctor really is THAT BAD.
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do you think it's possible for a person of a healthy weight
to all of a sudden get this distorted self image in their head and become a person with an eating disorder?
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Yes. It seems like the only way it could happen. From what I've seen, and I'm no expert by any means, you're not born with an eating disorder. It's something that develops due to imposed expectations (real, imagined, or inferred). It's also a side effect of some medications to have loss of appetite. If you're regularly taking some medication, you may want to check clinical studies for this side effect.
Here's a personal funny about anerexia. I share it because I feel like the tone of this thread is pretty depressing and I'd like to liven it up.
Genetically, I have exceptionally low cholesterol. My father and brother have the same condition. In high school, I had some random health concerns and they decided to do a whole array of tests. These tests told two concerned nurses and a female doctor that my cholesterol was so low I should be dead. They decided that I had to be anerexic. Now, I am a small-boned petite woman, and always have been. But, you see, I like to eat. I have no problems eating 15 pieces of pizza for dinner, or whatever obscene amount of food that someone wants to put in front of me. So when this group of nurses started speaking all hush-hush to my mother, I was a little concerned. When my mom came to me, all serious, and said they think I have an eating disorder, and that they might have to take drastic measures to get my cholesterol levels up, I couldn't help bursting out laughing. "What, do I eat too much?" My mother eventually convinced these nurses/doctor that eating was not a problem for me, that there are others in our family with similarly low numbers. I ended up having something completely unrelated to cholesterol issues: bronchitis.
Now, back to somewhere near the topic:
Finding a physician that you can relate to is very important. Is there any way with your health coverage plan to choose a new doctor that you like, or to try a different doctor each month until you find someone who you feel ok talking to?