by briary » Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:13 pm
Hi Lou
This is just my personal view based on my personal experiences, but I'd have to say you already know the answers to your questions.
In my opinion most GPs are very ill informed and have little knowledge of eating disorders, be it anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating or whatever. If you are lucky you will have a GP who is willing to extend their knowledge, but I think this is the exception rather than the rule.
If someone suffering has summoned the courage to seek help I found from my experience that I had to do the research and initially ask my GPwhat I wanted. But then the mental health team and psychiatrist got involved and ignored me completely. All I got told was that if my weight and BMI dropped to a certain level I would be sent to hospital against my will. As you can imagine maybe from that point on I wanted nothing to do with them. They offered me hospitilisation and nothing else.
So off my own back I found a local day hospital that dealt with EDs. You have to bear in mind that resources and support centres for eating disorders are very scant, and it is only if you live in London, or a couple if other places that support exists.
Finally I did secure funding for the day hospital, with the aid of my GP at the time, but having got there the service was severely lacking, and I deteriorated.
I've since had two in patient admissions for anorexia, not under section but pretty much under force. I stayed my time atthe first one, even though it was distressing being 'fattened up', and although I hated it at the time, I can at least say they gave patients input to their treatment and if you followed the rules you got released. It was a private hospital but funded by the NHS as my health was deemed to be in threatl
My second inpatient stay was traumatising and even though it is two years since I 'escaped' by running, I still have flashbacks. I was sent to Cygnet. whose 'treatment' seemed to consist of bullying, general mistreatment and a system of punishment for even suspected, not even confirmed, wrong doings.
In total my experence of 'treatment' or my eating disorder from professionals has been very bad and I am still suffering today but will not approach a GP or mental health team due to the lies and manipulations I've got proof of. Most support comes from friends, which while this is not fair on them, I will never trust another professional.
Sorry I went on a bit there but I hope some of of it helps your research.
Karen