Tips for Talking to a GP

Why You Should Talk to a GP

It’s completely normal to have mixed or complicated thoughts and feelings about recovery. The idea of letting go of the eating disorder can bring up emotions like fear, sadness, or even anger. You may think that you aren’t ‘sick enough’ to seek help or you may be worried that you don’t meet the stereotype of people who get eating disorders or that you aren’t ‘thin enough’ and that you won’t be believed.  These types of thoughts are part of the illness, and your feelings are completely valid - you’re not alone in them.

It’s important to know that recovery is possible and it’s never too soon (or too late!) to reach out for help and reclaim your life. Leaving the issue undiscussed or untreated will not make it go away.

We encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible if you think you have an eating disorder or are worried about your relationship with food, eating, your body image, or your exercise habits.

A GP Can:

• Help you understand what is happening and make a diagnosis.

• Initiate early support, which is key to long-term recovery.

• Assess you physically and from a mental health perspective.

• Refer you to eating‑disorder specialists or services, including psychologists, psychiatrists, or dietitians to support you to recover.

• Stay with you throughout your treatment and beyond to help navigate both treatment and recovery.

Choosing Which GP to See

If you have a regular GP that you feel comfortable with, make an appointment straight away.

If you don’t have a regular GP, look for one who has ‘mental health’ as one of their treating specialties listed on their website, or phone and ask the medical practice’s receptionist. Perhaps a friend or family member can recommend a GP that they have seen before who they felt listened to and supported by when they saw them.

It will always help to book a double appointment if you can, to give you a bit more time to talk about things. If you are worried about the cost of longer appointments moving forward, talk to your GP about these concerns and make a plan with them. You could also make a list of the things you would like to discuss.

What to Expect from Your GP Consultation

Seeing a doctor about eating disorder concerns can feel like a big step. Knowing what to expect during the appointment can help reduce some of the anxiety and make the process feel more manageable.

Talking to Your Doctor

• It’s important to speak as openly and honestly about your symptoms and concerns as possible. If you're feeling concerned about this, we've put together a few ideas on the next page to ease your worries.

Medical Check-Up

• The doctor will need to check the stability of your physical health. This may also involve taking a blood test, your blood pressure and checking your current weight. If you are weighed, it’s important to know that you do not have to see the number on the scale – you can ask to face the other way or ask not to be told the number.

• A GP should not focus solely on physical measures to determine if you are experiencing an eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, so they will ask about your mental health too.  

Diagnosis and Referral

• The GP may be able to make a diagnosis for you during the appointment. As part of this process the GP may guide you through completing the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Your GP can use this to develop an appropriate care plan which will enable you to access Medicare rebates for your treatment costs. Most commonly this would be either a Mental Health Care Plan which covers up to 10 sessions with a mental health clinician, or an Eating Disorder Plan which covers 20 sessions with a dietitian and up to 40 sessions with a mental health clinician. You may also move from one to the other if needed. You can still see a mental health clinician without a care plan, but you would not receive a Medicare rebate towards your costs.

• If the GP has made a diagnosis, they will then discuss the treatment options available to you and refer you to see other health care professionals, usually including a psychologist and a dietitian – ideally, who have experience working with people who have eating disorders. If your condition requires urgent medical action, you may be referred to a hospital for life saving treatment.

• If they are unable to make a diagnosis or your presentation is complicated (for example, if you are pregnant, or you experience chronic disease, or another mental health condition), the GP may refer you to a specialist health care professional or service.

Things That Could Help to Bring or Prepare for the GP Appointment

• You might find it helpful to bring a trusted support person with you. They can help you explain what you’re going through, take notes during the appointment, and offer emotional support. Some GPs may want to speak with you alone for part of the appointment, but your support person can come back in to discuss the next steps. It can be useful to chat with them beforehand about how you’d like them to support you during the appointment.

• Bring a list of any questions that you have, for example: “What are the next steps?” or “Can you refer me to a specialist?”

• If you’ve found ED‑specialist services/health professionals through an online database such as the InsideOut Institute Treatment Services Database that you would like to be connected to, bring those names to your appointment.

For Children Under the Age of 18:

• The parent or caregiver can complete the checklist on the Feed Your Instinct website and print the report to take with you. This checklist outlines changes that a parent or caregiver may have noticed in their child and will provide instructions to your GP on the appropriate next steps.

For Anyone Over the Age of 18:

• You can use the InsideOut Institute Screener or the EDE‑Q and bring the results to your GP.

• You could write down your physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms, including when you first noticed them, and how often they occur. You could also include how they impact your day-to-day, such as, in social situations, and how you have been feeling more generally.

Practice Phrases for Bringing Up Your Concerns

You might have some worries about seeing the doctor, for example, concerns about confidentiality. It's completely okay to bring up any questions or concerns first, before you talk about your eating difficulties.

Here are some sentences you can use to bring up your concerns with your GP:

• “I’m really worried I might have an eating disorder and need help figuring that out.”

• “I’ve been experiencing distress around eating, body image, or weight, and I’d like to talk about it.”

• “I know this might sound minor, but it's been affecting me daily—can we discuss it?”

• “Could you check both my physical and emotional health relating to my eating patterns? I’m worried that things aren’t quite right.”

• If you’re feeling anxious about being weighed: “It makes me anxious to know what I weigh, so could you please not tell me the number?”

Looking After Yourself if Your GP Isn’t Sensitive to Eating Disorders

Not all GPs have had experience supporting people seeking help for eating disorders and unfortunately, not everyone has a good experience when seeking help for an eating disorder.

If you find that your doctor isn’t familiar with how to support you, or says things that feel dismissive or minimises what you are saying, it’s important not to see that as a sign not to seek help. There are still options (and things you should know):

• Know your rights. You deserve a thorough assessment and referral for support - regardless of your weight, the length of time you’ve experienced symptoms, or what type of eating disorder you have. You are doing the right thing in seeking help.

• Advocate for yourself. If a GP dismisses you, don’t give up. You can request another GP or a second opinion.

• Clarify misconceptions. If they say:

• • “You look fine, you don’t look underweight.” You can remind them that people of all shapes can experience eating disorders and that they are mental illnesses not defined by weight.

  • “It’s just a phase.” Unfortunately eating disorders don’t resolve without treatment.

Helplines and support organisations can help you process these experiences and empower you to persist:

• Butterfly Foundation National Helpline: Call 1800 33 4673, text, or use online chat for free counselling and referral support (7 days a week).

• InsideOut Institute: Offers online tools and resources, including a treatment services database to help you find clinicians with eating disorder experience, as well as free, online self help treatments.

Eating Disorders Victoria. Talking to my doctor.

https://eatingdisorders.org.au/my-eating-disorder-recovery-journey/talking-to-my-eating-disorder-doctor/

Beat Eating Disorders. Going to the doctor.

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself/going-to-the-doctor/

Beat Eating Disorders. Need Treatment for an Eating Disorder? The first step is a GP appointment.

https://beat.contentfiles.net/media/documents/Beat_GP_Leaflet_Digital_2024.pdf