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So I went to the doctor

Stats- 5'8", 115lb, 18yr old, lost 15lb in the past two months

I have been depressed and isolated for a few months and eating 800 calories a day. I knew I needed a doctor so finally I told my mom I wanted to go cause I felt I may still have mono which I had blood drawn for and told I had a few months ago.

So we were there for a total of 20 minutes and I am unpleased. The doctor just said, I'm worried about your weight loss and you need to eat more. Come back in a month so we can make sure you haven't lost any more weight.

So... ok? Eat more? Yeah I know I need to eat more but I'm scared and I'm scared of gaining weight. And we didn't touch on the depressed topic at all. The only thing this doctor appointment has done is made my parents depressed that they have a potentially anorexic kid.

I'm so sorry to hear about your unsatisfying doctor visit. My doctor in high school was out-and-out evil, if it makes you feel any better. A lot of doctors are overworked/tired, and don't take an actual interest in their patients. Get 'em in and get 'em out....

Please talk to your mom about these feelings you're having, and ask her if you can schedule another appointment with your doctor to discuss options for treatment of both depression and nutrition. Also, maybe your mom can schedule an appointment with a therapist for family and individual sessions, where you all can talk about how this illness is affecting you. A therapist can usually refer you to a psychiatrist if they feel antidepressants are necessary.

I really hope you feel better soon.

well thats no good.

Sometimes doctors are like that...maybe go to a different doctor or go see a nutritionist. Better yet, ask your parents for help. Im sure that they will only be too happy that you asked for help from them.

Dont worry, people here are going through the same thing and are scared too. We are all here to help!

If you don't feel like this doctor is going to be there for you then you need to find another doctor. I have a WONDERFUL doctor who has really been there for me. I feel comfortable enough that I can talk to her about anything. All personal stuff that I need her to know and help me with. She can't fix everything but she sends me to the right people to fix me when she can't. Koryn has seen me cry my eyes out because of my weight and we talk about things that are working for me and what isn't. She always ask me how things are going and spends as much time with me as I need her to.  

So if you aren't getting what you want from your doctor you need to find another one. The only other thing I can think of is this doctor didn't realize how depressed you were. If you aren't ready to change doctors then you need to talk to this one and really tell them what is going on.

Hope this helps...

The good news is that your parents are now informed and concerned, they are not 'depressed'.  They'll be motivated to look after you better and get you some treatment.  Next time you see the doctor your parents should be the ones insisting on you being referred.... fighting your corner.  If your mother was too shocked to do that this time around, she should make another appointment for next week rather than next month....  If that's not satisfactory, find a different doctor.  When your kid's life is at stake it's OK to be a 'pushy mom', tell her.

In the meantime, don't wait for someone else to fix the problem.  Take the doctor's advice to heart and see what you can do... even if it's only minor improvements.   Yes, it's difficult being so severely underweight and depressed and yes, I'm sure gaining weight sounds like a mountain to climb but you know something has to change now.  And now that you have the understanding and support of your parents you're no longer alone, hiding the secret and that has to be a better situation than it was before you went.

Original Post by kez3:

The only thing this doctor appointment has done is made my parents depressed that they have a potentially anorexic kid.

What I would like to add is that I strongly believe that the more you talk to your parents about how low you feel, and about your problems with food, the less worried THEY will be too. Part of their anxiety will come from not understanding exactly what is going on in your mind. And the more they know, the more they will be in a position to help. If you try to 'protect' them by hiding things from them, that will almost certainly have the opposite effect of increasing their worry. Whereas if you can all work together openly as a family, and if they are fully involved in helping you, everyone's anxiety is likely to be reduced...

Being isolated and depressed and losing weight all goes along with having mono.   Now that your over the sickness, try to go back to doing fun activities.  And,  gaining weight isn't always a bad thing, don't think of it as gaining weight, think of it as 'getting healthy'. Remember, muscle has weight too, not just fat. Maybe you can avoid weighing yourself, just forget the scale and focus on eating healthy foods & getting enough calories in.   I was in the habit of eating only 800-1000 cal/day for a long time and I always felt tired, weak and run-down.  Then,  I started eating as many calories as I burn in a day or 500-1000 calorie deficit.  I cannot tell you how much better I feel!  Happier, stronger and like I'm in control.  For the sadness, this may sound dumb but it works...  make yourself smile, tell yourself you're a happy person,  watch comedy and laugh out loud. Convince yourself.     best of luck .... & think positive!

I've been struggling with depression since I was 7 years old...I'm 15 now.  I've had anorexia since I was 8, so I can definately relate to you.  The good thing is you've caught this early.  If you really do have an eating disorder (it could just be disordered eating) you should have a team:  a therapist, psychiatrist, medical doctor & nutritionist.  It's important to monitor both your mental and physical health.  You deserve good treatment.  

Gaining weight is scary.  But it does get easier as time goes by.  It's usually easier (at least for me) to eat small amounts of high-calorie foods rather than huge amounts of low-calorie foods.  If possible, set up an appointment with a nutritionist who can monitor your food intake and encourage you along the way.  You will feel much better physically and emotionally once you are properly nourished.  Malnutrition alone can make you depressed.  So it's very important that you get healthy again.  

I know its hard to even think about adding calories...but try adding healthy stuff, especially fruit. its light so you dont get that heavy feeling, and you dont have to eat a whole lot of it to increase your calorie intake.

plus if you've just had mono your body will appreciate the vitamins and minerals