Preparing for an appointment

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and know what to expect from your doctor or mental health professional.

You may want to ask a family member or friend to go with you. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot. A family member may also be able to give your doctor a fuller picture of your home life.

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list of:

• Any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for the appointment. Try to recall when your symptoms began.
• Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
• All medications, vitamins, herbal products, over-the-counter medications and other supplements that you're taking, and their dosages.
• Questions to ask your doctor so that you'll remember to cover everything you wanted to.

Some questions you might want to ask your doctor or mental health professional include:

• What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
• Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
• What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
• Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor or mental health professional is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:

• How long have you been worried about your weight?
• Do you exercise? How often?
• What ways have you used to lose weight?
• Are you having any physical symptoms?
• Have you ever vomited because you were uncomfortably full?
• Have others expressed concern that you're too thin?
• Do you think about food often?
• Do you ever eat in secret?
• Have any of your family members ever had symptoms of an eating disorder or been diagnosed with an eating disorder?

Be ready to answer these questions to reserve time to go over any points you want to focus on.