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..or not. [TW for body talk]
Dec. 5th, 2011 04:39 pmHuh, I obviously spoke too soon on the niceness of my new GP.
Now, I can almost understand why someone presenting with anxiety that has social and leaving-the-house elements might be asked, at least in passing, "and how do you feel about your physical appearance?". But that's not even close to what happened.
I can even - just about - accept "and has this period of low motivation coincided with weight gain?", if I consider it in relation to the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depression.
But what I really can't accept - and which would have been crushing to somebody even slightly less engaged with FA than I am - is what actually happened:
I responded to her question about weight by turning it around to talk about exercise instead. I thought I was getting through, as I explained that I found it much healthier for me to conceptualise exercise as something that I do for my physical and mental health rather than as something I do in pursuit of weight loss. She seemed to understand and agree, until she finished my sentence "so I just don't think about weight loss when I'm doing these things.." with a pitying face and "because that makes you think about how you look?"
I just. Don't even. TELLING your DEPRESSED and ANXIOUS patient that they SHOULD feel ashamed of how they look? WHAT EVEN IS THAT.
My "F*ck Flattering" tee should arrive from Australia soon. I'm going to wear it with tights and hotpants and big stompy boots and STAMP WITH ALL MY DEADLY WEIGHT all over the patriarchy.
Fuck this shit.
Now, I can almost understand why someone presenting with anxiety that has social and leaving-the-house elements might be asked, at least in passing, "and how do you feel about your physical appearance?". But that's not even close to what happened.
I can even - just about - accept "and has this period of low motivation coincided with weight gain?", if I consider it in relation to the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depression.
But what I really can't accept - and which would have been crushing to somebody even slightly less engaged with FA than I am - is what actually happened:
I responded to her question about weight by turning it around to talk about exercise instead. I thought I was getting through, as I explained that I found it much healthier for me to conceptualise exercise as something that I do for my physical and mental health rather than as something I do in pursuit of weight loss. She seemed to understand and agree, until she finished my sentence "so I just don't think about weight loss when I'm doing these things.." with a pitying face and "because that makes you think about how you look?"
I just. Don't even. TELLING your DEPRESSED and ANXIOUS patient that they SHOULD feel ashamed of how they look? WHAT EVEN IS THAT.
My "F*ck Flattering" tee should arrive from Australia soon. I'm going to wear it with tights and hotpants and big stompy boots and STAMP WITH ALL MY DEADLY WEIGHT all over the patriarchy.
Fuck this shit.
