Location: florida
Right now im barely underweight and not having many health problems. Im not psychotic or planning to kill myself. My parents set up a checkup for me since I havent gone to a one since i was a very young child.(they kept me out of school so i didnt have to get them) They said that at the checkup they are going to try to convince my pcp to baker act me. I don’t think I fit the requirments for being baker acted. If they actually try and this isnt just an empty threat then theyd be willing to exaggerate or make up lies to try to get me in. Is there anything i can do about this?
Im not sure how much info you need. Lmk if you need more info.
(Edit thank you everyone!)
Comments
You’re an adult. You don’t have to go to a doctor’s appointment if you don’t want to.
I would not go to any appointments with your parents, nor any they have scheduled. You should have been having annual check-ups your entire life.
You are 19, time to fly the nest. Get away from your parents.
NAL. I will say, having had experience with eating disorders, you might not be in a position to tell whether you’re “barely underweight” or more. And while you might not be suicidal, eating disorders, particularly anorexia, have the highest mortality rates of mental disorders; according to JAAPL anorexia is the most lethal psychiatric disorder. So a case could be made that someone with anorexia is still a danger to themselves.
You’ll be able to talk to the PCP alone in the appointment and address your concerns with them about the potential for your parents to be lying or exaggerating.
However, the doctor will be able to make their own determination based off of your weight and other medical tests.
NAL but I have an eating disorder. Many times our family notices a slide before we do. Do you have a care team? Lots of us go to the ED holy trinity, a therapist, a registered dietitian, and a psychiatrist. Bring this to them. Do what they suggest. If you don’t have a care team then take YOURSELF to a check up, tell the PCP your history and ask for some referrals. If they say you’re stable then there probably isn’t much your parents will be able to do.
My youngest sister suffered from anorexia. I will just say that what she considered a healthy weight was actually so skeletal she looked alien. She couldn’t string thoughts together, had no energy, and wore heavy sweaters in the summer. If you’re not at that stage yet you need to get help because the downward slide can happen very quickly. Please go to the check up and let the doctor assess you. My sister came very close to death.
I mean the fact that your parents are anti healthcare but are so desperate to get you seen they want to put you on a mental health hold is raising a ton of flags for me.
Patients with eating disorders can have a very skewed sense of what is “barely underweight”. You should at bare minimum go see a primary care physician. It is a very slippery, fast slope to falling deep into this illness. Please get checked out.
It’s extremely hard to get a psychiatric hold for self-neglect absent suicidal or homicidal evidence.
Your parents’ report would be considered 2nd-hand. A medical professional should not make an emergency petition based on 2nd hand evidence. They will interview you. Ideally separately from your parents.
This being your first doctor’s visit, I assume there’s no evidence that you even have an ED? No medical records? PCP would have to be very foolish to risk their license on the word of strangers they’re meeting for the first time that day. Especially without medical or historic evidence to back up the idea that your underweight status is 1- immediately dangerous, and 2- from self neglect.
NAL but speaking as a concerned adult. I’m very concerned that your parents kept you out of school so that you wouldn’t have to go to the doctor. Please get a full physical checkup without them present, including any vaccines they might have denied you. I wish you the best and hope you can get out from under their control soon.