When the Darkness Descends
We have all landed here for our own individual reasons. For some of us, including yours truly, there are underlying mental health issues that can be aggravated or exacerbated by no longer being able to turn as readily to the emotional comfort of food when we are struggling. In such cir****tances, the development of transfer addictions presents a real risk for many. Given some bad family history with alcohol abuse, I chose a different path, which consists of ongoing counseling and the seeking out of support. A month ago I added medication to help me with managing my mood swings.
Reaching out for support when you are really struggling can be daunting. Pride, the risk of potential embarrassment, feelings of shame, a perceived lack of an available support network and plain old stubbornness can all hinder a person’s willingness to seek the support of others. Even with an available support network, there can be a deeply ingrained reluctance to reach out. I have been guilty of doing that multiple times over the past few years, of keeping completely to myself, of letting depression grow unchecked. I will admit that on several occasions the darkness of my emotions has descended, almost engulfing me, and leaving me feeling suicidal. That happened again recently…..even when I knew a better way.
I did eventually reach out, but not until one family member insisted on staying on the phone with me until another came to find me. I am ashamed to admit that I was found awash in tears and snot, virtually despondent, but I was safe again and that is really all that matters. My point in bringing this up is to illustrate that even with an available support system, a person can find themselves in severe emotional distress. With hormones flooding back into your bloodstream as you lose weight, the emotional comfort of food being physically unavailable and the normal stresses of life imposing themselves on you, this WLS road is not always an easy one. There are those among us who are struggling mightily as you read this; they are scared, alone and feeling like things are hopeless. Will you be the one to reach through whatever pain they are experiencing to help them before their darkness descends?
RP
We have all landed here for our own individual reasons. For some of us, including yours truly, there are underlying mental health issues that can be aggravated or exacerbated by no longer being able to turn as readily to the emotional comfort of food when we are struggling. In such cir****tances, the development of transfer addictions presents a real risk for many. Given some bad family history with alcohol abuse, I chose a different path, which consists of ongoing counseling and the seeking out of support. A month ago I added medication to help me with managing my mood swings.
Reaching out for support when you are really struggling can be daunting. Pride, the risk of potential embarrassment, feelings of shame, a perceived lack of an available support network and plain old stubbornness can all hinder a person’s willingness to seek the support of others. Even with an available support network, there can be a deeply ingrained reluctance to reach out. I have been guilty of doing that multiple times over the past few years, of keeping completely to myself, of letting depression grow unchecked. I will admit that on several occasions the darkness of my emotions has descended, almost engulfing me, and leaving me feeling suicidal. That happened again recently…..even when I knew a better way.
I did eventually reach out, but not until one family member insisted on staying on the phone with me until another came to find me. I am ashamed to admit that I was found awash in tears and snot, virtually despondent, but I was safe again and that is really all that matters. My point in bringing this up is to illustrate that even with an available support system, a person can find themselves in severe emotional distress. With hormones flooding back into your bloodstream as you lose weight, the emotional comfort of food being physically unavailable and the normal stresses of life imposing themselves on you, this WLS road is not always an easy one. There are those among us who are struggling mightily as you read this; they are scared, alone and feeling like things are hopeless. Will you be the one to reach through whatever pain they are experiencing to help them before their darkness descends?
RP
We have all landed here for our own individual reasons. For some of us, including yours truly, there are underlying mental health issues that can be aggravated or exacerbated by no longer being able to turn as readily to the emotional comfort of food when we are struggling. In such cir****tances, the development of transfer addictions presents a real risk for many. Given some bad family history with alcohol abuse, I chose a different path, which consists of ongoing counseling and the seeking out of support. A month ago I added medication to help me with managing my mood swings.
Reaching out for support when you are really struggling can be daunting. Pride, the risk of potential embarrassment, feelings of shame, a perceived lack of an available support network and plain old stubbornness can all hinder a person’s willingness to seek the support of others. Even with an available support network, there can be a deeply ingrained reluctance to reach out. I have been guilty of doing that multiple times over the past few years, of keeping completely to myself, of letting depression grow unchecked. I will admit that on several occasions the darkness of my emotions has descended, almost engulfing me, and leaving me feeling suicidal. That happened again recently…..even when I knew a better way.
I did eventually reach out, but not until one family member insisted on staying on the phone with me until another came to find me. I am ashamed to admit that I was found awash in tears and snot, virtually despondent, but I was safe again and that is really all that matters. My point in bringing this up is to illustrate that even with an available support system, a person can find themselves in severe emotional distress. With hormones flooding back into your bloodstream as you lose weight, the emotional comfort of food being physically unavailable and the normal stresses of life imposing themselves on you, this WLS road is not always an easy one. There are those among us who are struggling mightily as you read this; they are scared, alone and feeling like things are hopeless. Will you be the one to reach through whatever pain they are experiencing to help them before their darkness descends?
RP
