how many of you are seeking therapy

In our quest to get better health and kick start a better life, we forget there are real feelings that are stirred up with such a drastic change.

As someone who is considered "attractive" I gained weight deliberatly to avoid relationships and dating in my life. Now that my health demans I change; I am afraid. I am in the process of getting therapy but I wanted to bring this topic up.

Some of us focused on caring for others, stressed dealing with changes to our bodies, changes in our interpersonal relationships and simple battling with the process of changing foods, limiting comfort tools; are you seeking professional or spiritual help?

Wow....that's such a timely topic. I actually have my first session tonight with my new Therapist. I have not seen a therapist for years WHEN in reality I probably should have a live-in one...LOL.  For me...I think its part of the denial.  If I don't acknowledge I need help then I DON'T have a problem. Here recently I have been swelling  up with all sort of emotional garbage.  Plus this time of year is not the best for me. Its cyclic so I usually get depressed around this time.  I found a therapist that has nearly 30 years in Family Counseling as well.  Professional and personally he has helped many get through child rearing. My daughter will soon be a teenager AND I need a sounding board for real.

While spiritual help has been my preference in the recent past.... I opted out of it when it felt like folks were trying to be more nosy than helpful.  I need someone who has absolutely no investment (other than their fee) when listening to me spout off about my problems. Sometimes just having an impartial ear...is enough to make a difference in ones mental health. GREAT QUESTION! I am interested to see other folk's perspective. 

Good for you for taking a step towards better mental health. 

I worked with a therapist for about 8 months last year and have had a good friend who happens to be a counselor the entire time since surgery.

heck YES professional help is needed!  I had WAY too many issues to even attempt to address on my own - and for me, church wasn't going to 'cut' it! 

Not all therapists are created equal, so choose carefully. 

It's important to find someone who knows what they're doing and is a good fit for you, or else you're wasting your time and money. 

I used to always talk about this on BAF but used to get blasted for it. But truth be told, we didn't get fat as hell for nothing. There are some underlying issues we need to deal with even after we get healthy. WLS can fix the outside, but it damn sure doesn't fix the inside. WLS alone is a head trip so try dealing with all the other ****t you buried underneath all that fat.

A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Lose once you Lose Weight.

You are speaking the gospel here....

There has to be a reason for me to balloon up over 300lbs.  I find reccommended EMDR,  he says it help him.

I am going to start seeking out good help,  I think it goes hand in hand.


Thanks guys for posting. 

 

Therapy and spiritual well being are separate for me.  I'd reccomend mental health counseling in some form for anyone needing to adjust to life.  I have not been in therapy post op; but, I have had two relatively brief periods where I thought it might be helpful in relation to my weight loss.  I got a lot of food issues managed before taking the plunge.  My struggle is to hold on to the positive changes even when the results are not comming. 

Therapy is a hard thing to face.  I don't think it is the best approach for me regarding my food behavior.  However, I value therapy in other areas of my life.  Were it feasible I would return to my old therapists on a regular schedule if I could.   

I hear what MsJCNMe is saying about getting flack.  We are brought up to show no weakness.  Too often we'll run ourselves into an early grave before handling our mental health.  You know if things don't feel right.  I say go for that treatment when you're uneasy. 

Thanks for posting this! I'm using this post as a reminder to attend my monthly WLS support group meetings. It's been a minute since I've attended one.