Emotional Roller Coaster

Has any one else experienced the emotional roller coaster that seems to be plaiging me? I have been back and forth with "What have I done" to "This is the best thing I have done for myself and family". Sometimes I pace the floor woondering what I am missing. I start to forget small things like when I go to the grocery store, I forget half the stuff I am supposed to get. Is this going to stop? Am I so preoccupied with the food I am missing? I eat and get full but I always feel that I am missing something. Do I need mental help or is this normal for being 21 days after surgery?

No worries man......it's a HUGE change.  I never second guessed having the surgery, but there were times when I was like "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON WITH ME?!?!" . It gets much better. You get used to this and things are normal.  After about 6 months, it never really bothered me anymore......Now being a college student and dealing with women again......yeah....that's a real rollercoaster of emotions.......haha Congrats on your surgery and good luck! MH

Thanks MH, I'm trying not to freak out, and it seems wierd that some times I am totally ok and others I am loosing it and cant sit still, like a caged animal. I guess I need to get to the exersize room in my garage when these time**** Thanks again. Ben

Hey Ben, Take a breath, calm down.  Try not let your self get so wound up. I have found my self getting ansi and I find some thing to do. Wash dishes, go for a walk, just find something to do. I am 13 weeks out and have lost 74 pounds. I have energy I don't know what to do with. The food thing will pass. I would think of things I might not be able to have in the future I would grieve over it, but I just had to put it out of my mind. It has gotten much easier. My wife and I have been out to eat several times and I have been able to find many good choices on the menu's. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want when you get to that point. When a steak comes with a baked potatoe I ask for steamed or grilled vegies. There is life after surgery. pan head

I got myself a psychiartrist, as I have issues. Many of the guys here see a shrink or therapist, too. There are both psychological and physiological factors which can be causing your anxiety. Along with the stored fat, hormones and other goodies are stored in ther too. During rapid weight loss they are released and can have a profound affect on your mood and behavior. Hang in there, it gets better. JP

Wow Ben, You sound like a guy who just had Weight loss Surgery about 3 weeks ago! There are several factors at work all at once… Your "Ansy-ness" could be a result of any of them, or all at once. One ‘culprit?’— Testosterone levels……. We often hear of the INCREASE of free testosterone levels associated with the rapid weight loss following WLS. Stored Testosterone in the Adipose Fatty Tissues is released into the body. And significant increases of Free Testosterone can result. BUT, for many, the radical change in diet actually will produce the opposite effect. Studies linking reduced fat intake with lowered testosterone levels in humans were published as early as 1980. Subjects cutting their fat intake in half experienced a 13% drop in free testosterone. When they resumed their normal diet, Testosterone levels returned to normal. So, with a drop happening as a result of the cut back in food, and an increase from stored testosterone being released, it should "just balance out?" Nope. More like shifting Testosterone Levels higher than usual in the morning, then dropping sharply, then back up, then down, etc…throughout the day… Moody Man-Biotch!!! As if that alone wasn’t enough…. Brain Chemistry Imbalances-  The first couple of months following General Anesthesia of surgery, The brain is still working to restore balance of  Serotonin, Norephinephrine, and Dopamine levels. That anesthesia is quite the "Brain-Bath" and accounts for a very high incidence of "Post-operative Depression" that shows up after all surgeries, not just WLS. Many docs just put their patients on an anti-depressant as a regular preventive course. But "I’m not Depressed?" The symptoms include- Restlessness, inability to concentrate, anxiety, trouble getting to sleep, being sleepy all the time, feeling "anxious," feeling list-less, etc… Give it a quick check at- http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/screens/depres.html Then add to these- "Head Hunger," and having to adapt without the usual coping mechanism of "Comfort-Food." Most of us who are or were Obese, were good at using food like a drug. "Hard Day?" Calm down with too much food and get that "Full as a Puppy" stupor that calms the day. Or- Snack away the evening sitting on the couch, numb from the raised blood sugar levels of constant carb intake. Suddenly there’s all of these "Feelings" that used to be ‘numbed’ by a life of denial and Comfort Food---------------                                        

Looking at this list, do the words in the "Glad Box" seem like "Good Feelings" and the rest are "Bad?" They probably do for most Men, but shouldn’t. According to Psychologists, It’s the "Naming" that seems to give us the most trouble. Anger is normal, healthy and necessary for our protection and our safety. Sadness, too, is normal, healthy and allows us to fully experience life and appreciate the joyous moments. Shame teaches us humility and gives us perspective while reminding us that we are human, and not perfect. Feelings are neither good nor bad. They are how we respond to the world, and in combinations, they make each of us, uniquely, Who We Are. The past mindless snacking and typical routine of most "over-eaters" numbs and dulls emotions and self-awareness; it favors inertia and ignores situational demands. Denial, avoidance, and ‘putting things off’ may have taken precedence over engaging the task at hand or world in general. When you are suddenly very self-conscious of your daily activities and choices, and not in the comfortably numb state of denial, all sorts of feelings you had been missing will surface for you to deal with. Expecting this to be the case, is half the battle. A sense of loss, loneliness, emptiness and depression or separation and performance anxiety can all arise. Letting go of a long held routine can be especially troublesome. At minimum, a state of psychological withdrawal is a distinct possibility. What many Post-Ops refer to as "Grieving Food," may well just be experiencing feelings that have been numbed by the disengaged lifestyle of thoughtless habit. One last one….. Extra Energy: Many people while their metabolism is in a state of Ketosis, claim to have extreme energy. Euphoria in fact. Take advantage of it when you can. Do those "Honey-Do-List" items you’ve put off in the past. Clean out the garage, wash the car, etc… At least get in some extra walking. All of this to say- You sound Very Normal for a 21 day Post-Op. "Will it always be like this?!?!" Nope. Each week gets easier, and more second nature and if you’ve used the first 6 months to establish new lifestyle habits, it gets down-right Easy! Sorry to throw so much in one reply, But hey, if you read this, at least you passed this time… Tomorrow will be better, and the day after that will be better. Hollar if you have questions, thoughts, and someone out here is bound to have some experience to swap….. Best Wishes- Dx

The first three weeks were the absolute worst for me! I literally cried several times a day because I "thought" that I needed food. I never went to a shrink, but should have in retrospect. Everyday, at some point, I would call my wife at work balling and blabbering that I was never going to be able to eat again and (even wanted to have the surgery reversed). Do you think I needed psycho help for heavens sake? Never got it, but really needed it. The emotional problems subsided once I was able to eat "real" food, even though in much smaller portions. It too****il about month 3 before I started to see REAL improvements in my life. My clothes were falling off me, no more sleep apnea, no more high blood pressure, I got restful sleep every night, no more migranes, back pain was/is minimal, could/can walk as far as I want without much effort, felt/feel absolutely fantastic. You and I and the guys still striving for goal have SO much to look forward to. It's hard to see very far into the future right now, but give it another month or so and you will be a completely new man with a completely different outlook on life. I believe that with all my being!  You've done the right thing! Hang in There! Ronnie

ben, great advice given already. i'll just add that give yourself a break. you are in recovery from a big deal. i never noticed how many commercials were about food! really! it's advertised everywhere all the time.....lol. your head needs to readjust and that will take a long time. like someone else posted, talk to someone if you think you're going nuts or just come here. in time all kinds of things are going to change. including the ability to eat everything, or just about everything you used to. so take the time now to focus on those good habits you'll need down the road. hey, my brother lives in fresno. do you ride harleys? he loves to ride and is always looking to take a ride. maybe you guys could go for a ride or something. that always works for me. he's a lawyer so maybe you could just run him over. that would take your mind off things, to many lawyers and all that......lol take care....carbonblob

Yep,..its part of the ride.  What seemed to help me was increasing my B vitamins intake. With advice form folks on this website, I started using a liquid B-Complex and doubled my B-12 supplement.  I think between that and the continued walking to keep the blood circulated, the lapses in memory got better for me.   The emotional stuff,...I believe is a phase because we are dealing with th eloss of a close friend we use to consult frequently.  Fodd, has to become perceived as fuel rather than friend.  I still get a bit angry every once in a while because I still at almost 6 months, can't finish a sandwich or burrito unless I forgo the bread portion. Another cliche, positive affirmation (Gosh, I hate those things) I rather be lossing than eating.  Is this helping me get my protein and water intake goals?  Is this going to make me feel sick or lousey or both the rest of the day; is it really worth it? Its a mental and physical growth thing, bu t the up side is, you have reached the point of being there, which shows you are progrressing in a positive direction.  enduring it will get you to a stronger committment and mindset that is a big part of a new lifestyle that goes with the successful aspect of using the new physical tool your WLS provided you. You are making good choices. These are just the bumps in the road to the new you other look to for inspiration the get to where you are going.  You are doing a good job.  Keep it up!

WOW! You guys really are my support! Thank you Pan-Head, JP,Dx, CB, and Joe! You guys have really come through for me and explained what I am going through so I now can understand and deal with it! So, I didnt know that my fat was storing $#!t in it and releasing it? So this IS normal for WLS post ops. I guess that I have lost a long time friend and loosing a close relationship does have the same effect on me!? Wow! I am so glad I have found this group!  CB- I would love to go ride but having six kids has put a damper on my ability to ride. I was an avid rider in the past and dearly loved it, it is in my blood. All through growing up, there was always motorcycles at my house, and now without any prompting at all my 5 years old has become a motorcycle crazed boy. It has to be genetic. HaHaHa. I have been reading this board everyday and seeing how every ones realities are relating to me, I just couldnt help putting my own out there, thanks again for all your help and support, you guys are really the BEST!