Heightened suicide risk after weight-loss surgery
Could not let this one pass without comment...
The suicide rates after WLS are, indeed, higher than in the general population, both immediately after surgery as well as a couple of years out. Obese people often suffer from various psychological issues (a history of physical or sexual trauma is present in roughly 75% of obese adult women)... then when you add the post-op stress (both psychological and physical), depression often increases resulting in suicidality. Often depression lifts, even if only for a few months, about 6 months post-op. By 24 months post-op, however, depression often returns to near pre-op levels. The usual culprit is people having unrealistic (and un-met) expectations about how their life, problems, and body would change after WLS. When their expectations are not met -- especially if they believed that certain problems were caused by their weight (and then discover that the problems did NOT go away along with the weight) -- they become depressed again. In severe cases, they become suicidal, realizing that their problems run deeper than the number on the scale or their clothing.
For the person who was crticial of "scaring" newbies with this information... I cannot for the life of me understand why you would not want EVERYONE having surgery to know that clinically significant depression is a potential result of surgery! Information is power. Many people are clinically depressed for many weeks or months before they realize they are depressed. So it is a GOOD thing for them to know to be watchful for signs of depression so that they can seek help before it becomes serious.
Lora
(licensed professional counselor)
The suicide rates after WLS are, indeed, higher than in the general population, both immediately after surgery as well as a couple of years out. Obese people often suffer from various psychological issues (a history of physical or sexual trauma is present in roughly 75% of obese adult women)... then when you add the post-op stress (both psychological and physical), depression often increases resulting in suicidality. Often depression lifts, even if only for a few months, about 6 months post-op. By 24 months post-op, however, depression often returns to near pre-op levels. The usual culprit is people having unrealistic (and un-met) expectations about how their life, problems, and body would change after WLS. When their expectations are not met -- especially if they believed that certain problems were caused by their weight (and then discover that the problems did NOT go away along with the weight) -- they become depressed again. In severe cases, they become suicidal, realizing that their problems run deeper than the number on the scale or their clothing.
For the person who was crticial of "scaring" newbies with this information... I cannot for the life of me understand why you would not want EVERYONE having surgery to know that clinically significant depression is a potential result of surgery! Information is power. Many people are clinically depressed for many weeks or months before they realize they are depressed. So it is a GOOD thing for them to know to be watchful for signs of depression so that they can seek help before it becomes serious.
Lora
(licensed professional counselor)
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I'm pretty sure that I am considered a newbie since I had my surgery less than 3 months ago... I was given information very similar to this before my surgery and I shared it with my close friends and family because I wanted them to help me watch for the signs of this. As a newbie, I wanted to know which things to watch for, and this was definitely something I wanted to watch for, and still do...
Depression is not always something I can see happening to me, it creeps up. It hurts, but it doesn't cause me a sharp stabbing pain that screams to me, "Go to the ER"... I have to keep an eye out for it, because by the time it rears it's crying all day every day ugly head, I'm already in big trouble.
But I personally find it comforting to remind myself that what I'm going through is common, it happens to most everyone with this surgery and it will pass.
This doesn't scare me. It just prepares me. I can see the numbers myself right in the article. Either way, we are still talking about considerably less than 1 percent! :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
Depression is not always something I can see happening to me, it creeps up. It hurts, but it doesn't cause me a sharp stabbing pain that screams to me, "Go to the ER"... I have to keep an eye out for it, because by the time it rears it's crying all day every day ugly head, I'm already in big trouble.
But I personally find it comforting to remind myself that what I'm going through is common, it happens to most everyone with this surgery and it will pass.
This doesn't scare me. It just prepares me. I can see the numbers myself right in the article. Either way, we are still talking about considerably less than 1 percent! :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
HW 316/ SW 264/ CW 187/ GW 158
No, if you follow the Melting Mama, she isn't trying to scare people. Just prepare em' like she said. I however hopefully will get the strength if I ever recover physically and emotionally from the complications I have, hope to scare people out of having WLS especially malabsorption surgeries like RNY and irreversible the jury is still out on Sleeve. I had a lifelong history of depression attributed to being heavy my whole entire life. 9 years ago when I joined OH, it was ALL sunshine and roses about the surgery. 9 years later most of my closest friends who have had the surgery, have experienced some medical complication, a form of crossaddiction or moderate to major weight gain...
I wish someone would have told me 9 years ago that the potential was there for me to be in so much physical pain for years that I would become physically and emotionally incapicated 6+ years out that I can't do much of anything anymore. I know my friends who have MS, seizure disorders,fibro and major digestive disorders would have like others to know how many people who are getting sick now who are graduate post ops plus they have to struggle with that and weight gain issues.
I have conditions created because of the surgery that cannot be treated because I HAD the surgery. I malabsorb everything apparently except calories. I know people who are sicker then me, but there is a psychology to severe chronic pain, and everyone copes differently. Especially when you malabsorb medications and nutrients.
I don't wish anyone to have gone through what I have gone through and inadvertenly put my family through. I don't say what I say now to people because I am jealous or I don't wish them well. I used to work for a health insurance company in Medical Review, I have helped give advice to those who still want it, and I support acquaintances who still choose to have wls whether they become banders, rny'ers and revisers.....
Only because I now have been exposed to so many people's stories through social networking that I have met a handful of graduate post ops who have no complications, no crossaddictions and they don't have to micromanage their diets and have kept off most of their excess weight. I didn't have any comorbidities going into the surgery, I have a ton of them almost 9 years post op.
Lisa K
lap rny 12-5-01/dr ikramuddin/university of mn hosp
13 medical hospitalizations in between due to complications,3 psych(never had a psych hosp hx prior to surgery) I have spent a total of over 2 months in the hospital when you calculate days
open reversal of roux-en-y 9-7-10 dr i/ u of m
starting weight 233 ht 5'4
2002 to mid 2004 161-140
2004-early 2007 126-131
2004-early 2007 127-131
2007 to end of 2009 131 to 222
Today 165 only because I no longer eat as a coping mechanism, which was destructive....At my heaviest the last 2 years my weight was the least of my problems and still is. I am lucky that I don't have to diet to still lose weight because I would rather gain weight then feel this sick all the time...
I wish someone would have told me 9 years ago that the potential was there for me to be in so much physical pain for years that I would become physically and emotionally incapicated 6+ years out that I can't do much of anything anymore. I know my friends who have MS, seizure disorders,fibro and major digestive disorders would have like others to know how many people who are getting sick now who are graduate post ops plus they have to struggle with that and weight gain issues.
I have conditions created because of the surgery that cannot be treated because I HAD the surgery. I malabsorb everything apparently except calories. I know people who are sicker then me, but there is a psychology to severe chronic pain, and everyone copes differently. Especially when you malabsorb medications and nutrients.
I don't wish anyone to have gone through what I have gone through and inadvertenly put my family through. I don't say what I say now to people because I am jealous or I don't wish them well. I used to work for a health insurance company in Medical Review, I have helped give advice to those who still want it, and I support acquaintances who still choose to have wls whether they become banders, rny'ers and revisers.....
Only because I now have been exposed to so many people's stories through social networking that I have met a handful of graduate post ops who have no complications, no crossaddictions and they don't have to micromanage their diets and have kept off most of their excess weight. I didn't have any comorbidities going into the surgery, I have a ton of them almost 9 years post op.
Lisa K
lap rny 12-5-01/dr ikramuddin/university of mn hosp
13 medical hospitalizations in between due to complications,3 psych(never had a psych hosp hx prior to surgery) I have spent a total of over 2 months in the hospital when you calculate days
open reversal of roux-en-y 9-7-10 dr i/ u of m
starting weight 233 ht 5'4
2002 to mid 2004 161-140
2004-early 2007 126-131
2004-early 2007 127-131
2007 to end of 2009 131 to 222
Today 165 only because I no longer eat as a coping mechanism, which was destructive....At my heaviest the last 2 years my weight was the least of my problems and still is. I am lucky that I don't have to diet to still lose weight because I would rather gain weight then feel this sick all the time...
Really so one article she posted, and her being honest about her conditions to people is a scare tactic. Then why are you on OH? They have a forum that talks about people who have passed, whether it be suicide, or from complications. I have seen more posts about that scaring people than anything, but it is still honesty. And there are still many people who do not edcuate themselves. They get approved, get their surgery, think life will be all peachy, and boom it isn't.
How many posts are on here about people being depressed? Do you want to call them out on it as well. Things happens, life happens, but the need to know what can happen is well neccessary. I do not want to live in a world where we all have rose colored glasses, and do not talk about what is going wrong in our lives cause NO ONE Is perfect. So bring it on Beth, because you do more to inform than those who complain.
How many posts are on here about people being depressed? Do you want to call them out on it as well. Things happens, life happens, but the need to know what can happen is well neccessary. I do not want to live in a world where we all have rose colored glasses, and do not talk about what is going wrong in our lives cause NO ONE Is perfect. So bring it on Beth, because you do more to inform than those who complain.
Do that -- scan the front page of RNY and Main Board here at OH every so often and scan the THREAD TITLES.
Make note of WHAT the topics are -- and the repetition of.
THAT is scary.
"Sooooo depressed"
"Will it ever end"
"Why meeeee?"
"FRUSTRATION!"
"The scale MUST DIE"
"I'm eating 800 calories and not losing, what is WRONG WITH ME?"
"Discouraged"
"What is WRONG with me?"
"So so sad."
"Pity Party"
"What have I done?"
There are very few positives-- and many, many -- folks reaching out for help.
Make note of WHAT the topics are -- and the repetition of.
THAT is scary.
"Sooooo depressed"
"Will it ever end"
"Why meeeee?"
"FRUSTRATION!"
"The scale MUST DIE"
"I'm eating 800 calories and not losing, what is WRONG WITH ME?"
"Discouraged"
"What is WRONG with me?"
"So so sad."
"Pity Party"
"What have I done?"
There are very few positives-- and many, many -- folks reaching out for help.
I appreciate posts like this, that address what can (not necessarily will) become an issue. There are so many, anyone that is considering having WLS better be prepared for what can (MIGHT) happen. So far I have been very fortunate. I had gall bladder out and had ulcers, nothing major. No depression, I am happy as a clam, but worries-Oh Yeah! I have the same eating issues and still struggle with them daily. So can I gain all the weight back-well hell yes. I went into this thinking if my morbidities do not kill me and WLS does what have I lost..? If someone is looking at this just as a fast weight loss gimmick then they are just stupid. This is serious **** and can be deadly. Newbies should know this. Anyone who is offended by a post like this is asking for folks to be denied information in advance. What is there in this to offend anyone??
Facts do not lie.
Facts do not lie.
I am only one, But still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do
the something that I can do.
Edward Everett Hale
Onederland 1/26/2010
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