Question:
why would one have to see a psych,post-op for councling??
— rachel A. (posted on October 18, 2003)
October 18, 2003
Some people aren't as prepared for eating and the lifestyle changes that
post-op life brings. Some people have issues with using food for a
"crutch' that is not resolved before surgery altho it should be.
— Delores S.
October 18, 2003
You are kidding right? The notion that As soon as I am skinny I am
emotionaly and mentaly stable is so VERY wrong...I am not saying that that
is the way you feel but let me tell ya, being 3 and a half months post op
there are all sort of demons that people deal with, I for one don't know
what I would do without my shrink throughout this process, it isn't easy at
all. You may do great and never need any objective couseling and that is
great but I wouldn't say it is the norm.
— Sarah S.
October 18, 2003
Our issues with food are sadly underrated. I cannot fathom that there are
morbidly obese people who think that they have no issues with food but
rather decided one day to eat themselves to within an inch of death though
I constantly hear paople say they just liked to eat or did not really eat
that much. I used to say that I was living the most ironic nightmare as an
MO person. I loathed the fat but kept getting fatter. That, to me, sounds
like an issue worth addressing. I don't believe that everyone has a deep
dark issue but even if it is as simple as dealing with stress by eating
then we need to figure it out and learn how to deal with it without turning
to food. I would not underestimate the power of professional help as a
postie. I have regularly been surprised by the adjustments I have had to
make as I lose weight. It can be overwhelming and should not be taken
lightly if we want a lifetime of success.
— Carol S.
October 18, 2003
Weight loss also changes your relationships. It changes both how you
handle/view them and how others handle/view you. Being in therapy can help
you deal with these changes in a positive way, as well as to work though
all the "eating" issues. Also, there are a lot of issues
surrounding body image that tend to crop up. You may be surprized to learn
how this affects other aspects of your life.
— aejbhm
October 18, 2003
What Carol said, "I loathed the fat but kept getting fatter" is
so true. . . .You don't get to be Morbidly Obese without having "food
issues". . . .Eating 2 Big Mac's, 2 large fries, a quart of Coke
followed by 1/2 gallon of ice cream isn't "normal". . . .And if
you "just like to eat" what in the world are you going to do when
you can no longer do it? . . . . If you closely read a lot of the messages
here by post-ops there is a lot of emotional stuff going on (unfortunately
a lot of them don't realize that it's their head, not their new pouch that
is acting up). . . .Do you think there is something "wrong" with
seeing a therapist post-op? Why? What kind of expericences do you have with
therapy? What do you think about someone who has been in therapy?
— Marrilee M.
October 18, 2003
Rachel- I lost over 80 pounds my first month (that was ten inches on my
waist); I never had a plateau of more than 4 days; and I dropped a full
size every 4-6 weeks. My family was supportive as were my friends,
neighbors, fellow church members and co-workers; they were always there
when I needed encouragement or someone to vent to as I learned to live
without food. I grew to rely upon the great people I met in our
twice-monthly support groups and kept monthly follow-up visits with my
surgeon. Yet, even with all that support, I still needed to see a
counsellor when I felt significant anxiety as soon as I was starting to
feel hunger-- for a few months, he guided me through the minefields that I
was starting to notice and helped me significantly. You need to appreciate
that your relationship with food changes in such dramatic ways after
surgery that it is unfathomable before surgery-- -therefore, I just don't
think it's possible as a pre-op to fully grasp the complexity and the
magnitude of the changes in a life that does not have food as its focus.
Certainly, a pre-op can try to isolate the times when he overeats the most
and evaluate how he might deal with stress (or sadness or loneliness)
without resort to food. But, until that first crisis hits post-op, or
until you start to notice your results and fear back-sliding, you can't
fully appreciate how much you'll want to have that objective professional
to help guide you. It makes a world of difference. And, as for the
discomfort that some people feel about reaching out for help-- what do you
think having WLS is all about-- if you turn to a surgeon to help you with
the start of the weight loss journey, why not turn to another medical
professional to help you as you get further along?
— SteveColarossi
October 18, 2003
Hi Rachel. I know why the docs are making ME go to psych counseling. I've
had several complications (strictures, drug allergies, dehydration, food
intolerances). My nerves are raw. I lost 22 pounds in 3 weeks, then gained
6 back on 100 calories (that's right -- 100 calories!) per day. When I had
a follow-up with my nutritionist, I broke down in tears. My nutritionist
was correct in assuming that my "illness" was making me crazy.
But even if I weren't so sick, I'd probably benefit from talking to
somebody to make sure that my behavior modifications are on track.
Honestly, I hate to visit any kind of doctor, and I'd rather avoid psychs
especially. I just keep telling myself that the professionals have more
experience with people like me -- and I TRUST that they'll do what's best.
Good luck!
— Annie H.
October 18, 2003
I was one of those people who SWORE that I ate better than most people I
just kept getting fatter. WRONG! If that were true I would have never
been MO. I may have ONLY ate 3 times a day (sweets were never my thing),
but I know how much and what I ate. And let me tell you, it was not normal
for any human to eat that much at one seating. I had to get real with
myself. I had/have food issues. They did not go away just because I had
surgery. I fight them everyday. I will fight my demons for the rest of my
life. There is no shame in getting help no matter when you get it. I WISH
I had gotten help pre-op then MAYBE I wouldnt have had to get my guts
rewired so I wouldnt eat myself to death. ~Sidney~ Open RNY 10-23-02 down
120+ and counting
— Siddy I.
October 19, 2003
I don't want to sound rude or quick tempered, and most posters have pretty
much already said the same thing, BUT HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As if going through a major surgery that changes our lives completely
afterwards isn't enough to need therapy, the whole reason why we are even
here in the first place is the most obvious reason. I didn't just wake up
one day at almost 300 pounds and think damn, I need to lay off the
Pringles. I know that for myself I have some serious long standing
emotional issues that I've never FULLY hit head on. My weight was a
protection from the outside world. And food was my comfort as it seems to
be for most of us. I plan to start back with therapy, hopefully with the
same doc that did my pre-op eval, after my surgery/recovery time. I'm
already concerned about a couple things as I lose weight and want to make
sure I handle it appropriately. So don't knock therapy. Use it as a tool
just as this surgery has done for you. We all need an objective person to
talk to.
— Lisa E.
October 19, 2003
The life changes are simply overwhelming. anyone who thinks just losing
weight will make everything all perfect is fooling themselves. I see so may
people posting who never had a realistic idea of what to expect form this
surgery or how to set a realistic goal, or to cope with the ineveitable
plateaus. Not to mention the new ways that others relate to you. Loss of a
coping mechanism, in some cases the only coping mechanism was food. the
lost goes on. surgery fixed my stomach, not my pouch. since you didn't say
why you ask, I am guessing it was just curiosity and maybe a lack of
understanding of the enormity of this surgery. Mny are thinking they are
going to come out of surgery a size 6, and are surprised to find they are
an average loser, which is 70% of the excess weight with aproxamately a 10%
regain in a year or 2. That can be very depressing. My advice is to go into
surgery with a realistic view of what you will lose. Make your goals
health related. Ie. reduce medications, cholesterol, Blood pressure. My
doc refused to give me a goal, said my body will find its "comfortable
weight", which was the best advice I have gotten out of this surgery.
Good Luck.
— **willow**
October 19, 2003
oops meant to say surgery fixed my stomach/pouch, not my head
— **willow**
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