Question:
To those with diagnosed clinical depression prior to surgery (NOT bipolar)...

Could you share specifically with me the stages of your depression post-op, especially in dealing with comfort eating, and not being able too?    — Connie H. (posted on October 15, 1999)

October 15, 1999
I'm scheduled to have surgery October 20th, so don't really know the answer to your question; however, I've been disabled with recurrent major clinical depression and panic disorder for 4 years now, and have the same concerns you mentioned. My PCP, psychologist, and psychiatrist all feel this surgery will help me make more progress in my recovery. At this point, other than trying to get paperwork and the house in order, keeping my mind on all the wonderful things I'll be able to do next year (due to being a more normal weight and not feeling the need to avoid contact with people) seems to be the best therapy for me. I've also started getting together foods that I associate with comfort (homemade soups and cassaroles) cooked up and frozen so I'll be able to have some in tiny amounts after the surgery. This probably hasn't been any help. I know ... maybe we can switch eating-for-comfort for walking-for-comfort! I'll let you know if I think up anything reasonable about this ... I could sure use help in this area myself. Cindy
   — Cynthia B.

October 16, 1999
I was diagnosed with major depression about seven years ago. It has been under good control with medication for most of that time, but I was concerned that surgery and the changes following surgery might trigger another depression. I talked to my psychiatrist, a psychologist, and my surgeon about it, and of course they were not nearly as concerned about it as I was. They're not the one's who would suffer! Anyway, I continued taking my medication right up to the day of surgery (9-20-99), and resumed it three days after surgery, and I am doing great. No depression! Of course I have had my moments of grief, missing my old favorite foods, and wondering if I will ever be able to eat "normal" food again. But those feelings have passed quickly, and I have kept my focus on following my doctor's treatment plan, and losing weight. So far, so good.
   — Lynn K.

October 18, 1999
Connie, Hi. My surgery was 5/6/99 and I've lost 70 pounds as of 10/1/99. I was big time (no pun intended) into comfort eating which came from childhood. I still find that I comfort eat somewhat. I even can eat my beloved chocolates and as with everything else, just not too much. If I can't eat then I get into deprivation and then I'm afraid that I'll really eat too much and be sick. I usually have a small helping/serving/bite of sweet everyday. Then I don't feel sorry for myself, and by allowing myself to eat the things that I want I don't want as much as normal. Hopefully, in time I won't have the deprivational feelings nor the need for the sweets. I'm not going to worry about them, though. I keep candy in the house all the time but make sure that they are bite or fun sizes. Won't be tempted to eat the whole thing "to clean the plate" sort of mentality. Hope this helps you in a small way. My post-op depression, if you could call it that, amounted to the first couple of weeks wondering "just what in the heck I'd done to myself now". This usually came just after waking in the morning. I'm not a morning person and my feelings tend to run rampant then. I also would get teary easily but that only lasted for a week or so. From then on, it's been looking at a miracle happen to me. Good luck. Thinking of you, Linda
   — Linda P.