Did anyone see therapist/counselor?

[mileysfitmommy 19]

I am a month away from surgery. I have been on my preop diet for almost 2 weeks now.First week went great, 2nd week have had some struggles.

My sister thinks i need to see a therapist for food addiction. Does anyone else see a therapist for this?

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[Hotmama@48 9]

I did see a psychologist, but it was only for a psych evaluation as it was required by my insurance. As a matter of fact, such evaluation is a requirement for pre-op for most insurance approvals. Are you insurance or self pay? Either way, in my honest opinion, seeing a therapist is a good idea...It also opens the door for therapy sessions that you may find yourself needing down the line after the surgery for additional support. So you may want to consider it, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Remember, embarking on this new journey of lifestyle will be rewarding, but also challenging....Get all the help and support that you can to help you to be successful in your journey. While my session was for a psych evaluation, my therapist did encourage me to come back and see her any time I felt that I needed to, and I will if I find that I need it. Best wishes to you:)

[AvaFern 3,516]

There are plenty of people who see a therapist for food related concerns- this is an entirely normal and very healthy thing to do. I have seen a therapist in the past for various concerns and who else is going to listen to you talk for 50 minutes without being judgemental, and actually give you legitimate, rational ideas for how to improve your mental health? If you can find a therapist that you mesh well with, this can be a great addition to your healthcare, even if you really don't talk about food at all. I tend to think a lot of us became fat because we have emotional issues that are buried under all of the years of using food for comfort and if you can dig out what my therapist called "the big T's and the little T's" (T stands for trauma and it's not just about big traumatic issues, but little ones that add up over time) you can work to recover not just as a person who uses food as a drug in a sense, but also as a person in general. Taking care of your mental health has an enormous impact on your physical health and if you have the means to have a therapist, it will really only help you. You go to the dermatologist for a skin check, to your PCP for physicals, and your dentist to get your teeth cleaned- sometimes a trip to the therapist is just another type of personal maintenance. There doesn't have to be something wrong with you to have a check-up with every other doctor- seeing a therapist is no different.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@mileysfitmommy

A therapist can be helpful for the reasons listed above. It never hurts. Especially if you are an emotional eater.

Everyone struggles with the pre-op diet. It is hell, so that struggle depending on what happened, you didn't provide details, doesn't necessarily mean you have a food addiction.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

therapist for food addiction

@@mileysfitmommy

IMO, seeing a therapist is a good idea for many

talking about food issues - many other subjects too

try talking to a therapist once

if this is not for you

nothing ventured - nothing gained!!!

initially i felt a little weird going to a therapist, embarrassed, self-conscious etc

felt there was a stigma attached to seeing a therapist

I discussed this issue with my new found therapist.....

she said

half the world sees a therapist - the other half SHOULD

kathy

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@mileysfitmommy I saw a psychologist every 2 weeks for about 3 months and found it to be extremely helpful! I'm still pre-op but feel that the tools she gave me will help me to be successful post-op. It certainly couldn't hurt - so try it and see what you get out of it. I would recommend someone who has experience with bariatric surgery though.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I'm nearly 2 years post-op (sleeve).

I've been seeing a therapist (who works with a lot of bariatric patients) for all that time. When I decided to have WLS I committed to seeing a therapist for three years:

1. The year of losing weight

2. The year of maintaining weight

3. The year of boring real life

I have had many benefits from my monthly sessions. I've dealt with a lot of stresses in my life post-op, including family deaths, family illnesses, relocations, retirement and more -- not to mention some issues related to eating, dysmorphia, helping my friends and others negotiate THEIR adjustments to the changes in my size, etc.

Great weight loss is a LOT to deal with. Usually obesity is a symptom of other issues. And obesity is not something that's "over" just because you have lost weight. As we all know losing weight isn't the big challenge -- it's changing your life so you can maintain your weight loss, regain your health and go on to living life quite differently than you did in the past.

If you can figure all this s**t out on your own, more power to you. I chose to access the resources a therapist offered me in making all these changes in ways that could *stick*.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Duplicate post. Sorry.

[theantichick 2,204]

I'm seeing a therapist for food issues. I knew that whether I decided to have the surgery or not, my food issues needed to be dealt with. I eat emotionally, and overeat (especially poor food choices) so that's one thing. I also have anxiety about vegetables and "weird" foods that stems from my father force-feeding me vegetables from a very young age. It's really hard to make good food choices when 95% of vegetables are off the table.

My only issue is that my therapist (who I really love) isn't keen on the surgery. She is a health-at-every-size advocate. So I have to keep her focused on the issues of emotional eating and dealing with the past trauma so I can open up my palate.

I think it's a good bet that most people with obesity have food issues, and a therapist can help with that. It's important to find someone you can trust and work with, and sometimes that takes a few tries. I was a little concerned about spending the money (insurance only really covers about 1/2) but my husband said I absolutely needed to do it, because my health was worth setting back our financial plans a little bit (paying off debt).

[ndavis1991 11]

I see a therapist and a nutritionist with an eating disorder background. Very helpful. I had to self pay out of pocket for the surgery and I do t want to screw it up after spending all that money.

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