Bariatric Therapy

[Pricilla 92]

Hey guys!

I have looked into bariatric therapy and so far the only place I’ve found in my city does not take insurance and cost over $250 a session! Gulp!

I’ve adjust my search to exclude the words “bariatric” and include “disordered eating, behavioral therapy”, to hopefully find one that does take insurance.

I’m really curious for those that have (and/or continue to) use therapy, what are some main take away? General advice?

I’m not suggestions this thread/forum could replace therapy, being that it’s very subjective, but maybe if you could share some basic lessons you’ve learned at therapy or homework they’ve assigned?

[Sunnyway 344]

I've been video-conferencing weekly with a highly recommended counselor who specializes in eating disorders @$115/hour. However, while she is both a dietitian and a counselor she usually works with bulimics, anorexics, or bingers. I don't have those problems. The first few sessions were frustrating because she kept up her usual spiel directed to those forms of disordered eating. I gave her a list of reference books before our first session, but it was obvious she had not read any of them. I had to educate her on food addiction, bariatric surgery, and my experience with my own wonky metabolism.

I sought a counselor because I've gone off the rails a few times while pre-op when confronted with some really delectable food in front of me that I could not resist--namely coffee cake, strudel, pizza, Irish soda bread. As soon as I ate them my sugar/flour addiction was triggered and it took weeks to get over withdrawal again and to get back on track with my pre-op food plan. I don't want to do that after surgery so I was looking for tips and tricks for avoidance of temptation.

Well, I'm not getting that type of advice. However, I am getting nutritional/dietetic information that I have not gotten from my clinic's nutritionists. I'll keep talking to her for the next two weeks because my RNY-RNY revision is just 17 days away. I'll wait and see post-surgery. The honeymoon period won't be difficult to me. The problem will arise once I'm eating "real food" again.

Good luck finding a compatible counselor at a reasonable session cost.

[gabbykittyvsg 184]

IMHO, the most effective therapy takes place with a therapist who you connect with. I've tried specialized therapy and didn't get much out of it because I didn't mesh well with the therapist.

Sent from my Z6201V using BariatricPal mobile app

[Lifestyle Changer 49]

My therapist I’ve been seeing for about 2 years has helped me in various way to deal with the issues of my ptsd. She is also helping me to look at myself to figure out what is triggering my bad eating habits.
Finding a reputable a therapist that firsts helps sort out your emotional needs. Second check by asking if they can help you with your emotions that triggers your bad habits of eating. Insurance will pay for a therapist that treats for emotional issues. A therapist with the added help with eating is usually from emotional issues. You need to check your insurance of therapist that they cover. Then start researching and calling them with the questions along with helping clients with emotional issues do you also help clients learn to look at the emotions that trigger the bad eating habits.

[gabbykittyvsg 184]

1 minute ago, Lifestyle Changer said:

My therapist I’ve been seeing for about 2 years has helped me in various way to deal with the issues of my ptsd. She is also helping me to look at myself to figure out what is triggering my bad eating habits.
Finding a reputable a therapist that firsts helps sort out your emotional needs. Second check by asking if they can help you with your emotions that triggers your bad habits of eating. Insurance will pay for a therapist that treats for emotional issues. A therapist with the added help with eating is usually from emotional issues. You need to check your insurance of therapist that they cover. Then start researching and calling them with the questions along with helping clients with emotional issues do you also help clients learn to look at the emotions that trigger the bad eating habits.

I agree 100% with everything you said!!

[james2021 160]

I've continued seeing my normal therapist throughout the process and she does not specialize in anything food/body related, and still found a lot of value in it. I'm trying to put my finger on what the takeaways were, but I think the things I'm processing the most that are helpful are a) body shame and b) dealing with people's reactions to my weight loss. If you can, I would probably recommend a therapist even if you can't find one that directly specializes in this area. It helps just to have someone to talk to!

Something I did on my own that was really helpful: in the couple of weeks leading up to the liver reduction diet, and I had my moment where I was just eating "whatever I wanted" "for the last time," I wrote down what favorite comfort food I ate, and then briefly journaled about how I felt physically after eating it. That helped me process losing access these foods, because I realized that they would often make my stomach hurt/make me feel physically terrible right after eating all of that. It took away from the emotional power those foods had for me.

Edited December 5, 2021 by muala94

[Sunnyway 344]

5 hours ago, muala94 said:

I wrote down what favorite comfort food I ate, and then briefly journaled about how I felt physically after eating it. That helped me process losing access these foods, because I realized that they would often make my stomach hurt/make me feel physically terrible right after eating all of that. It took away from the emotional power those foods had for me.

I love this! This is a tip that could actually help me if I do succumb to temptation. It won't dissipate backsliding from abstinence, but could help me mentally to avoid doing it again. Thank you!

[Starwarsandcupcakes 2,046]

Have you looked at the Psychology Today “find a therapist” tool? You can search by area, insurance, specialty and if they’re accepting new patients. Also you can see if one in another area takes your insurance and do telehealth visits. I found that locator much easier than trying to google things in my local area.

[mrsjo 69]

To those who have done therapy. Do they really target strategies for not overeating, emotional eating, etc or is it just generalized? Never had counseling before so not sure what to expect or if it something I want to do. I do think it would be helpful, but I know it can be hard to find a good therapist.

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 656]

57 minutes ago, mrsjo said:

To those who have done therapy. Do they really target strategies for not overeating, emotional eating, etc or is it just generalized? Never had counseling before so not sure what to expect or if it something I want to do. I do think it would be helpful, but I know it can be hard to find a good therapist.

Its usually 2 fold: 1) identify the source of the behaviors - WHY do you overeat/binge, etc? What is causing you to use food as a coping mechanism? You absolutely have to get to the root of the problem, otherwise you are just slapping a band-aid on it and it will eventually be problematic again. Then, 2) create new behaviors/coping mechanisms for dealing with the emotions that are triggering the behaviors. Once you've identified what's driving the patterns, you can work on changing them.

Some of this work is specific to eating, some of it will be applicable to other areas of your life. And even general therapy NOT related to disordered eating can help create new behaviors since you are dealing with the underlying issues.

[Pricilla 92]

Anybody out there eat to eat (or did before the surgery), because it’s delicious and feels great to fill up on yummy things?
Is it ever JUST that? Just that basic?
….or is that the addiction talking?

Does it have to be emotion, stress, trauma, filling a void, or even a “why”?

[Sunnyway 344]

On 12/6/2021 at 10:19 AM, Pricilla said:

Anybody out there eat to eat (or did before the surgery), because it’s delicious and feels great to fill up on yummy things?
Is it ever JUST that? Just that basic?
….or is that the addiction talking?

Does it have to be emotion, stress, trauma, filling a void, or even a “why”?

Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly my issue. I'm not an emotional eater or a binge eater, but if something I know is delicious is right in front of me I WANT it. It's extremely difficult for me to turn away from the temptation. As a sugar addict, I am abstaining from all forms of sugar and flour, so I KNOW BETTER, but I'm still inclined to reach out ant take the yummy item, even though I am again past the withdrawal stage.

[Smanky 747]

On 12/7/2021 at 3:19 AM, Pricilla said:

Anybody out there eat to eat (or did before the surgery), because it’s delicious and feels great to fill up on yummy things?
Is it ever JUST that? Just that basic?
….or is that the addiction talking?

Does it have to be emotion, stress, trauma, filling a void, or even a “why”?

Me! I never had an eating disorder, never had an emotional attachment to food nor did I use food to cope when things got stressful or something went wrong. I turned to cigarettes for stress and emotional stuff - THAT was a long loooooong journey to quit, which I finally did. And stress always killed my hunger.

I got obese because I liked to eat and food tasted good. I was a sugar addict, a junk food addict, and got to the size I got purely from gluttony and boredom. Sugar was the worst, I could cut down and quit and do well for a while, but if I had too much I'd be addicted all over again.

So nope, the path to morbid obesity isn't always down to emotion/stress/trauma/issues. Some like me just... liked food too much. Taste... texture... and rubbish will-power.

[Sunnyway 344]

6 hours ago, Smanky said:

I got obese because I liked to eat and food tasted good. I was a sugar addict, a junk food addict

It is encouraging that you have been making progress despite these pesky addictions. So have I, but it's been difficult. I dread facing the rest of my lifetime abstaining from my trigger foods (sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, processed food). I've found that if I succumb even once, the withdrawal starts all over again.

Have you read any of these books?

[Smanky 747]

7 hours ago, Sunnyway said:

It is encouraging that you have been making progress despite these pesky addictions. So have I, but it's been difficult. I dread facing the rest of my lifetime abstaining from my trigger foods (sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, processed food). I've found that if I succumb even once, the withdrawal starts all over again.

Have you read any of these books?

Thanks Sunnyway. I'm actually not a self-help book sort of person, so I haven't and won't. If I ever struggle again, I'll book in with a therapist.