what do you do when you realize that your fat cusion might not last forever?

[gritar 0]

I have my lapband. I am loosing weight. I am not perfect but better than I was. Today I realized that maybe, I have a device in me that will not allow me to hide behind my fat and make excuses the rest of my life. I had my lapband placed on 10/15/08. I am loosing weight. My pants are baggy and so are my tops. And I am still loosing. I stopped drinking alchol and sugar laden beverages. yet still it is hard for me to cope. I am not going back to soda but I am drinking liqour when I feel I can't cope. I have not been on the board since right after surgery. But life is interceding and I need support. But I may be to late in the since that I failed at a non weight related task today and on Thursday I have another and maybe my problem of speaking in front of large crowds is something I have to accept and not try to advance my career in human resources because I do not knOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

iT Was.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I think you need the help of a therapist. Kudos to you for admitting you turn to liquor. Get help NOW! That's not uncommon (one of the things a good psych eval is supposed to catch) and something that you can "fix" before it gets to be a huge problem!

Your surgeon should be able to help you find a good therapist if you don't know of one. A good one can help you work miracles.

[HeatherO 7]

The band can assist you in losing weight but it isn't going to fix any esteem/confidence/coping issues that were there before. In fact, you will find as you lose the weight you will be confronted with this even more as time goes on since you have lost one coping mechanism.

You are now almost two months out. If you are turning to liquor now, now is the time to seek assistance before it becomes much more difficult to control. Most of us who are banded have food issues or are food addicts . . . we are at a very big risk of trading addictions. If you were self-soothing with food before, which is damaging in itself, turning to liquor may just cause a steeper decline and more angst than food ever could.

Seeking counseling is excellent advice and I agree with RestlessMonkey. You have already taken steps to improve yourself by getting banded. Now is an excellent time to get everything in order, most especially any psychological issues. Getting started might be easier than you think.

Support is also important and being an active member on a forum can help. Seeking support through family and friends may also help. Good luck with everything.