Post-Op Mental Health

For those of you who are using therapy in your post-op toolkit, what sorts of things has therapy helped you with?  

I think I found a therapist that I click with today.  So happy!  My therapist has never worked with a WLSer before, but is eager to help me and learn a bunch for herself in the process.  After having many failed attempts at therapy - I'd rather work with someone I click with than an expert in WLS that I don't click with!

Therapy has helped me with my anxiety and my relationship with my husband (among other people).  It has helped me learn that I am important and I need to take care of myself.  My therapist doesn't have experience with WLS patients either but she's awesome and finding someone you click with is the best.  :)

I've been with my therapist for 2 years and I don't know if she's worked with clients who have had WLS or not. She's been around for a long time so I'm sure she's at least familiar with it.

Clicking with your therapist is far more important than them specializing in a certain area. It sounds like your therapist feels like you are also a good fit with her if she is willing to learn along with you. I don't mind teaching therapists and doctors, it's having to explain things over and over to someone who doesn't seem interested in learning that makes me want to bang my head against their office wall.

A good therapist will help you figure out what triggers certain feelings, help you deal with them and help you get to a place where those things don't trigger you as much. I've come to learn that feelings and memories will probably never go away but their impact can be lessened. My therapist has helped me get to the point where things that once were huge triggers are no something I just notice and let pass by. Have you heard the saying "Resistance is futile."? I've learned that if I resist experiencing emotions they will build and build and build up to a point until they make you deal with them.

I think I used food to stuff emotions for so long that now I've finally dealt with those emotions my body is at a point where it needs major help to relearn healthy eating. I know that if this surgery happens my therapist will be there to help me with any emotions that come up after surgery. I'm not dumb enough to think that because I've done all this work before surgery that things won't pop up again. I can be confident in knowing that it will bot be as bad as if I had not dealt with them before. I wouldn't be surprised if totally new things came up. The last time I was a healthy weight I was in early high school.

Biggest thing my therapist has helped me with along this journey so far, is redefining who I am. I went through a phase where I didn't recognize myself and photos and that was scary. At that point in time, I probably would've self sabotage because I was in  new territory, but working with her has allowed me to maintain a sense of continuity despite all the changes. She has helped me to feel okay with everything that has gone on. She has also helped me learn to embrace my changes and really enjoy my new self, Navigating relationships with others along the way. She is one of my most important team members.

laurie

Helped me grieve the loss of a friend when I was 12 years old; a loss I never dealt with.

Helped me understand the panicky feelings I had when I couldn't go to food for comfort.

Helped me when I was in the hospital with complications...she came ever few days to check on me and make sure I was holding up okay.  When I finally hit a wall I asked a nurse to call and she came within 10 minutes and sat with me while I cried.

I'm blessed that my clinic is located in the hospital and they provide all the services needed (doctor, nurses, nutritionist, psychologist).  They were there for me for the 8 months prior to surgery and even more so when I needed them the 2 months in hospital after surgery.