Post op anxiety

[sophiapink100]

Hi guys,

I know I have put in a thread once before about anxiety but it seems like so long ago. I am now 4 months post op and every day that my physical state gets healthier it feels like my mental state goes in the opposite direction. I am having CBT therapy for my anxiety but so far no good! My anxiety is through the roof. The more weight I lose the more I seem to worry about money, my car etc... Things I have never worried about before. I seem to think everything is going to fall apart but I have no idea why. Is it because I'm walking into the unknown?

Arghhh

 

[sharon2014]

Hi guys, I know I have put in a thread once before about anxiety but it seems like so long ago. I am now 4 months post op and every day that my physical state gets healthier it feels like my mental state goes in the opposite direction. I am having CBT therapy for my anxiety but so far no good! My anxiety is through the roof. The more weight I lose the more I seem to worry about money, my car etc... Things I have never worried about before. I seem to think everything is going to fall apart but I have no idea why. Is it because I'm walking into the unknown? Arghhh

Aw love I'm sorry your feeling this way!!! I can't offer a lot of guidance but maybe it's your minds way wrapping around other things in life...trying to prioritise things, we have more time to think about stuff when losing weight as it affects other things like relationships, career etc, whereas before we were more worried about the perception of us by others! I don't know to be honest, but maybe speaking to your doc to see about additional support?? xx

 

[HelenAngelfish]

Gosh. It must be this point in the journey!! I've had a melt down today and the last few weeks.

Just been posting it all on my diary.

I think it's the unknown. CBT was crap for me too

Hope you feel better soon hunny, it's horrible feeling like this xx

Sent from my iPhone using WLSurgery

 

[Crystalrainbow]

Hugs to you both ,...... its not pleasant suffering with this hidden illness..... i found cbt not to be helpful as it was pushing me to face stuff and do things ay before i was ready..... i found just a simple talk therapy more helpful, no expectations, just time to talk thur my issues...... It sounds silly, as you say just as everything else seems to be on the up..... it is the unknown .... after all were walking a path we've never been down before .... for me i had load of underlying issues, i had no idea they were all tied up with my weight. But talking thru things made me see how i had used food over the years rather than dealing with things ....... one we've had surgery eating our problems away just isn't an option..... its tough to find new ways of coping or dealing with things, its scary but i have found it to be so empowering ...but its been a long read, and i don't think it goes away, something along the line will always crop up to send you backwards......Key is to be gentle with yourselves, its a huge learning curve...... ask your gp about talk therapy it has worked for me where everything else has failed.

Good luck girls sending huge cyber hugs your way x x x x

For me it was a control thing..... i had no control over my life, i guess the eating was the only control i had....... now i take control in other ways which helps a lot. Sounds similar with the stressing over things you have no control over??

 

[sophiapink100]

Thanks ladies, I think you hit the nail on the head. I hid behind food my entire life to deal with all my childhood issues etc.. now I have nothing to hide behind. I was a smoker pre op as well so between that and eating that was my stress relief sorted, now I have nothing.

I have lost complete control of my life as I have no idea who I am anymore, people treat me differently I am no longer unnoticed (although I was noticed for my weight before that was it)

I am so frightened and I just don't know how to deal with it. I see my therapist on weds so will go through it with her then.

Helen - I have just read your post and my heart felt like it was in my mouth - I am with you on everything you said.

Xxxx

 

[Bear]

Just wanted to send hugs to you Sophia and Helen.

I can't pretend to know what you're going through as I don't currently suffer with anxiety, but for what it's worth I find that for most of my 43 years, my time was spent thinking about how to lose weight, what diet I would try next, finding clothes I felt comfortable in etc - now it's like there's nothing to think about any more. Can only think this maybe similar to the anxiety you feel.

I don't know of a solution, but for me I'm trying to think of a hobby I can find. Also, after giving up my part time job back in the summer, I do want to concentrate on looking for a new job. I'm hoping this will give me something to concentrate on.

Do you have any hobbies you can concentrate on?? xx

 

[Crystalrainbow]

Thanks ladies, I think you hit the nail on the head. I hid behind food my entire life to deal with all my childhood issues etc.. now I have nothing to hide behind. I was a smoker pre op as well so between that and eating that was my stress relief sorted, now I have nothing.

I have lost complete control of my life as I have no idea who I am anymore, people treat me differently I am no longer unnoticed (although I was noticed for my weight before that was it)

I am so frightened and I just don't know how to deal with it. I see my therapist on weds so will go through it with her then.

Helen - I have just read your post and my heart felt like it was in my mouth - I am with you on everything you said.

Xxxx

exactly what i went thru hunni... its no plain sailing ...... its been like peeling an onion for me as the weight has come off the childhood problems have come closer and closer to the surface...... i just worked thru every one with my councillor as they surfaced..... and there was no knowing when that would happen as my issues were so deeply hidden ...most of them i was unaware they were even affecting me ...... They seem to crop up from time to time, now i am just very gentle with myself and work thru them as and when they come....... at the mo am on a break from the counselling, but know its there as and when i need it. Its recognising it that the hardest part.......and frankly i've had sooooo many years suffering its a blessing to get it all out I too gave up the smoking so yes all the coping strategies for us are gone now its time to face up to all the past hurts and get deep down to what caused our weight in the first place...... lets be honest dealing with things is the old way were only hurting us and making us ill so now its time to leave that all far behind and come out a stronger happier person.

I'm not saying i'm cured lol but deffo stronger as a result, of course i still have my days when crap hits the fan sending me to the cupboards but now i see it clear with my own eyes and recognise the only one im hurting in the long run is me.

I hit a major weight stall not long back and it was all connected to the past, when i hit the weight i would have been back then............ but i got thru that too

Now i find myself a changed person.... yes everyone treats me differently too but now everything is about ME and not allowing everyone else to have some kind of say over my life..... if someone upsets me now i no longer stuff my feelings and hurt myself ....... i stand up for myself

Speak to you therapist Wednesday, explain exactly how you feel, sometimes i think its hard to even know ourselves what's going on inside...... stay strong you will get thru it promise

My new coping strategies are taking control rather than letting everything roll over me like in the past...... i now take control for the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning blah blah i'm now like the Duracell bunny ....... a organised neat freak ............

huge hugs to both of you ..... Helen i'm looking out for your diary too x x x x x