Hello,

I am 20 and wanted to know how you guys knew you were emotionally ready?

You never really know until you go in there. It is a journey that will bring about a lot of emotions. Talk to your psych if you're not feeling ready, anxious, or have questions that they may be able to put at ease for you.

Hi Lau!

I am right there with you... I am now 21 but I had my surgery when I was 20. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

How to know you are emotionally ready? Honestly, you are the only one who can answer that. I have always been very emotionally mature for my age since I had to deal with both my mother and my grandfather being sick from a very young age. I knew that I could handle this emotionally.

Emotions are pretty crazy during this process. You have your base problems, like why do we overeat in the first place. You have to deal with giving up food as a crutch. Find other ways to deal with those emotions. Some people turn to exercise, some people turn to alcohol. You have to make sure you have a strong support group (these boards, your parents, a therapist if you want, your friends, an in person support group) to make sure that you don't turn to the wrong things. After the surgery you have to deal with the extreme changes in your body. They might be good changes, but change can still be difficult. You will never eat the same way again, in public as well. You won't be able to drink the same way (you are a cheap date now lol, one drink has a lot of potency in your tiny tummy).

You also have the pre-surgery emotions... the anxiety, the excitement, etc. It is a lot, but it is definitely do-able. You CAN handle it.

BUT, the question is whether it is worth it or not. If you are seriously concerned, talk to a therapist a few times. They don't bite and they would be able to answer your question a lot more professionally then any of us