I feel like I am losing my mind

[Mrs. Ross 3]

I wish I could go back to the day before my surgery. They didn’t even tell me that I would have so much anxiety and depression. I don’t want to be alone . I’m not sure if I am coming are going to. I’m not the only one that is coming though this at Al.

[NickelChip 1,358]

I'm so sorry you're having a difficult time! Fortunately, if people develop anxiety and depression after the surgery, it tends to be a temporary thing. Your body has gone through a major shock, and you're also burning fat, which is where you store hormones such as estrogen. It can sometimes become a perfect storm for mental health stress until things start to stabilize. When my brother had the sleeve several years ago, he ended up flying across the country to stay with me when he was about 3-4 weeks post-op because he didn't want to be alone and was so emotional and anxious at that point. It eased up little by little over the course of a few weeks while his body adjusted, and by the time he went home, he felt so much better.

It's really common in the early stages to fear that this is your new life and you will never feel normal again, but remember this is just healing time. Give yourself grace to get through it as best you can. Take friends and family up on offers of help. Don't do things that really can be put off. Let yourself go to bed early. Play your favorite songs when you go for a walk. Go for a pedicure. Even writing down your thoughts in a journal can help a lot.

It really is going to get better over time, even though it feels horrible and scary right now.

[ShoppGirl 5,073]

I think I seen in another post that you are having trouble sleeping. Loss of sleep can certainly make you feel like you are losing It. Have you spoken with your team to see if they have any ideas that can help. It’s possible your medications are just not absorbing properly. Maybe Check with them to see if they can safely adjust the dose or try something different alltogether. After you get some sleep you may find that the depression and anxiety subside. If not, it will depend on how problematic it is.

Many times Depression can be helped significantly by just getting outside in the fresh air and sunlight (or by using a special lamp Designed for seasonal affective disorder that can be purchased on Amazon). Light exercise can also help if you are cleared for a walk. Even better if you can get a friend to go along with you.

Most anxiety can be reduced through meditation. Guided meditations are available on you tube or apps such as the calm app. If formal meditation is not your thing, many hobbies require mindfulness. I suffer from anxiety and I crochet. Focusing on the pattern and counting the stitches takes just the right amount of mental energy to pull my focus and help me relax. Believe it or not since I started crochet I have been able to cut back on my anxiety medication by more than half. Many people also Find adult coloring books to help With stress and anxiety. If Crafts are not your thing, just google anxiety reducing hobbies and you will find things such as puzzles, writing and reading have been proven to reduce Stress and anxiety.

If you are still struggling with depression and anxiety that are bothersome i would contact your team. I am not certain but they may be able to prescribe something for you to take temporarily to help you to feel more like yourself. If not hopefully they will have some more ideas because you are definitely not the first one to go though this.

Edited March 30, 2024 by ShoppGirl

[Holly W. 1]

18 hours ago, Mrs. Ross said:

I wish I could go back to the day before my surgery. They didn’t even tell me that I would have so much anxiety and depression. I don’t want to be alone . I’m not sure if I am coming are going to. I’m not the only one that is coming though this at Al.

I'm so sorry you are feeling this way but I can empathize with the anxiety. I suffer from both anxiety & panic disorder. It was pretty well controlled until about 2 weeks before surgery & it slowly progressed. The week after my surgery my anxiety was in a full blown upheaval! I have a question for you, I was on medication for depression & anxiety before surgery & was warned that psych meds specifically can be absorbed less after gastric bypass surgery. They say a lot of these medications are absorbed in the small intestine. The psychiatrist that did my evaluation said if you don't feel quite right after surgery to NOT just write it off as not feeling good because you just had surgery. He said don't panic, just be mindful that if the feelings don't go away your medication doses may need to be adjusted. This is exactly what happened to me. My feelings & mood continued to escalate until I just didn't feel like myself at all. I reached out to my provider & she switched my medication. Thankfully, I can already tell a difference but these medications take a while to fully kick in which is so hard when, mentally, you really just want to feel like yourself again.

All of that being said, after surgery it is not uncommon to feel anxious & even depressed due to all of the medications, especially pain meds & anesthesia meds. Feeling overwhelmed or even depressed after bariatric surgery is not uncommon either but I think some, maybe a lot of us, just assume we're going to be in a better head space after surgery because we'll be losing weight & finally be on the path we've been longing for for so long & thus, when we feel anxious or depressed it completely catches us off guard. Personally, I think we should be required to do a certain amount of counseling before we have this surgery with someone who specializes in bariatric counseling. Not just a few appointments to fill out questionnaires & be approved for it. This surgery is SO huge & life altering in so many ways. Just my opinion. I hope you are feeling much better real soon!❤️🙏❤️

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,682]

If you are having trouble sleeping, it can make any anxiety or depression so much worse. It can also create and/or magnify any physical issues you may have going on. Also, give yourself grace because you had a major surgery, which is a tool needed to change your life and your relationship with food. You didn't get here overnight and you won't get to where you want to be overnight. It takes a while for your mind and body to even out and get used to all the changes.