Emotional Issues

Emotional Considerations
The range of emotions you experience following surgery may include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance.  Feelings of sadness and crying episodes can be common occurrences.  Adapting to the changes taking place in your body and in your relationship to food can take many months.  Expect to have ups and downs as the weeks go by.

Your adjustment and acceptance will also be eased by the realization that bariatric surgery, with resultant weight loss, will by itself not solve your personal or relationship problems.  You cannot expect a perfect body or a perfect life after the weight loss.  In fact, many new problems will develop because of the many new opportunities.  These will need to be recognized and attended to.  Try to be as positive as possible.  As new challenges pop up, recognize them and develop a problem solving approach. 

In the past, one of the best methods for you to cope with life stress may have been for you to eat.  This method will no longer be useful.  Replacement methods for coping will need to be learned, but this will take time.  Use the journal in this guide to get you started. 

Counseling
Emotional counseling may be needed during the phase of adjusting to the new physique and the many changes that follow the surgery for morbid obesity.  We can help recommend counselors who are qualified and experienced in working with people who have had weight reduction surgery.  Please use the Counseling and Support Group shortcut.
 

Family and Friends
You can expect your family and friends to have variable reactions to your surgical experience and to the weight loss that follows.  Although you hope your loved ones will be supportive and helpful during your ups and downs, this may not always be the case.  Friends and family may have become secure in your obesity and will have difficulty adjusting to the new body you are developing.    They may envy your courage or physical health.  Be open about your appreciation of them and their concerns for you.  Recognize their ambivalence and talk with them about their own feelings.  And finally, let people pull away if they need to for a while.  Your main responsibility is to care for yourself.  Others are responsible for their own feelings and actions.  Hopefully, most close family members and friends will eventually adjust.

The Internet
Group support and being connected to other patients is vital to a successful surgical result.  The Internet is a way to help fill the void between group meetings.  Please, be cautious about what you read.  We urge you to ask us directly if you have any questions. 

Group Meetings
Group meetings provide peer support, allow you to learn about the surgery first hand from others who have had gastric bypass, let you share your experiences and provide periodic guest speakers to expand your knowledge on obesity surgery related topics.  These support groups are a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and be with people who share what you are experiencing. 
Please use our Counseling and Support Group shortcut.