Posted by iris2 on December 18, 2004, at 18:37:57
In reply to Re: Bipolar meds --and weight, posted by banga on December 18, 2004, at 17:20:40
Of course if gaining weight causes another medical problem one has to take that into account. And one does not have to be thought of as vain just because of being unhappy about ones weight gain. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good and feel and be healthy.I think I am just coming from a different place than most of you. I have had an eating disorder and accompanying body image problems and hysteria over weight gain for 30 years. I also suffer from a very severe treatment resistant depression of the same time period. I have had some medications help with the depression in the past. I am not able to work and have tried to commit suicide several times. The last mediation I tried helped with the constant ruminating negative thoughts (which I am feeling right now) but did nothing for my motivation, concentration or anhedonia at all. I did however gain several pounds on it my stomach got “real big”and I went up a size in clothes from 6 to 8 or more.. I wonder what some of you would have done in my shoes? I stayed on it for over three months and continued to have body changes. I was and continue to be very depressed about the body and weight changes and decided finally that the bad outweighed the good
I honestly think that from my perspective when talking about weight issues and depression I am coming a different place. I think that is why I get so upset when I read things like someone absolutely will not take a medication if it makes them gain weight. I am in a constant struggle with myself to be ok about my weight. I think if I find an antidepressant that works WELL I should take it even if I gain some weight. I would consider my depression a morbid disease and as such I need to be logical about some weight gain in this circumstance. If I had a debilitating physical illness that impaired my functioning in this manner and could take a drug so that I was able to function and work and have a life but gained some weight (not so much that it affected my health adversely) than I think that someone without an eating disorder would not think twice about it. For me I do and I do not think this is rational. It is close to saying I would rather take a chance on dieing than gain some weight. It is not rational and I need to continue to recognize this. I think I am personalizing what others say here and it does not pertain to my circumstance at all.
If I let the eating disorder get in the way of a possible treatment for my depression I am in a no win situation
I just think if one is severely ill whether mental illness or physical that gaining some weight from a medication that cures the ailment is an irrational reason not to take it. There is a big difference between being unhappy about being overweight and being depressed.
poster:iris2
thread:5053
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041217/msgs/431378.html