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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on September 28, 2005, at 23:56:11
Hi guys,
I don't usually post on the Eating board. I don't have an ED, but certainly a lot of body image issues (like so many women). I thought maybe someone over here could relate to this thing that has been bothering me.
Anyway, there have been a lot of posts on babble lately talking abt not wanting to start on antidepressants for fear of gaining weight. The tone that they take makes me feel like I'm worthless for not being thin and cute. I think I'm just looking for someone else who can relate.
Best,
EE
Posted by gardenergirl on September 29, 2005, at 11:10:02
In reply to Feeling down abt some posts lately, posted by Emily Elizabeth on September 28, 2005, at 23:56:11
Hi,
Considering I've gained about 50 pounds since starting Nardil, I can relate. I'm not happy about it, but I'll trade it for relief from depression.I do worry about my health, though.
You know you don't have to be thin to be cute, don't you? And appearance is only one aspect to you. Personally, I like the you we see on the boards very much. I'm sure I'd like the you I could meet in person, too.
((((EE))))
gg
Posted by Racer on September 29, 2005, at 13:01:20
In reply to Feeling down abt some posts lately, posted by Emily Elizabeth on September 28, 2005, at 23:56:11
>
>
> Anyway, there have been a lot of posts on babble lately talking abt not wanting to start on antidepressants for fear of gaining weight. The tone that they take makes me feel like I'm worthless for not being thin and cute. I think I'm just looking for someone else who can relate.
>
> Best,
> EEI can relate, although I'm also one of those people who says that she won't start an AD that might cause weight gain... Figure that one out -- and then explain it to me?
In my case, I've had some bad experiences related to weight gain from ADs. For one thing, my weight gain hasn't been five or ten pounds, but fifty to seventy pounds. You can see that that might be a problem? Admittedly, I was anorexic when starting, so we're looking at about 35 pounds underweight to 35 pounds overweight, but still...
And then there was the family discussion one Christmas, when my cousin's wife, after hearing that I couldn't lose the weight because it was put on by my AD, told me that I shouldn't take it if it made me fat -- "no wonder you're depressed, when it makes you so fat." (I wonder exactly why I'm anorexic?)
I give it to myself coming and going, both. On the one hand, I can't stand the thought of giving up so much quality of life over an antidepressant. I don't want to be fat, constipated, and stupid all the time, which is my experience so far with most ADs. Then again, when I'm thinking about the dearth of options available to me at this time, a big part of me says, "Ah, quit your bellyaching, just take what works enough on your depression -- no matter what it does to you." (That's largely the message I got last year during a treatment nightmare. It's a long story, though, and not worth telling.)
I don't have any answers to it, I'm afraid. The Calvinist in my soul says that one can't have everything, so take what you can get. Then there's the part of me that says that the quality of my life really does matter, and I'm not being fair to myself to say that it doesn't.
Then again, my current cocktail is behaving like a vacuum cleaner, if you know what I mean, so I'm not the best person to ask for any hope right now.
Posted by Maxime on October 4, 2005, at 12:08:59
In reply to Feeling down abt some posts lately, posted by Emily Elizabeth on September 28, 2005, at 23:56:11
Hey there. I am one of those people who will not take an AD if it will make me gain weight. The good part is, I have tried every AD so I don't have to worry about it anymore. :-)
I wanted to tell you that you are not worthless at all. You have helped me a lot of Psycho Babble. You are a giving and caring person ... so you can't be worthless.
Some women have spouses or significant others who get turned off by weight gain. I know one woman whose husband wanted her to stop her meds so that she would regain her figure! *sshole! So there is the pressure that we place on ourselves and sometimes the pressure is coming from outside forces.
I like you a lot and I haven't even met you in real life! I know that you would make a great friend.
I understand how you feel and the posts are affecting you. I wish I could say "just ignore them!" but I know it's not that easy. I think Racer has some titles of workbooks etc on body-image. It might be helpful for you to read one. And if you are seeing a T to mention it to him/her.
No, you wouldn't want to go down this path of eating disorders. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Although sometimes I wish doctors could experience it for a couple of days to understand the hell we go through.
Another thought. Are you a writer? You should consider using your experiences to write an article on this subject. Are there other women and men who will give up a med that will help them in pursuit of staying thin? What does that say about our society? Urm, sorry. It's the academic in me.
Keep writing about your thoughts Emily. We'll listen. What goes around comes around. :-) You are very lovable.
Hugs,
Maxime> Hi guys,
>
> I don't usually post on the Eating board. I don't have an ED, but certainly a lot of body image issues (like so many women). I thought maybe someone over here could relate to this thing that has been bothering me.
>
> Anyway, there have been a lot of posts on babble lately talking abt not wanting to start on antidepressants for fear of gaining weight. The tone that they take makes me feel like I'm worthless for not being thin and cute. I think I'm just looking for someone else who can relate.
>
> Best,
> EE
Posted by Racer on October 4, 2005, at 18:16:01
In reply to Re: Feeling down abt some posts lately » Emily Elizabeth, posted by Maxime on October 4, 2005, at 12:08:59
>
> Another thought. Are you a writer? You should consider using your experiences to write an article on this subject. Are there other women and men who will give up a med that will help them in pursuit of staying thin? What does that say about our society? Urm, sorry. It's the academic in me.
>
>
> Hugs,
> Maxime
>
>Actually, there are a lot of diabetic girls and women who purposefully underinsulinate in order to keep their weight down. Many of them get neuropathy while still quite young, and all the other problems associated with diabetes -- kidney failure, amputations, blindness, etc -- are much more likely to occur. And some of them will say, "But I'm THIN!" As if that matters more than life itself.
Yeah, there's something really wrong here. I know that's definitely the pot calling the kettle black, because I'd love to be thin again just now, but there's truly something wrong when women would rather be thin than healthy.
OK. I'll climb down off my soapbox now...
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on October 5, 2005, at 16:32:15
In reply to Something scary... » Maxime, posted by Racer on October 4, 2005, at 18:16:01
This is the end of the thread.
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