Common Mental Health Issues Post-Surgery

Food Fear

One of the greatest fears that can become prevalent after surgery is eating the wrong foods or overeating. This anxiety can flow over into food choices and make selections stressful.

Imposter Syndrome

Some individuals may feel as though they don’t deserve their new body or won’t accept the new look and feel fraudulent in their skin.

Loss of Friendships

Friends or even family members can treat you so differently due to the post-surgery changes that you lose those relationships. You may also lose friends who are not very understanding about your changed lifestyle.

Anxiety Disorders

The extreme change in your lifestyles and the pressures of keeping the weight off can raise the anxiety level in a person.

Alcohol Abuse

A shift in the food addiction can easily be transferred to alcohol which the body will now absorb more readily after surgery. Thus, there are increased risks of alcohol abuse.

Depression

Coupled with a new body and change in lifestyle, there may be changes in the social dynamics that bring about depression.

Body Dysmorphia

Following substantial weight loss, some people still retain a misinterpretation of their body image, which is an obsessive preoccupation with flaws that are imagined.

Eating Disorders

It is sometimes seen that the drastic change in eating habits after surgery may lead to disordered eating behaviors like binge eating or restrictive eating.

Substance Abuse

Others may turn to drugs as a means to deal with the emotional and psychological changes after surgery.

Loss of Identity

For some, their identity may have been strongly tied to their weight. This significant amount of weight loss can lead to the feeling that they are losing a part of themselves.

Adjustment Disorder

The adjustment to drastic change in lifestyle after surgery could trigger adjustment issues related to the new routines and habits.

Life since surgery has been paired with a shortening fuse across people for James, and it makes him extremely irritable and emotionally fitful. Prior to his surgery, it used to be a rare thing to find James annoyed or worked up; however, such emotional tests happen very frequently nowadays.

In contrast, Kirsten has adapted much better than James to post-surgery circumstances. She seems to be handling the mental and emotional changes associated with surgery quite easily.

These mental health concerns need to be addressed in order for a gastric sleeve surgery patient to have both success and sustainability in recovery. If you have experienced any of the above issues, you may want to find support for that through a mental health professional or support group to help you through this very transformative period of your life.

By sharing our experiences, we hope to shed light on how others can traverse the complicated journey of post-surgery recovery. Please remember: this is our personal experience, not medical advice. For medical guidance, always consult your GP.