Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 36 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Pschological / Addiction Problems After Gastric Bypass Posted: 08-24-07 06:44am
Hi I'm new here but I've been dealing with
a problem for a couple years now. I trying
to find out if anyone else has experienced
any type of psychological/ addiction
problems after surgery. I'm also posting
in the recovery boards, but ever since I
had my surgery and decided 3 years ago to
take another drink of alcohol, I've turned
into an alcoholic. Well sort of. I'm fine
when I don't drink, but when I do, I can't
stop and it's a full blown, have to have
it situation. It takes my husband about
an hour of yelling for me to snap out it
and then another 3 days to feel good and
myself again. I think I have other issues
too. Such as the hormones from my birth
control, but if anyone has had any
problems with depression, drinking,
addictions of any kind that they are
dealing with or have recovered from. I'm
really interested in knowing that I'm not
the only one. My mother and husband are
insisting that all my problems are because
of the surgery. But there's no turning
back. It's been 4 years and my plan is to
go back on the post surgery diet and start
from there again. Oh and I have contacted
my doctor and was sent to a psychologist
who either wanted to put me on drugs
without even looking at what might really
be going on or the day that made me decide
to quit attending sessions because he told
me I could probably drink again! So any
thing will help me. Thanks. A PghMOM
I had my gastric bypass in 7/2003.
Although I could drink my fair share prior
to surgery, I was able to control my
drinking, distaining during my pregnancy
and for over a year following my gastric
bypass. (I do have an immediate family
history of alcoholism so I'm pretty alert
to the warning signs.)
The problems post-surgery, was gradual at
first, and probably had a lot to do with
the fact I could drink 1/2 a glass a wine
and get a good buzz. I could say I'll
only have one glass but well buzzed by the
first, my good judgement and willpower
were gone. I went, in less than 3 years,
from a glass to a few to over a bottle of
wine per night. I had to drink and would
prefer to do so by myself, mostly so
nobody I knew would see how much. My
desire to drink was so strong, I began to
sneak off from work and lie to my family
as to my whereabouts on almost a daily
basis. My lack of judgement led to
driving and a couple of accidents and
ended in the relization that I had no
control over my life and in-patient
treatment for alchohol and severe
depression (luckily before I killed
someone or ended incarcerated).
I had to face that I ate for a reason and
losing the weight didn't fix the problem.
Food's an addiction. I ate because I was
depressed and that didn't change...only
now I couldn't eat enough to provide the
self-medication (self-comfort) I sought so
I traded one addiction for another.
Alcohol turned out to be an even easier
and faster solution. Not only could I get
drunk quickly, "relieving my pain" but I
wouldn't eat, stay skinny, and drinking
alone allowed me to "get away with it".
I spent 11 weeks in treatment at a
dual-diagnosis pschyciatric facility in
the "Professionals In Crisis" program.
I'm thankful I was advised to not go to a
re-hab but, instead, to a facility that
could treat not only my alcoholism but
also the depression and need to drink. My
treatment involved a complete phyciatric
evaluation, therapy with doctors both
one-on-one and groups as well as group
therapy with my peers. Although an exact
diagnosis probably isn't possible, I was
made aware of my depression, life stresses
and some personality disorders that
explained some things about my behavior
and addictions. My medications were
carefully monitored and adjusted as
needed. I attended classes and treatment
daily for trauma, depression, addiction,
perfectionism.....and followed a 12-step
program. I realized that there are a lot
of other professionals that, like myself,
find themselves in trouble (my unit
consisted of doctors, lawyers, an airline
pilot and a nun). Only about 1/3 of the
patients had an addiction, most were in
treatment for various mental/personaility
disorders, often brought on not only by
body chemistry but also everyday stress.
I've been sober 14 months and every single
day is a battle!
Also, alcohol isn't the only addiction
found in post-gastric bypass patients.
Some turn to drugs, gambling, shopping,
sex.....
