Going back to therapy to battle my demons

Hey guys...its about 440am in jersey still wide awake....acid in my stomach killing me.  Since I cant sleep and refuse to eat I decided I need to get help with my emotions that are leading me to eating. Losing almost 200lbs you think I'd have an answer to this whole thing.  Im going back to the therapist.  Im going to go with an open mind and be fully honest.  It sux being an addict...food addiction...drug addiction...more more more is my story.  Anyways coming back to this forum has been really helpful.  I was getting alot of support from facebook but shied away,  I seem to take suggestions better from ppl I dont know.  So my questions has anyone been able to get proffestional help like therapy or anyting for there eating habits

Good for you for recognizing your problem and more importantly, taking the necessary steps to correct them.  It's my honest opinion that ALL of us could use therapy for a variety of reasons.  Take your time to find the right counselor for you and use that time wisely.  It can and will make a difference.

Rock on!  I am rooting for you.

I encourage you to do everything possible to work with a good therapist whose skills match your needs.  

I am 2.5 years post op -- have lost 100 pounds and maintained that loss for the last year.  

I can't imagine I'd have been as successful as I've been (thus far) without seeing a therapist (he's psychologist) during that time.  Early on I saw him every week, then every other week.  For the last few years I've seen him once a month.  

When I decided to go the WLS route I commited to at least 3 years of therapy:  

Year 1 - the year of losing weight

Year 2 - the year of maintaining weight

Year 3 - the year of boring real life

For me, all those phases have had similar themes, but different challenges.

I will add that my therapy time has been spent about 50-50 on "weight issues" and on "life stresses."  It's also been obvious that the two categories are related.  ;)  

Is he a Psy who specializes in Bariatrics?  I have been seeing a counselor to help me deal with stress.  This was before WLS.  She told

me I had weight issues also, but we never went too much into it.  I am thinking of going back to the Cleveland Clinic where I had WLS to talk to the bariatric Psychologist.  My thoughts are that they whould be more in the know with patients like myself.

Yes, he does work with a number of  bariatric patients and with other patients who are dealing with health-related issues.  But he also has patients who have "run of the mill" (human being?) related issues and challenges.  These include both people with mental health diagnoses and those who "merely" want to learn new ways of navigating their lives.  

P.S. He is the second therapist I've worked with.  The first one I tried wasn't the right match for me, and I saw her only 4-5 times.  She was lovely.  But it felt like I was wandering around in the woods with a friendly fellow wanderer, not a knowledgeable guide.  

I'm going to admit that I am very biased in this post. I am a clinical psychologist. I absolutely think that it can be helpful to be in therapy to work on addiction issues. Most people that tend to do better with addiction issues are the ones that replace their previously unhealthy issues with new coping skills. Therapy can really help you creating awareness about how the addiction began, and as a result gives you a great deal of power over the mindless addiction that you had/have.

I wish you the best of luck and remember that sometimes you may not feel comfortable with a therapist, and if that's the case keep looking until you find one that you click with as that will make your therapy much more successful.

Rachel

I think therapy is a necessary and great tool if  you can find the right professional to work with.  I tried a few times and just couldn't ever really click with anyone BUT even the few sessions I had helped me open up a little bit with facing my food issues.  

One other thing I would suggest is Overeaters Anonymous.  If you have a history with addiction, you may be familiar with the format as it draws directly from AA regarding 12 steps and working the program.  It sounds like you could also benefit from a Sponsor and a support group that program provides.  I don't subscribe to all of the thoughts and tenants of OA but it definitely helped me reading the materials and going to some of the other meetings. 

I have major food issues too and I have tried pretty much everything out there and I've had to draw a little from each of them and come up with my own solutions.  Good luck to you!

I 2nd the OA suggestion. I was 420, lost 230+ lbs, had a major regain and lost most of it with OA. As someone with Binge Eating Disorder, this battle is hard but with enough desperation and willingness, I just celebrated a year of no flour/sugar/binging. 

I also see a therapist  I went through 6 before finding the right fit  A good fit is very important  sometimes you will learn as you go through them what you want, what you need. Over the years I have had times that focused on cognitive behavioral stuff, sometimes focused on emotional regulation. Different therapists use different techniques. If you want to chat with me about finding  therapist, I'd be happy to  

Kudos to you, and we are here for you all the way  

I'm glad that you're going to see a therapist.  Mine has been super helpful to me throughout the last three years.