Body dysmorphia

[Ready for it]

I've been on this board for about 3 weeks. I meet with the psychiatrist in 2 weeks and I have a concern. When I think about myself I don't see myself fat and then I get on the scale or I look at the size of my clothes and I realized that a heavy person wears that size. But I don't see myself as that. However when I'm walking going up steps or I'm trying to keep up with my grandkids I do feel it. Is this something that is going to cause a problem with the psychiatrist? If i mentioned am i risking my potential surgery? Should I get this body dysmorphia problem cleared up prior to surgery? Or am I just crazy?

[sraebaer]

I felt the same way, didn't really think of myself as fat until I saw myself in a photograph. Then I was like "Wow, that's me?!?" You are not crazy, and I'm sure will have no problem with the psychologist. I have never heard (on this board) of anyone being denied surgery because of a psychologist recommendation. Good luck!

[Dutchie]

Same here.
I'm not sure that that was dysmorphia.
I am pretty sure it was complete and utter denial.
Don't worry, you will be fine!

I have the problem right now, because when I see a photo of me fat, I can't believe I never saw that.
And now I am in shock...

[New-Me]

That was me, pre-surgery, also. I don't know what they call it. Maybe for me it was "denial", but I always was thinking "I'm not that big" or "I don't feel fat", or whatever. When I see pictures or videos of myself, I was actually huge. Just couldn't really see it myself. Like I said, maybe it was just denial for me. But I'm thinking that they way you feel is pretty common. Good luck!

[jerzeygirl]

"Self-preservation" if we thought of ourselves as "morbidly obese or even fat" we would be unhappier than we already were/are with our current bodies. I'm not sure if that's a positive or negative, but I find many who think/thought that way. It shouldn't impede your psych evaluation.

Continued success!

[Ready for it]

I agree...denial. Photos and videos surprise me. Its been an eye opener lately.

[KiwiGal]

Yep, total denial here too. Can't quite believe how fat I was when I look at photos. Love how i look now :-)

[Ready for it]

I hope I can say that some day. With so much failure in weight control, it’s hard to believe I could say that. The good thing is I never stopped fighting to lose the weight.

You all are so amazing.

[Sandra3]

The psych eval is more or less the way to find out if patients are addicts, alcoholic or doing drugs , but also if they have depression (without treatment) etc..because there is a risk of suicide for those patients who can't eat after the sleeve and have severe psychological issues.

That's what the psychiatrist told me during my first consult (I had two). I did ask him specific questions, since I had a tendency to eat the box of chocolate when facing major stress (death of loved one it did happen twice), I wanted to know if that was a bad thing for the sleeve. The shrink said not to worry, since it was not an everyday issue (chocolate is under control everyday, but I don't buy "big quantity" to avoid temptation). He was right.

I do think all obese will have some dysmorphia at some stage of the journey, I had a hard time looking at photos of me when I was at my highest weight because I was so huge, but also I didn't see myself at my "real size" post sleeve, saw myself bigger.

Do not worry, you will be fine. And I also think that everyone is kind of crazy with a variation in %. But since we want the sleeve for health reason, it does show that we have the most important motivation to succeed.

Good luck and take care.

[Bellagirl]

My experience was the same. I’d go from med clothes to large, to ex-large, etc. and justify it by saying “I weight xx but at least I’m not xx lbs. I would feel like I really wasn’t that big, but when I see a photo of myself, I realize I am that heavy and wonder when did it get so out of control. Especially those pics in shorts and a T-shirt. I am amazed at myself.

[Dutchie]

The mind works in mysterious ways...

[Christie13]

You are not alone my friend. I never thought I was fat until I saw a picture. Sometimes I would even think that the BMI scale was wrong as clearly I was not obese. WRONG. I was. But it is probably just denial. I passed the psyche exam.

[Ready for it]

Thank you for all your replies. Should I be concerned that this thinking that I'm not really that heavy is going to help me fail again?. I've never quit a diet before because I thought I was thin I quit because I wasn't losing. Which is also a concern but I am determined to just continue when I get to that stall. But my main concern is if I see myself differently than what the scale the photos and the mirror tell me. I know in my mind that that is correct. Thoughts ? suggestions ?psychiatric care?

[Dutchie]

Look at how well we are all doing!
You are not going to fail, of course not!
Keep a positive attitude and you will make it, just as we all did and do!

[Christie13]

Thank you for all your replies. Should I be concerned that this thinking that I'm not really that heavy is going to help me fail again?. I've never quit a diet before because I thought I was thin I quit because I wasn't losing. Which is also a concern but I am determined to just continue when I get to that stall. But my main concern is if I see myself differently than what the scale the photos and the mirror tell me. I know in my mind that that is correct. Thoughts ? suggestions ?psychiatric care?

Keep a pair of your pants and a good before picture. Keep it to remind yourself of how big you truly were. I still pull my big jeans out that I kept and put them on as a reminder of how far I have come. It keeps it real for me. And as you start to get clothes that are too big toss them out. Do not keep them. It is a false security that if we gain weight we have those clothes to turn back to and ignore what is going on. If you have to buy clothes because you have gained weight it makes you confront the truth.