Support group thread — for those struggling with side effects and doubt

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

Recovering from an eating disorder and using mental health: this is a complex situation and I want to be transparent about it.

I have a history of binge eating disorder. My psychiatrist, therapist, and prescribing doctor all collaborate on my care. The GLP-1 agonist has actually been therapeutic — it removes the biological urgency of binge impulses without relying on restriction.

This is NOT appropriate for all ED patients. Anorexia, bulimia, and restrictive EDs require different approaches. But for BED specifically, the evidence and my personal experience are positive. Always involve your mental health team.

DanielChem_CHI said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

Thank you — that is the clearest version of this I have read, and I have read a lot of them. I will report back once I have actually tried it.

Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.

Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.

Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.

pat_auckland said:

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…

Mine went the same way, slower. The detail I would add is minor and it is already implied above.

Moderator note: the sourcing question belongs in the vendor section and has been split out. No action needed from anybody.