GLP-1 and gambling reduction — looking for input

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

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.

Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.

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.

chris_chi24 said:

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

Can confirm. Same sequence, different timescale. Posting only so the count is not one.

chris_chi24 said:

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

Adding the part of the answer the thread has not reached. The distinction that resolves most of these threads is between what is true on average and what is true for one person. Both are real; they answer different questions and get quoted as if they were the same one.

Happy to go further on any of that.

Moderator note: a couple of off-topic posts removed. Tagging this one for the weekly digest.