When your doctor doesn't believe in GLP-1 therapy — 6 month update

JennaRN said:

The mental-health dimension is under-measured in the trial literature and the reports here are consistent enough to take seriously.

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections:

What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein is more important than I thought, and the mental health aspect needs as much attention as the physical.

What surprised me: how much my relationship with food changed, the cascade of health improvements beyond weight, and how supportive this community is.

What I'd do differently: start therapy earlier, prioritize resistance training from day 1, and stop comparing my progress to others. Everyone's journey is unique.

JennaRN said:

The mental-health dimension is under-measured in the trial literature and the reports here are consistent enough to take seriously.

I read this differently from JennaRN, on substance rather than tone. I would be careful about how confidently the flatness reports get attributed. Rapid weight loss, a large deficit and disrupted sleep produce low mood on their own, and separating that from a drug effect is genuinely hard.

If somebody has the primary source to hand I would rather cite it than paraphrase it.

FDA_TrackerJim said:

I would be careful about how confidently the flatness reports get attributed.

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.

CarlaRPh_TPA 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…

Adding a me-too, because a thread of one person's experience is not much use.