Putting it all out there...

babyleonard5
babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
edited November 21 in Getting Started
Hello.. this is day 8 for me on this app. When I weighed myself and decided to do this I weighed 341.. I just cried when I saw the numbers. This is the biggest I've ever been. I also have mental illness issues.. panic attacks, agoraphobia, ptsd, depression.. and I know these things will make it harder for me but I'm dead set on being healthier. I've lost 4 lbs so far. My eating has changed DRASTICALLY. Feel free to friend me.. I need all the support I can get.
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Replies

  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 806 Member
    That's awesome!

    I've dealt with depression through much of my life. Its horrible. But exercise helps. Doctors even recommend it sometimes.
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Right now the only exercise I get is dancing and cleaning house lol. .. I will eventually get the courage to join a gym
  • madkcole
    madkcole Posts: 110 Member
    Thanks for sharing. I agree with Rottifield, exercise can do wonders for your emotional health. Even starting out by taking short walks can help. Don't lose hope. You can do anything you set your mind to.
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  • Mgtei
    Mgtei Posts: 56 Member
    I have Major Depression, Recurrent and PTSD, too (and just tend to be anxious/obsessive in general). Taking care of your health is a great way to reinforce taking care of yourself in all kinds of ways (taking your meds regularly as directed, getting to therapist's appointments, trying new things, meeting new people, etc.). It's hard to get new information, but it's the first step to doing something about it so I applaud your courage not to stay in the dark. Friend request sent. :smiley:
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Well, I guess you're not familiar with agoraphobia. . but I rarely leave my house and when I do it's for appointments. I don't stay gone long and anxiety is high the whole time I'm gone. I've gone through very traumatic things the last couple years and thats where about 100 lbs of this weight came from, along with the mental issues. I will check out the walking at home thing though.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    Congrats on 8 days! Hooray for the 4 lbs gone, but good job on 8 days. That's the ticket -- getting those days of good logging in a row and making some momentum. Keep going -- let's aim for 2 weeks! You can do it!! :)
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Btw my last comment was to Caitwn.. forgot to quote
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Mgtei wrote: »
    I have Major Depression, Recurrent and PTSD, too (and just tend to be anxious/obsessive in general). Taking care of your health is a great way to reinforce taking care of yourself in all kinds of ways (taking your meds regularly as directed, getting to therapist's appointments, trying new things, meeting new people, etc.). It's hard to get new information, but it's the first step to doing something about it so I applaud your courage not to stay in the dark. Friend request sent. :smiley:

    Thanks.. request accepted
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    funchords wrote: »
    Congrats on 8 days! Hooray for the 4 lbs gone, but good job on 8 days. That's the ticket -- getting those days of good logging in a row and making some momentum. Keep going -- let's aim for 2 weeks! You can do it!! :)

    Thanks. .. just like alot of things, I'm taking it one day at a time
  • wh0dato8
    wh0dato8 Posts: 18 Member
    I started walking a week ago and logging my food etc.. walking takes me out of my element.. with stress and depression and I feel refreshed afterwards. I walk (just started jogging woo) and do a total body workout off youtube at night. So far so good. Take it day by day. Feel free to add me or message me. We can support each other! -erika
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  • puzzled123
    puzzled123 Posts: 5 Member
    Congrats on the 8th day and hang in there! Like you say, one day at a time. Good job!
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Caitwn wrote: »
    Well, I guess you're not familiar with agoraphobia. . but I rarely leave my house and when I do it's for appointments. I don't stay gone long and anxiety is high the whole time I'm gone. I've gone through very traumatic things the last couple years and thats where about 100 lbs of this weight came from, along with the mental issues. I will check out the walking at home thing though.

    My apologies. I completely missed that you are dealing with agoraphobia. Definitely try some of the Walk At Home videos, then. Here's a good starter video she did for the American Heart Association. It's a 3-mile 'walk' (her fitness walks can be recorded here on MFP as 'low-impact aerobics'). She'll tell you when you've made it to 1 mile, 2 miles, etc., so if you need to just start with the 1-mile you can still track yourself:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYuw4f1c4xs


    Thank you very much for the suggestions. . Will definitely check it out
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Well, I guess you're not familiar with agoraphobia. . but I rarely leave my house and when I do it's for appointments. I don't stay gone long and anxiety is high the whole time I'm gone. I've gone through very traumatic things the last couple years and thats where about 100 lbs of this weight came from, along with the mental issues. I will check out the walking at home thing though.

    @babyleonard5 The only way to get over agoraphobia/your fear of leaving the house is to leave the house. It's not going to be comfortable. You're going to be anxious. You're going to feel terrible. But if you want to move forward with your life, you need to do it. I suggest looking into CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    I am in therapy
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    I am in therapy

    It might not be the right kind of therapy if you still cannot leave the house…

    People with agoraphobia need intensive exposure therapy, which is what cognitive behavioral therapy is.
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  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    How about little steps:

    What about getting a treadmill at home? I agree with the others working out does make you feel better and helps with depression. You can order on oline and have it shipped to your house.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited July 2015
    Caitwn wrote: »
    I am in therapy

    It might not be the right kind of therapy if you still cannot leave the house…

    People with agoraphobia need intensive exposure therapy, which is what cognitive behavioral therapy is.

    General support and suggestions are great, but it's really not appropriate for you to be offering specific diagnosis and treatment opinions about mental health issues.

    Not appropriate? Oh please, get over yourself.

    As someone who suffered from severe panic attacks and agoraphobia and still struggles daily, it is perfectly "appropriate" for me to tell this woman (who struggles with the same things as me) what therapy she should be looking into. It isn't an opinion. It is proven science. In case you didn't know, CBT is the most effective treatment for agoraphobia.
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  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Caitwn wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    I am in therapy

    It might not be the right kind of therapy if you still cannot leave the house…

    People with agoraphobia need intensive exposure therapy, which is what cognitive behavioral therapy is.

    General support and suggestions are great, but it's really not appropriate for you to be offering specific diagnosis and treatment opinions about mental health issues.

    Not appropriate? Oh please, get over yourself.

    As someone who suffered from severe panic attacks and agoraphobia and still struggles daily, it is perfectly "appropriate" for me to tell this woman (who struggles with the same things as me) what therapy she should be looking into. In case you didn't know, CBT is the most effective treatment for agoraphobia.

    I won't get into further back-and-forth here. She's in therapy, and that's good. There's nothing unusual about someone in treatment for agoraphobia spending some period of time unable to leave the house except for appointments. A lot of us have struggled with a lot of very serious issues, but it's usually not a good idea to assume that your needs and your therapeutic process are necessarily the same as others'...and that's why general advice and support are great, but specific "you need to..." isn't always the best approach.

    Take care. I'm not trying to get into it with you. Just wishing you'd back off a bit from the very specific "you should" stuff.

    Thank you
  • Unknown
    edited July 2015
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  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Who is a professional?
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  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Caitwn wrote: »
    I am in therapy

    It might not be the right kind of therapy if you still cannot leave the house…

    People with agoraphobia need intensive exposure therapy, which is what cognitive behavioral therapy is.

    General support and suggestions are great, but it's really not appropriate for you to be offering specific diagnosis and treatment opinions about mental health issues.

    Not appropriate? Oh please, get over yourself.

    As someone who suffered from severe panic attacks and agoraphobia and still struggles daily, it is perfectly "appropriate" for me to tell this woman (who struggles with the same things as me) what therapy she should be looking into. It isn't an opinion. It is proven science. In case you didn't know, CBT is the most effective treatment for agoraphobia.

    LOL
    You do know you're talking to a professional in the industry, right? I'm pretty sure she knows. Check yo' self.

    Funny thing is so am I. Might want to get your facts straight :)
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member
    Saying it might not be right if I "still" can't leave the house. .. I didn't say how long it had been, and I do leave the house
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Caitwn wrote: »
    Caitwn wrote: »
    I am in therapy

    It might not be the right kind of therapy if you still cannot leave the house…

    People with agoraphobia need intensive exposure therapy, which is what cognitive behavioral therapy is.

    General support and suggestions are great, but it's really not appropriate for you to be offering specific diagnosis and treatment opinions about mental health issues.

    Not appropriate? Oh please, get over yourself.

    As someone who suffered from severe panic attacks and agoraphobia and still struggles daily, it is perfectly "appropriate" for me to tell this woman (who struggles with the same things as me) what therapy she should be looking into. In case you didn't know, CBT is the most effective treatment for agoraphobia.

    I won't get into further back-and-forth here. She's in therapy, and that's good. There's nothing unusual about someone in treatment for agoraphobia spending some period of time unable to leave the house except for appointments. A lot of us have struggled with a lot of very serious issues, but it's usually not a good idea to assume that your needs and your therapeutic process are necessarily the same as others'...and that's why general advice and support are great, but specific "you need to..." isn't always the best approach.

    Take care. I'm not trying to get into it with you. Just wishing you'd back off a bit from the very specific "you should" stuff.

    You don't know how long she's been in therapy for or what her therapy consists of.

    There's nothing wrong with me telling the OP what worked for me and suggesting she look into it. No, not everyone with mental health disorders responds the same to treatment. However, if she is currently meeting with a therapist and simply talking (no action), I guarantee that will not be helpful for her agoraphobia.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Saying it might not be right if I "still" can't leave the house. .. I didn't say how long it had been, and I do leave the house

    I just addressed that in my last post- that you didn't say how long you've been in therapy. However, you did specifically say that you've been dealing with this for a few years now. That gives off the impression that you have been in therapy for a while.
  • babyleonard5
    babyleonard5 Posts: 41 Member


    [/quote]

    You don't know how long she's been in therapy for or what her therapy consists of.

    [/quote]

    Neither do you

This discussion has been closed.