Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
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.
TirzTom said:Positive side effects of mental health that surprised me: Clearer skin — inflammation reduction improved my rosacea Better sleep — weight loss…
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.
One thing that is still open after TirzTom’s answer:
Did your prescriber agree with that reading, and if not what was their objection?
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Browse GL BiochemDanielChem_CHI said:Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…
I read this differently from DanielChem_CHI, on substance rather than tone. I would resist the confidence. Half of what this board was certain about two years ago has since been quietly dropped, and nobody went back to correct the threads.
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