The Psychological Impact of Weight Loss Surgery

You’re considering bariatric surgery, but you’re worried that it might have a negative impact on your mental health. Maybe you’ve heard that some patients develop or experience depression after surgery. Or maybe you’ve heard stories of bariatric surgery patients whose relationships with loved ones became strained after surgery. 

Is there any validity to these concerns? And, if so, what can you do about them so that life after bariatric surgery is as wonderful as you imagine it can be? In this blog post we’ll walk through bariatric surgery’s effects on some patients’ psychology and mental health, and how we at the Bariatric and Metabolic Center of Colorado can help you to overcome any issues that may arise in this arena.

Bariatric Surgery and Depression

How does bariatric surgery affect mental health? While most patients experience significant improvements long-term in both depression and anxiety scores, unfortunately a small number of patients do initially experience worsened mental health after bariatric surgery in the short term. A meta-analysis published in the National Library of Medicine found that 15.3% of bariatric surgery patients experienced depression. While depression in these cases is generally minimal, a small subset of patients experience severe depression.

Why do some patients experience depression after bariatric surgery? One reason is that some patients have unrealistic expectations about surgery. They expect that after surgery, life will be easy and losing weight will be effortless. Some expect that their love lives will improve overnight. If they are single, they think that they will instantly be showered with romantic pursuers. If they are in a relationship that is rocky, they think that weight loss will be the magical pill that fixes their relationship. When these unrealistic expectations aren’t met, some patients can become depressed.

At the Bariatric and Metabolic Center of Colorado, we educate you before surgery about what surgery will and will not do for your life. Weight loss surgery’s effects on your life can be powerful: it can level the playing field in your battle with obesity, giving you the same opportunity to lose weight and keep it off as anyone else has. In conjunction with diet and exercise, it can help you to lose 65-100% of your excess body weight and keep it off. But it is not a magical cure, and losing weight after surgery will not be effortless. In the same way, losing weight may improve your relationships but is not a magic bullet. By having these frank conversations with patients before surgery, we can prevent unrealistic expectations that might make our patients feel depressed when they aren’t met.

A second reason that some patients experience depression after bariatric surgery is that they have an unhealthy relationship with food. Many people who suffer from obesity may also have an eating disorder, which is part of what drives their obesity. They may use eating to self-medicate their feelings, or eat compulsively in order to deal with stress or in order to fill what feels like a hole inside of themselves. After surgery, there is some initial stress in learning to accommodate the new protocols and processes required for safety and success, but patients are no longer able to compensate using food. Patients are simply not able to eat as much; and as a result some may be tempted to resort to other addictions such as drugs or alcohol to take the place of the food. If you feel that you use food in an unhealthy way to cope with stress, or eat emotionally, please bring that up with your bariatric team and we can help you to avoid falling into other unhealthy coping mechanisms after surgery.

Finally, some patients may experience depression because their relationships change after surgery. As you start to lose weight and keep it off, many of your friends and family may be very happy for you; but, tragically, some relationships may be strained. Some loved ones may feel insecure at the positive changes that you are making. Other relationships may have revolved around food (for example, going out with coworkers for margaritas after work) and those relationships may be strained as your diet changes. The psychological impact of major weight loss on relationships can be very good, but it can also pose some challenges.

Weight loss surgery’s effects on relationships can be complicated. When patients’ relationships with loved ones change, that can sometimes result in depression.

(For a deeper dive into these topics, see our sister piece Mental Health and Weight Loss: The Connection)

How We Can Help

At the Bariatric and Metabolic Center of Colorado, we work proactively to help you cultivate good mental health, establish healthy coping mechanisms, and avoid depression after surgery. In addition to intentional preoperative education about what bariatric surgery actually entails in order to help you set realistic expectations, we also offer monthly post-operative support groups for patients. These support groups can be in person or over Zoom. You’ll have a chance to sit down with other patients, discuss your struggles and shared successes, and make new friends. You’ll also have an opportunity to hear from them about what’s working for them to overcome obstacles including depression.

We’re also happy to work with you on an individual level if you’re struggling after surgery via personalized consultations. In these consultations, your whole bariatric team will come together to help you through whatever you’re struggling with. We also offer to include family members, so that they can be in-the-know and become cheerleaders for your success.

If you adopt a healthy diet, exercise, and stay in touch with the BMCC’s staff and your support group, there is an excellent chance that you can avoid depression and cultivate the quality of life you’ve dreamed of.

Taking the Next Step On Your Weight Loss Journey

Despite the above issues, many of our patients say that getting bariatric surgery was the best decision they ever made. Weight loss surgery’s effects on their lives was truly transformative.

“We cannot imagine another Doctor or Practice with whom this process could have been so wonderfully orchestrated…. Dr. Long and his staff are the kindest, most loving, and supportive group of individuals we have ever could have met. Each person has contributed to our success, each and every one.”–Chris and Keri Sexton, gastric sleeve patients.

If you’re suffering, don’t wait. Contact our Denver office today.