LibrarianMeg said:

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in: Before (281 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications,…

LibrarianMeg said:

...mental health should only be used alongside therapy...

I'd say therapy should be AVAILABLE to all GLP-1 patients, but requiring it as a precondition for treatment would create an access barrier.

Not everyone can afford therapy. Not everyone needs it. Some people do just fine with medication + lifestyle changes. But for those with emotional eating, body image issues, or disordered eating history, therapy is extremely valuable.

My recommendation: make mental health screening part of the initial assessment, offer therapy as a recommended adjunct, but don't gatekeep medication access behind it.

ZaraB_AL said:

Positive side effects of mental health that surprised me: Clearer skin — inflammation reduction improved my rosacea Better sleep — weight loss…

Saving this. It is the first explanation that did not require me to already understand it. Sending this to two other people who asked me the same thing last week.

LibrarianMeg said:

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in: Before (281 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications,…

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.

Dr.ObesityMed said:

My mood has been flatter since about month four and I genuinely cannot work out whether that is the drug, the deficit, or the fact that I no longer…

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.

Moderator note: a post naming a supplier has been edited. Discuss suppliers in the review sections, not here.