Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.

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.

Following on from HPLC_Greg — and this may be the naive question:

How would you tell the difference between that and the alternative explanation?

carl_compliance said:

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…

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.

carl_compliance said:

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming…

That is right for the common case. Whether it is right for the case being asked about depends on a detail that has not been given.

Moderator note: leaving this open. It is being argued well and the disagreement is the useful part.