Dr.GutHealth said:

Dr.SportsMedIN said: ...mental health should only be used alongside therapy...

Thank you for spelling out the reasoning rather than just the conclusion. Sending this to two other people who asked me the same thing last week.

Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.

Anxiety increase on mental health: counterintuitive, but losing weight rapidly triggered anxiety for me. Change — even positive change — is stressful. I was anxious about loose skin.

This is more common than people admit. A therapist who specializes in weight management has been invaluable. Don't neglect the mental health side of this journey.

LindaRN_retired said:

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

Mood changes on mental health: I want to be transparent — I went through a rough patch emotionally around month 3. Not depression exactly, but a weird flatness. Food was my main coping mechanism and without that, I had to develop new ones.

Therapy has been essential. I'd strongly recommend anyone starting GLP-1 therapy also invest in mental health support. The physical transformation is only half the journey.

dan_philly said:

The mental-health dimension is under-measured in the trial literature and the reports here are consistent enough to take seriously.

Positive side effects of mental health that surprised me:

1. Clearer skin — inflammation reduction improved my rosacea
2. Better sleep — weight loss resolved mild sleep apnea
3. Improved libido — better body image + improved cardiovascular health
4. Less joint pain — obvious mechanical benefit
5. More energy — metabolic improvements across the board

Not everything about GLP-1 therapy is a struggle. There are genuinely wonderful changes too. ✨

Moderator note: a couple of off-topic posts removed. No action needed from anybody.