Make me sane...make me fat

I have put on 16 kilos in two and a half months. When you stand at 5ft 2 inches, that is a lot of weight. I have never had weight issues like this before. If anything, I have always had trouble putting on and maintaining a healthy weight. So what has changed? Well, part of my new medication regime, in additon to the benzos, anti-epileptics and anti depressants they have had me on in the past, they have now added an anti-psychotic.

Denoon states in his article "Fighting anti-psychotic weight gain" that
Weight gain is one of the major reasons that people sufferin psychosis* have a lifespan 30 years less than than the average person.

Of course, there a whole lot of reasons that people with mental health issues have on average a more limited lifespan than their 'sane' counterparts. Suicidality, of course. The interactions of medication on the vital body functions such as liver function, disinhibited behaviour leading to dangerous behaviours. Alchohol and drug abuse to self medicate problems...and yes, that includes nicotine!

But weight gain brings with it more than just the effect on self esteem, of watching your body metamorphisise in front of you, there is also the other health problems inherent with obesity, ie diabetes and heart disease

Add to that, that in the midst of a depressive episode, the motivation to exercise or to carefully moniter diet it all but lost. In fact, at times with the overhanging 'fatigue' from the benzodiazepams, I have found it sometimes out right dangerous to undertake certain exercise at certain times of the year.

So, the drug makes me sane. But I'm going to be vain and whiney on top of it all right now, what point is that when even the sight of a mirror depresses the hell out of me at the moment.

Anyway, I'm off to drink my "yummy" diet shake, and then therapy

*I am not on the drug for psychosis, more for help with anxiety, nightmares and insomnia.