[knitsforfive]

Hi Maintainers,

I am a maintainer-in-training with a question for you all. Have you transferred a fat-related fear from fat to something else?

I have lived in fear that I would die of a fat-related illness, leaving my kids and husband behind. I have feared this even though I have been lucky enough not to suffer from any fat-related illnesses. I am so much healthier now that I am down a good chunk of weight and I really feel that this is it for me -- my final weight loss. It's coming off. I find that I no longer fear dying of a fat-related illness. However, I also notice that I now get new irrational fears about dying from some non-fat-related issue -- like an accident. This is new in the last month or so.

Did this sort of transfer happen to you during your journey? If so, is it still a struggle? If you dealt with it successfully -- how?

Thanks so much!

[rockinrobin]

Hi there knitsforfive. Congratulations on your weight loss and your commitment to a healthier life.

I will tell you that when I was morbidly obese I had terrible worries/anxieties about dying from weight related illnesses. I was CERTAIN that it was only a matter of time before I wound up with some completely avoidable dreaded disease. I was pretty sure that it was only a matter of time before I keeled over from a heart attack.

Not only did I worry about diseases, I also worried about what if I were to contract some sort of cancer - how in the world would they treat me? I knew for certain that I would not make it through surgery or chemo. I was also terrified of breaking a bone, like my leg. How would I ever be able to manuever in a cast?

Since losing the weight, I am thrilled beyond belief that these fears have disappeared. My fears have not transferred, luckily. I was more afraid of car accidents when I was heavy.

There are no guarantees in life. Of that I am very much aware. But I am pretty confident now that I have really headed off some very avoidable diseases. That I have done my part to give myself the very best chance at a healthy life. But again, I am well aware that anything can happen to anyone. But, I no longer dwell on it. Maybe as you get closer to your target weight these feelings will subside for you. I certainly hope so.

Perhaps you would benefit from speaking to a professional about your fears. I know for sure I would have benefited from it. If you had a sore shoulder that was bugging you for months, you would seek professional help, I'm pretty sure. Well, the same rules most certainly should apply with your mental health.

I hope you are able to work through this. I wish you continued success as you go through your journey.

[mandalinn82]

My fears, unlike Robin's, did do some transferring to other things. I've come to accept that I have an anxiety disorder, and will always be anxious about...SOMETHING.

Please PM me if you want to talk further, but you may want to see someone for an evaluation, just to be sure. Anxiety is actually treatable, and you don't want to deal with it forever if you don't have to.

[knitsforfive]

Thanks so much for your input Robin and Mandalinn. I appreciate your perspective. I have been leaning towards talking to a professional so it helps to get some confirmation that it's a good idea.

Thanks a lot.