Am I being selfish using inheritance to pay for weight loss injections?

[DDisnotnormal]

I need to lose around 8 stones for my mental and physical health. I'm utterly miserable being the size that I am, and it's starting to affect my physical health (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, NAFLD, high risk of diabetes because of family link). I want to try weight loss injections, but I don't feel comfortable ordering them online. I want to be monitored and see someone face to face because I have health anxiety. I'm a widowed parent so I'm very conscious that I'm all my children have which is the main reason I want to do something about my weight. I'm thinking about paying for a private GP service for a year. I can just about afford this due to some death in service money I received after my partner died but I feel selfish using that money on myself instead of our children. I have nobody to discuss this with because my family will say I'm wasting money and I just need to eat less and move more!!! I know this is basically what I need to do but I've got myself into such a horrible place mentally that this hasn't worked for me. I'm obsessed with food and feel hungry all the time so I think the injections could help. Am I being selfish or is it worth the investment in myself?x

OP you commented on my thread on this board (Please help. I’m desperate) and I think I completely missed it. I’m so sorry.

We are similar I think, although I haven’t got the added difficulty of losing my partner. I’m so sorry for your loss. 💐

I think it’s a great idea to use the money this way. You know you need help with your mental health, but you also know that while you are this size, you will stay depressed. I am the same.

I think use the injections for a few months to help reduce the constant noise about food/weight that’s in your head. Hopefully getting rid of a few stone without too much mental energy will leave you in a much much much better place to then engage fully with therapy and make the lifestyle changes to make the weight loss permanent. That’s my plan anyway. I know at this point, I am too “far gone” to rely on discipline, motivation or will power alone.

I did the same as you and booked an appointment with the GP. It’s this afternoon. I’ll update my thread after I think, if you’re interested.

You've loads to lose and the injections really help with staying on track. Cutting out the food noise in your brain and reducing appetite.

Totally understand wanting to be monitored after your adhd medication caused you issues.
So makes sense to do it that way at least for the first couple of months, or once you're at a dose you're happy with (you start low and increase each month/when the pen runs out) if you're all safe you could continue just buying the injections after that.

There are loads of side effects, and they don't work for everyone. But with 8 stone to lose and kids who need a parent around as long as possible, it's a good plan.

@Rainbowl thank you so much for your message. It's bloody hard isn't it! I know what I should be doing, I know that lower carbing helps and I do feel better but I can't stick at anything!!! I hope your doctors appointment goes ok today. That would be great if you could update your post (only if you want to, though) x

I’ve not had these particular troubles but I have learned the hard way that the best way to look after your kids, is to look after yourself.

Things like this rarely happen in isolation and I would also seek therapy. If you can understand how you got here, then you don’t have to come back. “I eat too much” blah blah blah won’t help and doesn’t cut it. Use that money as an investment in your family guilt-free because you deserve happiness and your kid’s deserve a happy mum. ❤️

Not selfish at all. Your health is the most important thing you can invest in right now, for you and your children. I’m on Wegovy - the lack of food noise is liberating and it’s giving me a chance start focusing on working through some of the psych side of things. Best of luck on your journey.

Something else to consider @DDisnotnormal is whether in the longer term dealing with medication for your adhd will have more benefit. ADHD can be directly linked to over eating and apparent “compulsive” eating, eg snatching and stuffing food at any opportunity.
There are many adhd medications you can try, some won’t give you the anxiety sensation. Some can be added to reduce the sensation. If you weigh less you may have less problem with your blood pressure.

You do need a strategy for coming off the jabs. As others have said they tackle the current weight but dont change the underlying problem, and quite possibly it’s the adhd that needs addressing even more so than therapy.

@FlowerBarrow the adhd is definitely a big factor...I'm chasing the dopamine hit when I binge!!! It was a revelation when i started reading up on it all. I understand why i do most of the bad things that I do, I even know what I need to do but I've not got to the place where I do them yet...I annoy myself and even the therapist I saw last year said I'm probably too self aware and itmust be exhausting living inmy head!!! 😅Unfortunately I won't get adhd medication because I payed privately for my diagnosis and was never transfered to shared care with my gp (the company I used was rubbish so I haven't carried on in their care). I need to find natural ways of getting dopamine and actually do them!!!x

Honestly, best thing I've ever done for myself is start Wegovy. I'm down 2 stone and started in Jan. It's eliminated the food noise. I also make much better choices with the food that I eat. I struggled for YEARS trying to diet, and I feel confident that after a year on Wegovy, my habits will have been changed for so long that I'll be able to maintain them. I'd highly recommend it.

Then I would get yourself on the nhs list as soon as you can, it may take years to get an appointment and you can decide at that time if it’s what you need

So I had my nhs GP appointment today! The GP was lovely, he's referred me to tier 3 weight management (not actually hopefully of getting any support from that any time soon but it's worth try) and I'm going for blood tests next week just to check if there are any underlying issues.

He said he can't recommend weightloss injections at this stage (hopefully the NHS will be able to prescribe them for weight loss in the Autumn, though this is not set in stone and would only be through tier 3 services) but he's aware of patients that have had success with minimal side effects and said they could be useful for me.

I think I'm going to see if anything comes up on my blood tests then make a decision about private weightloss injections from there. I'm not going to pay for a private gp so I'll probably look into some private trauma therapy with the money that would have cost. Thanks again for all the comments. They really helped x

Thanks for the update OP. Glad your appointment went well! Keep us posted.