Ever since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1991, I’ve struggled with my weight. At that time, I weighed 125 and was prescribed lithium to control my highs and lows. The drug worked, but it and other psychotropic drugs contributed to a 20-pound weight gain. Then, as the years went by, I gained the weight that comes with aging. By 40, I weighed about 180. On a 5'3" frame, this was a lot to carry. I gained even more weight when I struggled with breast cancer in my late 40s and 50s. At 56, I weighed a cool 188 with no clothes on.
Recently, I gained even more (I contribute this gain to simply overindulgence) and suddenly felt myself inching to 200 pounds. At this weight, I appeared, what can I say, “fat.” My weight and new look were troubling my 14-year-old son, who never had any weight issues until then. Strangely enough when I was 200 pounds, my son became anxious and disturbed.
