I was so distressed while I was recovering from the gallbladder surgery, and I was able to speak to the psychiatric nurse at the hospital but they wouldn't let me see a psychiatrist because they said my case wasn't important enough. I'm sure that's not what they meant, but that was probably not the right thing to say to someone like me at the time. So they agreed to have me see a psychiatric nurse. I think it was for about 12 or 15 sessions I was allowed to see her, so every week.
They had initially put me on Effexor XR, which is to treat anxiety, and my anxiety was really just related to food because I was constantly thinking what I should be eating or not eating. It was constant additions and subtractions in my mind as to what level I should be eating of anything.
I took Effexor for about six months, but I think the physical side effects were so awful I decided I did not want to be on the medication so I stopped. After that I found out I wasn't allowed to have covered sessions, and I would have to go into private care. I did a few, but then it was so expensive it was not affordable.