I had a breast augmentation 3 days ago and I am so depressed. Is this normal?

I'm sorry to hear about your concerns. It is important to know that you're not the only one who feels this way after a surgery. Surgical procedure is a lot to go through and it takes time to recover and adjust to your new body image. Give yourself more time to adjust and speak with your surgeon if questions or concerns arise.

Thank you for
your question!

Please rest
assured that feeling depressed and regretful about your surgery within the
first week is a common feeling among patients, so you are not alone. You may
panic over what you have done, be regretful and anxious, doubt your needs for
surgery, and worry about the final results while your incisions look scary.

In fact, the 1st
few weeks after a cosmetic surgery such as breast augmentation can be difficult
both physically and emotionally.

There is normally
an emotional cycle of ups and downs that most patients undergo. Post-operative
depression is real, and its effects can be minimized if patients are prepared
for and understand it in advance.
Emotional
Rollercoaster (Low Energy) – 1st weekThere will be
swelling, pain, discomfort, and physical change. This is a time when your inner
and outer energy level will be low making you disinterested in other things. Pain
medications will make you disoriented and emotional with feelings of depression
coming about the 3rd or 4th day.Overly critical
and Nit-picking – 2nd to 6th weekYou will start to feel better with the stitches out, and the
decrease in swelling and muscle cramps. Thinking that you are recovering well,
you will think your breasts are recovering and reaching their final looks so you
may look at your new breasts critically
worrying about symmetry, scars, and so on. You will wonder if you achieved your goal
and got “what you paid for.” Noticing other’s reactions and Joy – 12th to 24th weekYou will
appreciate your looks, surgical
results and feel-good
emotions. You will look for
other people’s positive reactions on changes in your body even though you will
not want them to know that you got surgery and will feel validated when you
hear, “you look wonderful.” You may
be in the mood to buy your new bra to check out the size difference, check out
some bathing suits or tops to show off your new figure. This is when you will
say that you were glad to have done the surgery.

 

Reasons for depression and Regret:

Perception of Body Image Coming into surgery, some women may be insecure about their chest
size and some maybe hoping that it would make others like them more, and when
they get surgery and do not get immediate results, and do not get an immediate
positive reaction from people, they may feel discouraged and regretful. Others
may regret going too big, or going too small, and feel like they destroyed the
natural looks of their breasts with scars. General AnesthesiaTraces of anesthetics used to make you sleep during surgery
can temporarily stay in your body’s tissues affecting you both physically
(fatigue and exhausted) and emotionally (depressed and in despair) for up to 3
weeks. Pain medicationsIn addition to reducing your pain, your use of narcotic pain
killers which are also considered depressants also slow everything down like
alcohol bringing out a range of emotional reactions based on the mood and
atmosphere of their surroundings. Physical Restrictions inherent in recoveryYour usual routine in life will be dictated by the
instructions for recovery which limit your movements by many weeks to allow healing.
For example, you will not be able to fully use your chest muscles for a couple
of weeks limiting your ability to drive, pick up things that are more than 10
pounds, change clothes, etc. Because of this loss of control of your body, your
looks, your schedule, you will be stuck in bed, depending on others with basic
tasks such as self-care and other daily-activities minimizing your level of
independence. Because of being out of your comfort zone, you may experience
feelings of restlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, and boredom. Due to the
lack of exercise, your brain will only provide a short supply of endorphins,
which is never a good thing, mood-wise and this is why you will wonder why on
earth you went ahead and did the surgery.Physical symptomsWith pain, swelling, bruising and visible stitches from the
surgery, and nausea from pain killers, you will feel terrible physically,
making you question whether you made the right decision to undergo the surgery.

 

Steps to prevent the feelings:

Get support from your loved ones: recovery can be difficult
when you are alone and full of emotions. When your partner, your family member,
or friend provide help in a supportive way, it can be very comforting to know
that you’re not alone in this especially because you will have someone to share
your concerns and feelings with. Plan your recovery before surgery: with the physical and
emotional stress, coming into recovery without a simple plan can be more troublesome.
You should be eating healthy, fresh, and nutritious meals/snacks to aid the
healing process, you should have comfortable clothing, and have no difficulty
in getting access to the bathroom, warm settings, and entertainment (books, magazine,
T.V, laptop, phone) at home to pass the time.  You will want to drink lots of water and gets
lost of rest.Do not make conclusions based on immediate results: with 3
days after your surgery, it is easy to look at the results and pass your
judgment about your body image. You will be swollen, without an appetite, bruised,
and the implants may not have dropped, so you will feel awful seeing that you did
not get the results you wanted and are in worse condition because of all the
pain and sadness. However, your final results will not come about until 3-6
months after surgery.

You should always follow your surgeon’s instructions for
recovery. Please share your feelings and concerns with your plastic surgeon as
they will be in the position to best help you with not only your physical
concerns, but your mental and emotional concerns.

Best of luck in your recovery!