Many times patients, experience times of sadness or anxiety in the recovery period. You will second guess yourself and wonder truly if you ever should have had the surgery in the first place. You may begin to think that you are ugly and that the bruising and swelling will never go away.

Typical Reasons For Post-Surgical Depression

You may experience a period of depression or marked sadness after your surgery. This can be from the after effects of anesthesia (anesthesia seems to bring out our sensitive sides and our anxiety), medications, post-surgical traumatic stress syndrome, constipation from the medications (it's true!) and a general sense of disarray.

Plus being restricted to low impact activities, with the fact that you are sore for about 2 weeks doesn't make things any better. Neither does not being able to stand up straight or walk without slight discomfort. And then throw on top of that that you are all bruised up and have a drain sticking out of you (if applicable). 

Pain and discomfort can really wreak havoc on some patients, the pain medications (and antibiotics) can cause constipation and other temporary digestive problems and can back everything up and make you feel bloated and sometimes even cause you abdominal pain. Some surgeons suggest a mild stool softener like Colace® or even natural remedies such as eating Daikon (a Chinese root vegetable) after you are finished with your medications. This helps with getting everything in working order again and helps flush out residual meds and what not from the pipes. Drinking plenty of water most certainly helps and I cannot stress this factor enough. 

The number one reason for depression is usually the adrenaline period is now over, also known as the Surgical Let Down period. 

According to Hamid Massiha, M.D. depression is very normal,