I can't say much about the weight gain, except that I gained thirty pounds on Zxprexa. However, it's the same thirty pounds that I lost as a result of my depression and anxiety-related IBS.

I agree with the people who said that people love to talk about themselves, so if you are a good listener, you'll be seen as a great conversationalist. I am pretty introverted, so it is tough for me to talk to other people sometimes. I do much better one-on-one than in a group.

Here's something interesting: I went to my first DBSA support group last week. It took me weeks to get up the courage to finally do it, and I had to take a Klonopin before I went into the building. I was nervous and shaky because I had no idea what to expect. There were about 25 people there and we got split up into smaller groups, each with a group facilitator. That put me at ease a little bit. The facilitator established guidelines for the group, some of which were that each person gets the chance to talk (if they want to, no putting people on the spot), and without interruption. Also, what gets discussed in the room stays in the room. That helped me relax a bit too. To my surprise, I actually felt comfortable enough to share my own experience, which is a huge deal for me, because I hate talking in groups! Hopefully something like that can help.