hi TemporalCalamity,

first, i'd just like to say that you sound like a very together 16 year old young man. whether you feel that way or not, you do come across in your post as very intelligent and thoughtful.

you share a lot of concerns in your post. i guess my concern for you is that you are taken care of by appropriate medical and mental health professionals.

my family doctor, who is highly respected by colleagues and patients, is very knowlegeable in many areas of medicine, but he always refers me to specialists who are more knowlegeable in their area of expertise. he refers me to a dermatologist when i have skin issues (i still have problem "teenage" skin, so i can commiserate with others on that issue). while he is able to prescribe psychiatric meds, he prefers that i see a psychiatrist. and my psychiatrist prefers to treat me while i see a therapist, so i do that, too. i guess my point here is to make sure that all your concerns are addressed, and that may take seeing more than just your doctor.

when i was on zoloft, i got manic. i have to be careful on antidepressants because of this problem. zoloft, and other antidepressants, can cause all kinds of side effects that may differ from person to person. side effects are sometimes temporary while the body gets used to the medicine, but anything that lingers, or bothers you, should be brought to the doctor's attention. at least, that's what i do.

about 15 years ago, i was anorexic. my lowest weight was around 39.5 kilograms (87 pounds). at 5 feet 4 inches tall, that was not enough for me to be physically healthy. (how i turned around and began eating again is an extremely long story, and i'm not even sure how it started.) whether 72 kilograms (158 pounds) is an appropriate weight for you to be at is hard to say without knowing your height. but if it bothers you, and you recognize it to be a potential problem, then i would say it's worth checking out. what does your doctor say of your concerns?

i hope you will post again and let us know how you are doing.

take care,

splash