Psych evaluation

Hello all! I am going to see the Psych Dr. and am wondering what kind of questions they ask? Also how long are the appts. approx.? Thanx- LLT

First of all, they're all a little different. They want to make sure that you understand this is a permanent change to your life and lifestyle. You will probably be asked about previous diets. Also, they MUST screen out people who have eating disorders or any history of self destructive behaviour. As a post-op, I found that I am prone to vomiting, especially if I am not paying attention when I eat. If I were self destructive, it would be far easier to hurt myself now that this surgery has been done. So I understand why they screen for these things. Be prepared to let them know that you do not have eating disorders and would never harm yourself. I'm assuming this is true of course. If you have any doubts, you should think very hard about this permanent life change. The rest of it was "informative" for me. She was just telling me what to expect. Honestly, I found that part was the least helpful. I had far more information from this website and my support group than she had to give me. Feel free to email me if you want more info.

In addition to Kathryn's post -- they also want to screen out for drug/alcohol abuse and other psychiatric disorders. Check out this link -- it give a good overview of the psychatric eval: http://clos.net/psychological_evaluation.htm Denise

S/he will also probably ask the usual: *Do you deal with depression, if so, what to you do about it? *Do you hear voices or see things that aren't there? *Do you have a good support system at home, or is your family the destructive type who might undermine your ability to lose weight? *Does obesity run in the family? There are just some formatted questions for them. Answer honestly and I'm sure you'll be just fine. The appointments usually last less than an hour. Relax! ~Anna

Mine was an hour, I got a psychologist, Dr. Ammirato in Denver from this board, and he was really good. I didn't have to do any testing, we just sat down and had a chat. He was off Colorado Blvd and I-25 and easy to get to and find. I had to pay out of pocket, so if your insurance will cover someone else go to them, otherwise I would highly recommend this phychologist. Good luck Eileen