Pysch Evaluation done- I thought it would be more about "Why are you Fat?"

I had my psych evaluation done yesterday.  I really thought the point of having it was to help me discover why I overeat and am obese.  It was more a test of "are you too crazy to have surgery".  I know that I am an emotional eater and that coping mechanism will go away after surgery, so to everyone who has gone through this...Did you just learn to cope?  Have you discovered why you abused food in the first place?  I guess I am paranoid because people keep telling me that you have to get to the root of the problem or you will gain the weight back.

Brandy

I think your inquiry is a valid point--however, the whys of overeating etc aren't going to be discovered or solved in one meeting anyway, right?

If you already know you're an emotional eater, IMO you've solved 1/2 the problem by admitting it. I think that doctors just want to cover their butts a little by feeling they've discussed if you're a suitable candidate for surgery, period. If you're in complete denial and have so many issues other than just overeating, they're probably going to deny you at this time. If you have a good support system, you seem sane, you seem motivated, you seem bright enough to ask necessary questions, then you're probably going to pass the screening.

Going to support group meetings is VERY important! Sharing some of your deep dark secrets with people just like you will help you tremendously. People who think this is the magic potion for all their problems, not just weight, are in denial and it probably will all come back on for them. A person who is an advocate for themselves, constantly doing research, inner talk, getting feedback from others is going to have a WAY better and way easier result than someone who thinks they can just keep doing what they were doing prior to surgery.

I keep saying over and over, we've all sought out this help because we needed someone to take over, to make some decisions for them (for me it is portion control) and get headed back down the path to sanity and slimness!!!!!! We weren't doing a good job of it (taking control) and so we sought the only thing left that we could do! SURGERY!

Trust me, after surgery you will discover you CAN'T eat the same way you used to, in most cases. For a long time after you may not have any desire to eat much at all. You might lose the taste of foods that once gave you comfort. And one thing is for sure, you overeat and it WILL come back up. You will learn to avoid that issue all together.

Get tons of support--these people on these boards can't wait to help you!!! Go to meetings as often as you can (start now if you haven't already) and hear it ALL, the bloody godawful truth! People have shared amazing stories of their own and it's powerful stuff. You can't help but be a winner after that!!

Best of luck and be a "loser" with the rest of us!!

Thank you for responding.  I think I see your point.  I've only attended one support group, I need to attend many more.

 Brandy,

Congratulations on clearing one more hurdle!  As for figuring everything out about the mess that goes on in my brain - good grief, no... I've been working at it for a long time now, and still no clearer about all that really than I was to start with.

Do keep going to the Support Groups.  Great people there make for a thoroughly worthwhile experience, and a great avenue for self growth.

Best of luck to you as you move forward!
John

PS - you should have seen the look I got when I told the psychiatrist I was hoping to be a model for Abercombie & Fitch by Christmas after my surgery in May!  I thought his eyes would pop out of his head before I could tell him I was just kidding.   - Hey - at the size I was then, you gotta take your laffs where you can find them.

The first year was easy. After that for me it has all gone to hell in a hand basket as far as the emotional eating.  I know why I abused food but getting a grasp on it is a whole other story. You have a very good reason to be paranoid because you can gain the weight back. Where there is a will there is a way though , and I am determined one way or another that I will beat the emotional eating. Best of luck. Rita

Brandy,
the psych is geared to see if you have unrelaistic expectations of weight loss and are you doing it for reasons other than health...
the process can be so exhausting that somne people fail the psych test for no more apparet reasons then they have underlying issues as to if I lose weight I will be a sex kitten etc.
One of the kids I know back east...failed her psych exam just cause she could not explain to the shrink what it meant about the ch****n or egg coming first...
if you want to know why you are an emotional eatter or u abuse food you will need counciling on that....or go to OA overaters annyomous.
The tool we have does not stop the emotional eatting far from it...so
I suggest you atttend support groups where ever possible...reach out to post ops and learn from them..there is no shame in an admitting this to anyone..the shame lies in not talking and hiding it.
I could not have made it this far without SUPPORT from my groups and from here.
THis Saturday, I am hosting  a support group meeting in Norman at the Norman regional hosptial..its called thr face to face open forum we discuss everything rerlatiing to after surgery...the stuff we are not told about before...plus we are having a free clothing exchange afterwards...you are invited

Thank you everyone for your responses.  I am noticing I do a lot more self talk lately when I reach for junk food.

I think the other's have pretty much covered it.  I always felt like the psych evaluation  was geared towards obvious risks or people who might not have the skills to cope with the loss of a coping mechanism.  I would be very surprised to meet a morbidly obese person who did NOT use food as a coping mechanism-you can gain 20 pounds eating "too much healthy food", not 100.

The head work is never done as long as we live, but try not to look at it as "work"...try to look at it as learning more about yourself, what makes you tick, etc.  Once I figured out there was no magic moment where I would suddenly be "cured", I was actually a lot happier with myself.  The real answer is there is no "final answer", at least not one that I have found.

I still can't wrap my head around  a logical reason why WLS enables us to do what we couldn't do before-cope with the head issues-I'm just glad it does.

Learning to cope-I replaced my food habits with new habits.  The first one was brewing hot herbal tea-the whole process relaxes me and I wi****hought of that when I quit smoking.....grrrr.

I think it's important to be diligent about working through things-but don't push too hard.  The mind gives up and releases when it's ready.