Psychiatric Evaluation - Study up!

Sorry to post again so soon, but I just got off the phone with the psychologist who has agreed to do my evaluation, and he told me to study up. He said he wants me to be able to list all the potential complications, changes to lifestyle that must be made, post surgery care, etc. This makes me nervous...what if I forget something and he declines me?

I have read on here that some of the psych evals were nothing more than a quick quiz or one counseling session, but of course I had to pick the guy who tests your knowledge and expects it to be complete.

Any suggestions for studying, other than reading the board relentlessly?

Thanks in advance...

Well your psych was doing you a favor. Her job is to be able to write a report saying you have the capacity to understand what you are doing and the consequences. Mine took about an hour and we went into a lot. So just read up here on OH about the surgery and what you have to do afterwards and don't stress. Its stuff you have already learned about anyway. Look forward to the new you!! Diane S

I wish all psychs did this. You can get every bit of info you need here. He is giving you a big gift!

Read and re-read the information booklets/binders that they have given you!

Stay calm, you'll do just fine!

Look for a copy of the book "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies." It's a great resource that lays everything out very clearly, and I imagine it would be a very helpful study aid.

Just be honest with your psychologist. I mean make sure you are aware of what can happen. Also you might want to include you may get therapy also.

It helps.

Get a new pyschologist. It's literally a check box. Unless you are telling a psychologist that you think surgery will grow you wings and let you fly...they should sign off.

Sorry but I'll be blunt, I believe in talk therapy....this is not talk therapy...this is a screening. They should be checking for major psychiatric disorders, general FSIQ, etc . Evaluating motive, ability to comply with directions, etc. is almost impossible in a short exam.

(I'm sure this will be a very unpopular opinion)

I'm with you. I wish instead of a screening, they required actual therapy focused on food and body issues. My therapist has been as much a part of my success so far as the surgery. But, that would require that insurance actually pay for mental health treatment the same as physical health treatment, and that everyone have access, and that's a pipe dream in the US right now. So I get it that this is the best they can do, but it's still inadequate in my book.

It's a joke that we cannot provide affordable mental health coverage (along with regular health insurance) to a majority of people in our country.

Many of us do check for those things. The sad reality is there is no standard set of assessments for bariatric surgery, whereas transplant assessments are far more rigorous. I check for pathology and everything else, and generally suggest therapy before surgery.

A part of it is that primary care/surgeons are not as intertwined in behavioral health and vice versa. I have a comprehensive knowledge of medicine for a layperson, as I was formerly in medical school. Most therapists do not. The surgeons I worked with appreciate this and would take my advice. Not all doctors are willing to.

Most insurance will also not pay for multiple therapy sessions pre-op, necessarily. Medicaid won't even pay for nutrition or weight-loss management without surgery, which is backwards at best. It's sad.