Psych Evaluation

Hi all, I am new!  I am 31, my bmi is 40, and I am in the early stages of getting approved with Kaiser Permanente of California.  After my doc agreed that I am canidate, he sent me to a shrink for an evaluation.  That appointment was today, and let me tell you, that was HUMILIATING!  He would ask me a question, and then say "and why do you think you do that?" or " what will change if you have the surgery?"  Grrrrr!  He was very rude and made me feel like I was a failure at weight loss!  He kept saying, "then why don't you change now, without surgery?"  I wanted to scream "If I thought I could do it on my own I wouldn't be here!!!"  Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else had a difficult experience with a pychologist?  Regardless, I played the game, and now I wait.  BTW, here are my co-morbidities: I have hypertension, high cholesterol and low back pain. Also, does anyone here have any experience with Kaiser?  Thanks! Heather

Heck, I got one better for you.  How about the shrink standing at a podium while you are sitting down and he asks you all these questions?  I kid you not, it happened to me.  The shrink knew I wasn't nuts and I got the release, however I have a family tree with more branches than anyone I know. When he asked about my circle of support he couldn't keep up with me when I explained my family tree.  Now, not only was I dealing with trying to explain my life story in his questions, but he had a very thick accent and half the time I couldn't understand his broken English.  By the time I left his office I had two thoughts: 1. I'm not a drinker and never depended or particularly NEEDED a drink, but in the car that feeling came over me like you wouldn't believe.  2. I wonder how many people would fail his psych evaluation not because they had some mental prproblems or issues to work through, but due to the fact of how each pre-certified psych evaluation left others unable to answer questions or get over the intimidation and "God" factor that he tried to play on me.

Exactly!  Thank you so much for your reply!  He had a GOD complex!  He did not stand at a podium, but he did sit behind a huge desk, and I sat in a deep recliner half way across the room.   Similar feeling as being stood over.  I don't think I will "fail", as I have good family support and I am not crazy!  I could have had a drink too when I left!  I was so mad my hands were shaking!  I don't know if I will complain or not...not sure if it is worth it.  Thanks again!  It's nice to not feel like the only one! Heather

Heather: I don't know if this will hel*****t.  However, my bariatric surgeon referred me to this psychiatrist for the evaluation.  When I spoke with the office people the next time, I told them exactly what that experience was like. I don't know if you were referred by your doctor, however if there is a problem with the session, you should definitely say something.  I do not know if anyone else ever complained about this psychiatrist I was sent to, but the least I could do was make the doctor's office aware of how it went so they would think twice about referring future patients to the doctor if others had the same type of complaint as I had.  I wasn't nasty to my doctor's office manger when I told her. I wasn't emotional either. I just told her how it went and that I felt very displeased with the way the office session went with the doctor.  If you say nothing to the referring physician, nothing will change and they will continue to send patients to the psychiatrist.

I have heard some horror stories like yours and it is terrible!  Most of us have had a history of humiliating experiences with different doctors throughout our lifetime and I feel that most of this is due to one thing -- these doctors are fat biggots!!! I was very fortunate with my psych consult and had a very compassionate person.  For the last few years I have decided that if the doctor cannot relate to me because of my size, then I'm not giving him my time, money or my health. I am so sorry that you had such a terrible experience.  Let's just hope he gives you the all clear paper that you need.  Hang in there!

Heather - I am so sorry you had a bad experience. My own psych eval was today and mine was just the opposite! The woman was very compassionate, kept telling me I was giving good answers, that I was a very positive person and that I even looked 30 ( I turn 45 tomorrow) !! Having said that she did counsel me on what I need to do to stop using food as a crutch and did tell me I could lose weight on my own without the surgery if I just "fix my head first" - she also said she was sending in her positive recomendation for the surgery.

Wow, she told you if you were approved or not right then and there?  My guy wouldn't even hint, and made a snotty remark that my BMI wasn't even high enough and that I probably wouldn't qualify based on that.  (***I gave him the wrong weight   I got my cholesterol number mixed up in my head when I was put on the spot.  I weighed myself when I got home per his direction and called him with the correct weight, which was 15 pounds higher!  Oops!)  *My bmi is 40, so I should qualify* I called his secretary today and thankfully she is very nice!  She told me that my doc should have the results by Monday, and if he didn't to give her a call and she would fax them!  That was pretty nice I thought! Anyway, congrats on the good psych appt!  Good to know that not everyone is being treated like I was! Heather C.

I'm sorry. I had a really good experience with both psych and nutrionist. She noted me as a really good candidate. But I will tell you that I got denied because my BMI was not 40 at the time of submission and because my co-morbidities were not severe enough. Don't let it get you down. I cried about if for the first time today. But I'll live. Nicole H.

Thanks for the kind words!  I actually got the call yesterday that I passed my psych eval!!  The doc got the papers and sent in my packet!  I should have my yes or no within 2 weeks!  I will be sure to post when I do!

Hi,   Here is an experence we had that made me quite angry. My oldest son was tested for dyslexia when he was 12 at a famous children hospital. The psych gave my son the wisc 3 a langue based test. It is NOT the test you use for a child that is dyslexic. I did not find that out till later.    On the day we came back for the results the good doc is sitting behind his big desk and my husband,myself and son are waiting for results. This doc says my son's IQ was only 70 NOT true. He also said that dyslexic children are "smart". Then to make matters worse he VERY SLOWLY said  I   AM  SUPRISED  YOUR   SON CAN EVEN TALK!!!! He said this in front of my SON!!!!What a total jerk. This man really hurt my son and to this day this incident still haunts my son.     The good news is my sons charter school got involved with a program called Fast Forward and in only TWO months my son was able to go up to a sixth grade reading level where he remains at today. I would love to tell that doc how far my "retarded" child has come he has been in demand in the automative industry and makes 20 per HOUR. Not bad for a kid that had some teachers tell him  to just drop out of school and a doctor list my sons IQ at such a low level.