Question:
what should I expect when i see the pscholosgist

i received letter today saying I need to have a psch eval saying that I'm not a nut case before they will authorize me to see the surgeon. I'm kind of nervous. also I have another question. I kind of scared of being denied because I don't have a lot of co-morbs, but I do have hypertension, and ache joints. I weigh almost 400 lb and I have tried to lose weight, also I have been overweight all of my life and I am borderline diabetic.    — shanni39 (posted on June 7, 2003)

June 7, 2003
I went and looked at your profile. Your BMI is high enough to qualify you even without any co-morbs and you have a couple of significant ones. I wouldn't worry about that part. The psych eval can be all kinds of things. It depends on the insurance, the surgeon who requested it (if it's the surgeon and not the insurance who requires it), the therapist you see, and so on. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone who was denied surgery because of a 'bad' psych eval. I wouldn't stress out about it too much.
   — garw

June 7, 2003
Hello, just had to respond to your question. In the last two weeks I have had 2 psch. evaluations. You can pull up my page and read about it. The main reason is to find out if you have any problems or hang-ups that put your weight on in the first place and if you are ready for this life changing event. Both evaluations, I had to complete a lengthy questionaire that helps them to determine your mind set. They will deny you if you do not seem ready for the life changing event. I pretty much went in both being myself and of course opening my big mouth and telling them my whole life story, but I'm glad that I was truthful. I am in this for myself and I want to do it right. I do know that the last evaluator was pleased that I had been researching this surgery and he was also pleased to hear that I had already began cutting back on food. I hope this helps, don't be afraid, but try to find an evaluator that has experience working with obesite people like you and me. Teresa Gash, Ky
   — TERESA G.

June 7, 2003
Hi, I was worried aboutmy psych. eval. too, and let me tell ya it was all for nothing. The psychologist I saw is one who works with the Bariatric Center, and he was absolutely wonderful. My insurance said that they wanted one to determine motivation and compliance because my comorbidities appeared to be mild. I went in and told him that I felt if I don't do something about my weight now, I feel I'll end up in a wheelchair and/or insulin dependent; I have to use a wheelchair frequently right now because I have osteoarthritis in my feet, ankles, knees and low back, and I have hyper AND hypo glycemia. My grandma is a very brittle diabetic, and I explained that I'm afraid that in a few years I will be just like her. I also have some issues with depression and a history of sexual abuse, but that I'm being treated with antidepressants and have sought counseling for the abuse. I also expressed my desire to go to the support groups that my Bariatric Center hosts. Sorry to ramble on about my whole life story, but I hope this helps and puts your mind at ease. Good Luck and God Bless!
   — Moysa B.

June 8, 2003
Some people's reviews are different...But mine was simply 20 minutes of chatting with the doctor while she took notes. She asked me about my dieting history (briefly wrote down some notes), she asked me about my family's history of eating disorders or any other mental issue (like depression...and only immediantly family like mom, dad, sister, brother)...She asked me why I wanted the surgery...she asked me if I had someone at home to support me after surgery...she asked me what my husband thought (and I was honest when I told her it took him 2 years to get on board with the whole thing, but now understands why I need it). Then we chatted about my life plans after surgery, like what I want to do later that I can't do now. And that was it. 20 mintues tops. She okayed me on the spot. Now, some people have had to take long tests answering question after question...having taken a ton of these test myself while in my psychology class, my best advice is...use common sense. If a question asks you if you ever wanted to kill yourself, say no. Reason being, even one "off" answer can really bring down your score...and since you can't explain that "When I was 15 I wanted to kill myself because some boy didn't like me, but I never did anything about it and evenually grew up and learned that having people like me isn't as important as liking myself."...you'll probably end up having a recommendation for longer therepy. No one wants that. So just use common sense. And when talking to the doctor, be honest answering those questions because you can explain yourself then.
   — Renee B.