Psych eval Enough Already with the Psycho-Babble

[NoneYa 380]

It really bothers me to read so many people having to fight, fake, lie and pretend to get through a psych eval for WLS. This is so unfair! If a person has eaten themselves into a morbidly obese body weight they have psych issues IMO. That means all of us that have done this to our bodies. Lets face it, at some point in our lives we were taught (or taught ourselves) to eat more than our body needs. It was not engrained in us that food is many things in our society but most importantly it is a fuel and it should be used as such. We were intended to enjoy foods which is why we have taste buds and appetites. The reason being to continue the drive to fuel our bodies in order to live, not to gorge ourselves because the taste is pleasant. The last part of that sentence is where we all went wrong IMO.

Of course some have deeper issues than others but we all have them. If a drug addict realized they were killing themselves with drugs and sought a known cure would they be refused because they had a psych issue? No they wouldn't. They would get the treatment and FU sessions with a psych. Some would succeed and some would fail but all would be given the chance to get off the drug that was killing them. I have read a lot of people say that they have a BMI or 38, 40 or much higher but they have no co morbidities and are very healthy. I don't believe thats true. I think the excess weight is a ticking time bomb for all of us whether we have a diagnosed obesity related illness or not. When we overeat to the point of stuffing ourselves and adding lb after lb of excess body fat we are causing harm. We will see it now or down the road if the course remains unchanged. If a person is paying medical insurance and that insurance covers WLS they should be given the surgery if they request it. Make a certain amount of counseling sessions part of the deal if they want but do not bar them from a procedure that will give them the chance to have their life back. No offense to anyone intended. Just thinking outloud.

[Jen35 283]

I agree with you! I think part of the problem is the psychiatrists don't realize that we are there for just for clearance for the surgery, not an evaluation of our whole mental histories. My surgeon's office has a psychiatrist that comes to their office for appointments and I chose to go to him because he knew what the insurance did and didn't need. And he didn't ask me some of the crazy questions that I hear about. He didn't delve into my past and my childhood - he asked questions to ensure I had a realistic view of the outcome of the surgery, that I was mentally capable to make this decision, etc. That is really all the insurance needs to know and that is the purpose for the visit. They usually do not include follow up sessions so it's not helpful to ask deeper questions. I also chose to see a therapist before/during/after surgery because it's worth it to me to explore why I got to that point so I don't end up back there. I know not everyone has these options, but if they can find a psychiatrist who is familiar with the WLS evaluation requirements, there is a better outcome.

[endless80 697]

I found my psych eval to be quite pleasant. Exept for the LOOOOOOONG test they made me do. But sitting down and chatting with the therapist was not bad for me at all. In fact, I enjoyed it. It was just that fill in the blank test that takes HOURS to finish that I was bored of. But, its one of those things to gague if you can follow directions properly and that you're not going to blow a gasket when the weight starts to come off.

I think the whole thing was necissary. Plus it was nice to read my psych eval when she was done with it. lol

[NoneYa 380]

Endless80, that's how it should be but according to these forums it isn't that way for many people. They are either denied or have their surgeries delayed and are put through many more hoops. I think you're better off going with the psych. that is through your surgeon's office as Jen35 said because it seems to be a smoother process that way. They are going through a lot of often unneeded extra drama in order to get an approval.

My way worked for me. I used a licensed counselor of my own choosing. I didn't take a test. I discussed my life and the occurances in it good and bad. I came away fully understanding when I pulled the fat suit over my body for protection and why. It was an enjoyable experience and I plan to return to talk to her again.

[Ballermom 803]

I agree my psych exam was the least of the very few unpleasant things I had to deal on my Journey to getting sleeved. Very easy, I did have a slight anxiety though. But,

Even my questioner was not the long test I heard about.

[TwinsMama 483]

I went through Kaiser and my eval was a brief 10-15 (can't really remember at this point) questionnaire that was asked over the phone. It was VERY WLS specific. The only thing they did ask about overall health was did I want to harm myself or others. Everything else was "on topic".

I think the problem is really 2-fold...

One, many therapists/Drs/etc. say that obesity is an illness but I don't think they really believe that. I think they take the approach that obese people are somehow more mentally flawed (as if any of us is perfect) so they keep going deeper and deeper. I say this as someone who has been thinner before and heard Drs make some really negative comments about obese people.

Two, there are a lot of people who believe just having surgery will magically fix what's wrong with everything not going well in their life. Because there is no way to separate those doing this to help with their health and overall quality of life and those expecting a magic pill...therapists go overboard.

It's really sad to think that people get denied because they go out and try to get help. It breaks my heart that more companies don't offer surgery as a resource...especially given the big push for wellness programs. Hopefully this will change in the near future as more and more people better their quality of life.

[TheOldMeAgain 128]

Deep down inside I don't think a lot of psychologists see obesity as a disease. To them there is some underlying issue that can be addressed and treated with just therapy. At least the ones I've come across. I shouldn't be surprise because my PCP and dietician didn't like the ideal of WLS but had to talk to me about it nonetheless because its a medical option I wanted info on. So it wouldn't be that far off if the psychologists felt the same way and have no choice but to counsel on it but don't believe in it. All the testing and prodding they do about things not related to WLS is overkill. Make me think they want to find something wrong.