Must Read for Psych Evaul

[TheOldMeAgain 128]

If anyone is worried or just curious about what psychologists or psychiatrist use as a guideline for psych evaluation this is a must read. About time I got to the Psychopathology section I knew I was unlucky enough to get the By the Book Psychiatrist. It even said there should be a good documented 6 consecutive months of stability etc. I wish I had this Presurgical Psychological Assessment of Bariatric Surgery Candidates guidebook before I did my eval. I would've studied up and been prepared.

I apologize if I seem biter because I am a bit. Every time I see or read post about someone getting their surgery date or just came out of surgery I get envious. I'm happy for them all the same.

Here is the link:

http://asmbs.org/2012/06/pre-surgical-psychological-assessment/

[Catherine707 253]

Thanks for posting this. I am post-surgery but very interested in the ins and outs of the psych eval. It was the longest 5 hours of my life! I will enjoy reading this article at work tomorrow. Did they recommend that you get pre-surgery counseling or some other hoop to jump through before being approved? I will tell you that the past 3 months after surgery have been an emotional rollercoaster and if I was still struggling with depression like I was a long time ago, it would have been an even tougher road. I hope your path to surgery is clear soon!

[RCN 25]

damit. I think my psych eval went great until she asked if I was inpulsive. I "pride" myself in being spontaneous and I think I misunderstood her question because that was the only time she raised her brow during the evalutation. I think i screwed myself. She was like, "What do you mean, your impulsive, give me an example..." so I told her that I went to the car dealer and traded in my car for an older model. Obviously I know that it wasn't something I did without thinking about prior, as a matter of fact I had been eyeballing new cars for a few months and finally one day I spontaneously went to the car dealer and got a new car... idk if that makes sense... ughhh I just hope I get my clearance.

[TheOldMeAgain 128]

Thanks for posting this. I am post-surgery but very interested in the ins and outs of the psych eval. It was the longest 5 hours of my life! I will enjoy reading this article at work tomorrow. Did they recommend that you get pre-surgery counseling or some other hoop to jump through before being approved? I will tell you that the past 3 months after surgery have been an emotional rollercoaster and if I was still struggling with depression like I was a long time ago' date=' it would have been an even tougher road. I hope your path to surgery is clear soon![/quote']

Five hours?! Wow I thought mine was long. I'm happy to provide the article. I kept wondering what guideline they use so I can understand where the evaluators are coming from.

Due to my past history of depression the doc thought I needed 6- 12 months of counseling. It let me astonished since I've read many post on here where patients got approved despite have depression and other mental issues. That why I think I got a by the book psychiatrist. I mention that and he didn't care. I've tried other things to get around his denial for surgery but none of it worked. So now I will have to compile and hope that I can convince my therapist that waiting 6 months is not necessary to show stabilization.

Yes depression is no joke. I suffered with it off and on for yrs. So I'm not against treatment for it. It really helps. I'm only against psychologists using it as a reason to deny WLS. I'm glad you overcame it and surgery didn't trigger it again.

[CharmingTortoise 83]

The Psych evals are in place to make sure we are ready. This is a very emotional process, from the start until you are well past goal. They have to make sure that you are going to be able to handle the huge changes and possible emotional roadblocks that will surely come.

I have Bipolar II and was granted clearance because I had been seeing a counselor all along and haven't had and "episode" in a year. I had also made many of the changes I knew would be coming like giving up soda, not drinking with meals, starting (slowly) to exercise and losing a small amount of weight. Also, I had to do the 6 month medical weight loss requirement so they could keep an eye on me during that time as well.

I think when going through these evaluations you have to be realistic but also understand the angle they are asking the questions. Don't lie but obviously tailor your answers in a way that seem positive. Think of it like a job interview, you don't tell a potential employer that your worst trait is that you are always late. Again, I'm not saying to rig the game but you have to play it so follow their rules so you can get to goal.

[TheOldMeAgain 128]

The Psych evals are in place to make sure we are ready. This is a very emotional process' date=' from the start until you are well past goal. They have to make sure that you are going to be able to handle the huge changes and possible emotional roadblocks that will surely come.

I have Bipolar II and was granted clearance because I had been seeing a counselor all along and haven't had and "episode" in a year. I had also made many of the changes I knew would be coming like giving up soda, not drinking with meals, starting (slowly) to exercise and losing a small amount of weight. Also, I had to do the 6 month medical weight loss requirement so they could keep an eye on me during that time as well.

I think when going through these evaluations you have to be realistic but also understand the angle they are asking the questions. Don't lie but obviously tailor your answers in a way that seem positive. Think of it like a job interview, you don't tell a potential employer that your worst trait is that you are always late. Again, I'm not saying to rig the game but you have to play it so follow their rules so you can get to goal.[/quote']

I agree that the psyche eval are in place for a reason. The spectrum of evaluation is broad. That is where the problems starts.

I've done the required program and opted to continue with it even after I met the required time frame. I believe most are willing to do whatever it takes.

Your right about being realistic. I know the game and how it's played. My case is a bit different then most. Where I planned to get surgery is through a veterans program where everything is in-house, they have access to all my medical files. Not too much maneuvering I could have done. Actually your last paragraph made me realize that. Thank you for that perspective. Maybe now I can stop feeling sorry for myself and get with the program without too much brooding.

[SassySenior 111]

This is what I tell my resume/job search clients: Tell the truth, but not the whole truth. Tell only that part of the truth that will help you get the job.

This is not true confessions. This is not an optional therapist you decided to seek treatment from. This is a step in the process of getting approved for the surgery. If you feel depressed, seek therapy for that before you get the surgery. Otherwise, tell them what they need to hear to approve you.

Remember, they are not looking for reasons to approve you. They are looking for reasons to deny you. That's what job interviews and psych evals are all about.

[Catherine707 253]

I recently attended a support group that was completely hijacked by someone that should never have been approved for the surgery in the first place. Since I was pre-op she felt she had to weigh in heavily on my particular circumstances in an inappropriate way. The group leader did nothing to reign her in. It got me wondering about how and why people are approved or rejected for this surgery.

The Old Me Again - it sounds like your surgeon is very ethical and really wants to ensure you have the best possible outcome to your surgery. While nobody wants to hear they have additional pre-surgery steps, I think one way to look at this is that your surgeon isn't just rubber stamping anyone into the surgery because they want to collect the fees. Your surgeon is being thorough and complete and isn't that a testiment to their skill and competence! I am also a big believer in "things happen for a reason" and that maybe the delay you are experiencing is part of the bigger picture and in the end will be a good thing. (I know it doesn't seem that way right now!) Hang in there, your turn will come!

[TheOldMeAgain 128]

I recently attended a support group that was completely hijacked by someone that should never have been approved for the surgery in the first place. Since I was pre-op she felt she had to weigh in heavily on my particular circumstances in an inappropriate way. The group leader did nothing to reign her in. It got me wondering about how and why people are approved or rejected for this surgery.

The Old Me Again - it sounds like your surgeon is very ethical and really wants to ensure you have the best possible outcome to your surgery. While nobody wants to hear they have additional pre-surgery steps' date=' I think one way to look at this is that your surgeon isn't just rubber stamping anyone into the surgery because they want to collect the fees. Your surgeon is being thorough and complete and isn't that a testiment to their skill and competence! I am also a big believer in "things happen for a reason" and that maybe the delay you are experiencing is part of the bigger picture and in the end will be a good thing. (I know it doesn't seem that way right now!) Hang in there, your turn will come![/quote']

SassySenior: Not true confessions? LMAO. That is true but it felt like it. The psychiatrist that did my examine is very handsome. He was sympathetic when going over my past psych files and I felt compelled to tell him I still suffer from depression. I thought that was normal and would not against me. One of the things he said was that patients think psychologists do psych evaluation to look for reasons to deny them. I didn't have a opinion on that angle since most get approved until now. My thinking is more inline with yours now. You know what they say about hindsight....

Catherine707: I never got to speak the surgeon even though I tried to see if the psych exam was the final say to proceed with my surgery. It's was the on staff psychiatrist that denied me. I think he was doing his job and did a great job. The fault lies with me for doing exactly what SassySenior said. I sum it up as lesson learned.

I want to thank all those that have wished me luck and perspective. Now all that left is forward.