What Do They Ask At The Psych Eval?

[lovex5 25]

i asked the bariatric nurse (who has also had wls) and she said it will be easy and not to stress. when i made my appt i asked the person scheduling me. she said the dr will talk to me for an hour and then have me answer 350 questions on the computer. everyone tells me not to stress over it but no one will answer the question--what do they ask? i mean, do they ask why you're fat or why you want the surgery? are they trying to find out if you're crazy or something? and 350 questions...about what?

[jen_1381 446]

The one that I had was actually kind of fun. The big "test" they are talking about is usually the MMPI study. It's a psychological test, which asks a lot of various True/False questions like: I would like to be a Forest Ranger. I would like to be a Photographer. When at a party, I don't like talking to new people. Just answer honestly. They aren't hard questions at all.

Mine was a two-part appointment. The first session I did the MMPI as well as filled out an Eating Inventory. The second part was 1:1 with the Psychologist. It was very relaxed, she was very informative. They are mainly there to gauge whether you are ready for a big life change or not. She offered me a lot of suggestions and tips to be successful.

For me personally, it was a great thing. I had never been to a psychologist for any type evaluation (the first thing you want to say is - I'M NOT CRAZY!!) but I'm a perfectionist and we talked about how the perfectionist lifestyle can't always work in real life. She also detected PTSD which I'm following up with a regular counselor for and honestly, it's been a blessing. I feel like after surgery I'll be on the road to being physically and emotionally healthy.

So I know it's a lot easier said than done, but just relax, be honest, and take it all in. They're just another part of the team that want to see you succeed.

[gottobeme 81]

I remember some questions on mine (true / false) like I hear voices that tell me to hurt myself, or hurt other people. Most of them make you wonder why in the world you need to take a test that asks you questions like this. I really found it amusing - nothing to fret about!

[IL_MissKitty 14]

Mine was more like an interview. We discussed weight loss and emotional eating. Basically I think he was making sure I wasn't bulimic. He could certainly tell I wasn't anorexic...lol Anyway, it was no big deal. I have not heard of the test the others are talking about.

[daisychains7 427]

The computer questions are very easy to answer and I was laughing as I was going through it, because even a "crazy" person would know which way to correctly answer the questions to pass. lol. Just be honest and you will be fine! Then for the interview they go over your test results and ask a few basic questions about self esteem, emotional eating, how you may feel after the band, why you think you are overweight, and how it has effected you.

[lovex5 25]

thank you all for the replies. what about if they ask about your eating habits? i have gotten portions under control but yes, in my life i have binged a lot. i want the band there to know in my head if i overeat i'm going to have physical issues. should i be honest about that? i'm scared i'll say the wrong thing and they'll keep me from getting it done. one girl who is local said they are making her attend therapy before she can have surgery due to her psych eval results.

[daisychains7 427]

thank you all for the replies. what about if they ask about your eating habits? i have gotten portions under control but yes' date=' in my life i have binged a lot. i want the band there to know in my head if i overeat i'm going to have physical issues. should i be honest about that? i'm scared i'll say the wrong thing and they'll keep me from getting it done. one girl who is local said they are making her attend therapy before she can have surgery due to her psych eval results.[/quote']

I have been the same way most of my life. Barely eating throughout the day then binging at night. I am also an emotional eater. They understand and expect that you will have food issues, otherwise you wouldn't need the band. Be honest about your problems and also that you know the band won't magically solve them for you.

[Imanurse 27]

They had questions like everyone has said, but they ask the SAME question again, just differently! Just for validity.

dionaw- Sent from my iPad using LBT