Yesterday I had my psych eval which was the last thing I needed before things got submitted to my insurance company. It took over 3 hours including a super lengthy questionnaire. I had decided that I was going to be 100% honest with the shrink going into this. I just weaned myself off of my ADHD meds and have been struggling with some weight gain and haven't been doing my best when it comes to eating. I expected a tongue lashing over that.

What I wasn't expecting was for this woman to tell me that I have substance abuse problems and I have to be clean and sober for a year before surgery. Apparently very occasionally smoking weed (like, a few times a year) makes me an addict. I had told my surgeon, the nutritionist and my primary care physician that I occasionally partake and was never told that I couldn't smoke. If I had been, I would've quit, no problem.

Then I admitted that my drinking was out of control as a freshman in college. I told her my mom has been concerned with her own drinking. I still drink, but like a normal 24 year old. I might have a glass of wine or beer with dinner if I'm with friends and usually about once a month I go out on the town for a night. I know my limits, I rarely get drunk.

The nutritionist and surgeon both told me that you can't drink for a while before or after surgery. Sure, understandable, no problem. They also said you can occasionally drink after a period of time. I just know that I have to watch myself and limit my alcohol consumption.

This woman says I can't drink ever again. I feel like I'm receiving conflicting information. She says I'm currently not a good candidate for surgery. I obviously can't submit her eval to insurance. What do I do??? Do I take 3 months and get on track with my eating and exercise and then do another eval? I feel like another year is very extreme. Maybe this is the kick in the ass I needed, but it's extremely upsetting and frustrating.

Yesterday I had my psych eval which was the last thing I needed before things got submitted to my insurance company. It took over 3 hours including a super lengthy questionnaire. I had decided that I was going to be 100% honest with the shrink going into this. I just weaned myself off of my ADHD meds and have been struggling with some weight gain and haven't been doing my best when it comes to eating. I expected a tongue lashing over that.
What I wasn't expecting was for this woman to tell me that I have substance abuse problems and I have to be clean and sober for a year before surgery. Apparently very occasionally smoking weed (like, a few times a year) makes me an addict. I had told my surgeon, the nutritionist and my primary care physician that I occasionally partake and was never told that I couldn't smoke. If I had been, I would've quit, no problem.
Then I admitted that my drinking was out of control as a freshman in college. I told her my mom has been concerned with her own drinking. I still drink, but like a normal 24 year old. I might have a glass of wine or beer with dinner if I'm with friends and usually about once a month I go out on the town for a night. I know my limits, I rarely get drunk.
The nutritionist and surgeon both told me that you can't drink for a while before or after surgery. Sure, understandable, no problem. They also said you can occasionally drink after a period of time. I just know that I have to watch myself and limit my alcohol consumption.
This woman says I can't drink ever again. I feel like I'm receiving conflicting information. She says I'm currently not a good candidate for surgery. I obviously can't submit her eval to insurance. What do I do??? Do I take 3 months and get on track with my eating and exercise and then do another eval? I feel like another year is very extreme. Maybe this is the kick in the ass I needed, but it's extremely upsetting and frustrating.

Find another person to go

Their concern is likely the fear of addiction transfer. A fair amount (I've seen numbers saying around 10%) of people after surgery develop drinking problems. So she's probably looking at if from the standpoint of occasional drug use (even if it's just weed) and a previous phase of uncontrolled drinking. Just remember that they are looking out for your well being.

You can find another pysch to go to for a second opinion, but if you feel you have real issues to address now is the time to do it. Don't simply go looking for somebody to sign off without seriously taking into consideration of what is best for you long term.

37 minutes ago, powelak10 said:

I had decided that I was going to be 100% honest with the shrink going into this.

That is the absolute right thing to do.

Obviously she found some things that you said or filled out on your questionnaire that caused her concern. There is a small but significant portion of people who go through WLS and turn to alcohol instead of food for comfort, so maybe she thought you were a high risk. Then again, maybe she deals with a bunch of alcoholics and has just applied a one size fits all answer to you, which is really sh*tty, but happens.

What I would do is get the entire report from her, including what the questionnaire indicated. After that be very honest with yourself regarding what it shows. If you truly disagree afterward, go to someone else for an eval, but still be 100% honest. In the end it will only help you out.

Edited March 22, 20179 yr by Navigating the Wilderness

It's very good that you were honest and disclosed your history with substances. That said, just like any other evaluation, if you get a result you are not in 100% agreement it is perfectly reasonable to get a second opinion.