Does anyone have a sample of some of the questions that need to be answered during a psych eval? My therapist wants to make sure she helps me get approved. She just doesn't want to miss anything and mess up my chances. My surgeon is out of town for two weeks or I'd ask him. Just a few examples of questions that need to be answered. Thanks in advance!!!

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Mine was a phone interview. Been a while back now, most questions were along the lines of my mental well-being and outlook, about what (in my opinion) had caused me to be obese in the first place, that sort of thing. Can't remember specific questions.

Mine was a phone interview. Been a while back now, most questions were along the lines of my mental well-being and outlook, about what (in my opinion) had caused me to be obese in the first place, that sort of thing. Can't remember specific questions.

Thank you. I was hoping to have a phone interview because I live 2 hours from the hospital, but no such luck. Hope everything works out for you.

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2 minutes ago, kag2791 said:

Thank you. I was hoping to have a phone interview because I live 2 hours from the hospital, but no such luck. Hope everything works out for you.

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You too. I'm a month post-surgery now, everything is going smoothly except for a running battle with constipation and periodic blues and blahs. I was told to expect both (among other things, which I haven't had trouble with).

You too. I'm a month post-surgery now, everything is going smoothly except for a running battle with constipation and periodic blues and blahs. I was told to expect both (among other things, which I haven't had trouble with).

Congrats on being post op.

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And someday we will join you in post- surgery-land where the tree leaves are green and contain no carbs, the river flows with low-fat dressing, salads brim over with vitamins and meats and other proteins are easy to swallow and do your body good. And as soon as a condo becomes available, I'm. moving there! Maybe there will be room on the cul de sac for You and You and You! Come join me there!

And someday we will join you in post- surgery-land where the tree leaves are green and contain no carbs, the river flows with low-fat dressing, salads brim over with Vitamins and meats and other Proteins are easy to swallow and do your body good. And as soon as a condo becomes available, I'm. moving there! Maybe there will be room on the cul de sac for You and You and You! Come join me there!

Haha I love this! I really needed it right now!

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Please do not take this as rude or disrespectful, but if you have to prepare for a psych eval, maybe you arent ready for surgery.

Please do not take this as rude or disrespectful, but if you have to prepare for a psych eval, maybe you arent ready for surgery.

No it's not that. It's that my psychiatrist has never done one so she asked me to get a list of questions from my surgeon that would fit the criteria. I've been cleared by a different psychiatrist a year ago, but due to issues with my sister's health I cancelled that surgery. I just didn't want to have to go back to the other psychiatrist. He was 2 hours away. And no disrespect taken.

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My psychological assessment was with someone on staff at the weight loss clinic. I had a letter from my therapist to support moving forward with the surgery. I think they want assurance that you don't have a current eating disorder, that you are able to follow the post op instructions, and that you are stable enough to handle the many changes that result from losing a lot of weight.

And on September 5th your Good Wishes will help me over that hump into post-surgeryland.
To answer your original query, they usually ask why you want this surgery? They want to make sure you don't want to look like a movie star, but more deeper reasons. How hard have you tried losing weight in the past? Very few people can reduce and keep weight without surgery. Do you understand portions of your anatomy won't be the same? Some people fear surgery because they look on it as mutilation of their body. Can you understand, do you feel you can follow a different meal plan the rest of your life? This is not something you do over a weekend and then go on living a careless food life.
Are you frightened of dying,either on the table or in daily life. Nobody will do surgery on someone already unstable emotionally.
What are your plans for the future? Nobody will perform surgery for someone who wants only to be a centerfold in Penthouse. Besides unless the photographer positions you just right you will have 5- 7 teensy abdominal scars, nobody wants to airbrush those out or use a special lens.
With some kinds of surgery you are on a lot of vitamins, with every one you are on some
Can you afford up to $150 a month for vitamins? You will be eating a much less copious amount of food, maybe you'll have extra money there? Most times your vitamins will be less than that amount.
Most important: Be positive -Be committed - Be Friendly But,most,
Be yourself, Be Yourself, the world wants and needs You. That's why you are here, there's a spot only you can fill. Check back with us often- we support your decisions- we have or will be going through all these things and we would treasure the time we spend with YOU! Frustr8 and the Bariatric Pal Crew

I had three weight loss questionnaires and an MMPI. The weight loss questionnaires were mainly about who or what I thought was responsible for my obesity.

I hope you didn't blame it on the Texas Rangers. Hey let's blame Rick Perry, he's off in Washington and can't defend himself. He's either doing a very,good,job or a very bad job, because Trump hasn't fired him yet! ?LOL

Thank you for your support! Like I said before I was cleared for surgery a year ago but then my sister needed a liver transplant so I cancelled it. My family didn't need to be caring for me when we were losing her. Shes doing great tho thankfully. So I decided it was my turn.

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Thank you everyone, my surgeons nurse emailed me a list of questions they want answered. Thank you for all of your support.

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Here's what you can expect. You're going to be asked a serious of questions from either the HAMD or MADRS test for depression. You can look up samples online. A lot of people that suffer from obesity and have a BMI that qualifies them for surgery also suffer from depression. Many also have addictive personalities and abused food, drugs and/or alcohol in the past (or may be presently abusing). Having a history of depression or addiction does not disqualify you from surgery, but the psychologist need to show that you are being treated and that you can handle this procedure. They need to know that you have a support system in place to help you with this transition. Having this surgery is not going to cure all your problems--it's just going to make you thinner and PHYSICALLY healthier. If you gained weight because you have underlying issues, those issues need to be addressed (and you need to show that you are continuing to addressing them).

That covers you for mood disorders, but they are also screening for other issues including personality disorders (borderline personality for example). People with borderline personality disorder (and other personality disorders) don't do very well with surgery or the changes that occur after surgery. If you are suffering schizophrenia, you may also have issues post-op. This will likely show up in your medical history, but you'll be screened anyway. If you have bi-polar depression, you can have problem coping with this surgery and many of the anti-psych drugs used to treat bi-polar depression cause weight gain, and that would need to be taken into consideration. I am not sure that any of these issues alone will disqualify you from surgery, but you're going to need to show that you're conditions (if you have one) is well controlled for at least a year and that your treating physician believes you are psychological prepared to handle the stress of surgery and the changes that it may bring.

Aside from questions that are probing for the above issues, you'll be asked specific questions to determine whether you have considered the consequences of having this surgery and how it may effect your life. I would just answer these honestly. This is what I said in my interview (paraphrasing)

1. Why do want weight loss surgery? (asking to make sure you have realistic expectations and have a healthy outlook on this process)

I don't want to have weight loss surgery. I wish I didn't need it, but I do need this surgery to become a healthier person. The cosmetic benefits are secondary. If the surgery just made me a healthy person, but I stayed just as fat as I am now, that would be fine too. However, that's not the way it works and I need to lose this weight to be healthy. Being fat is one thing, being sick and dead is another entirely.

2. If that's the case, Have you Tried Dieting and Exercise to lose the Weight?

Absolutely, I have been dieting most of my adult life (or was between diets). i can lose weight, but keeping it off has been a problem. Most recently I went on a strict doctor supervised diet where I lost 40 pounds, but could never get below a certain point. I did everything by the book but just hit a plateau. After two months, it became frustrating and I started to slip. Within another 6 months, I gained back the 40 pounds I lost and then some. That's been the story of my life. Dieting and exercise just doesn't work for me or almost anyone that has more than 70 pounds to lose. That's not my opinion, that's what virtually every study shows.

3. Why do you think you gained this weight?

Everyone is going to have a different answer, but in my case I gained the weight a little at a time. I was thin as a kid. Even in my early 20's, I worked out every day and watched what I ate. I even had a six pack for a while. Once I started working, that disappeared. I started gaining a few pounds every year. Then I would diet to lose the weight and it would creep back on quickly after I fell off the diet horse (with a few extra for good luck!). I am now 44, so if you take a normal person my height with a normal weight at 24 and add 4 pounds a year on average you end up being me. It wasn't noticeable at first, but it sneaks up on you and suddenly you realize you're the fattest guy in the room. (obviously, this doesn't apply to everyone--but that's how it happened for me).

4. Can you commit to changing your lifestyle after this surgery?

Absolutely. It's not going to be easy. Nothing about this process is easy, but I either commit to change or I am going to have a very short life. I have two little girls and they need their daddy to walk them down the aisle when their time comes. I also need to do this for myself. I love being alive and I want to feel healthy again.

5. How does your family feel about you having this surgery?

My wife is nervous, but supportive. My mom is behind this 100% and my dad is very nervous about it, but he supports me too. I have told anyone else in my family. I think they would support me, but I just don't feel like they need to know at that point in time.

6. This type of surgery can change the way you feel about yourself and the people around you. How do you think it will effect your relationship with your wife?

I believe it will improve our relationship. My wife is a thin person, who watches what she eats. I know she loves me, but she's not happy that I am heavy and she is scared about the effects that being a diabetic may have for me. Being heavy (and diabetic) also can, in my case, cause sexual side effects for men and I think that losing the weight can only help me in that regard.

I think you get the picture. Don't lie, but they want to know that you understand what you're getting into and will be able to handle the difficulties and changes that come from surgery. Good luck!