I am a little anxious about my appt with a psychologist and I'm curious what kind of questions they will ask me it's a two hour appt so I'm sure there will be questions about my relationship to food , my younger years , can you help me understand what I'm ùp against I really don't want to get blind sided what was it like for you when you had your appt I am just going to tell the doc I'm nervous and maybe that will help me not be so anxious is you can offer some input that would be great for bless and take care

Coop

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It really depends on the type of appointment it is. So mine was in two parts. 1st was with a psychologist. In that appointment they just asked me questions about my life, how i do with food. If when i eat snacks like say gold fish, Do i take the entire container to my room or do i pour some in a cup and leave the container, Also about my activity level. What do i do all day, sitting around, walking, also ask about my support system. The 2nd part was a 700 question exam on a computer. That took me about 2 hours or so. Its basic questions asking the same thing over and over in different ways. Making sure you are not suicidal or have any mental issues.

My appointment only took about 15 minutes. It seemed like after he realized that I do have a mental illness but I am aware of it and in treatment with someone else he could check that box more easily. To be honest he didn’t ask me much about my relationship with food either. Although they are supposed to make sure you do not have any untreated mental illness or food addictions. The worst thing that will happen is that they say they want to see you back a few times before they sign off on your surgery. I think it is very rare that they would flat out deny you. My advice is to try to relax and just be honest. If they feel you need a few sessions to work out your issues with food or whatever it is for your own good. Dealing with any issues they find will only make you more successful when you do have your surgery.

My nerves got to me as well but the psych was very easy going & understanding. If you are seeing someone who is used to doing this kind of examination, then they will most likely be aware of your uneasiness. Mine was also a 1 hour appointment where they asked about my relationship with food, how my current situation is as well as my childhood. They are checking to see if you have a history of mental illness to see how you deal with stressful situations & how you will be able to handle them going forward. Since some people handle stress by eating. After my one-on-one with the psych, they also sent me a questionnaire that I had to complete which was similar to that mentioned above. A lot of the same questions but phrased or worded differently. Ultimately, after working myself up, there was really nothing to be nervous about. You got this.

My eval was probably 30-45 mins long. I was asked questions about why I felt I overeat and I just explained how my childhood was no real set points on how much we should eat etc. I told her I just ate to eat no real reason other than I liked food. My psch eval was pretty low key nothing hard to answer

I was a little worried about mine as well, but the doctor just asked some general life questions. Some questions about life history and about the anxiety I have. Once we discussed how my anxiety is being controlled and what my goals were. After that he assured me that things would be great and was super supportive.

Pro tip: just tell the truth, what you are honestly feeling, etc. Do this and you will get the right help YOU need.

I was super nervous as well. The psychologist asked me questions about being overweight, how long have I struggled with my weight, what are my eating patterns, and what is my activity level. Then he asked me about bariatric surgery, why I think it’s a good option, what kind of support system do I have at home and what are my expectations and goals. I took the MMPI test and a psychological evaluation exam online about a week later. Then I met with the psychologist a second time to discuss my test results. Then he approved me for surgery at the end of the appointment.

I got more questions doing a survey from my bank. I answered some basic questions. Family history etc My expectations for the weight loss. My concerns or fears of surgery or not being able to eat. If had support system and other surgeries etc that was that. 45 min of small talk. Don’t worry - they are more concerned of your attitude about a major surgery. Everyone is nervous.

I was also very nervous. I thought I’d be red-flagged as crazy. It wasn’t anything like I expected. Very low-key such as @grider described above. Afterwards I thought Is that all there is to a psych eval?

They only want to make sure you won’t go screaming out the surgery room when you have the cup put over your mouth. Or really have issues of depression etc where could not handle a major surgery that is life changing.

I first want to say that i noticed a few of you mentioned about mental illness in that the doc might be looking for this , well i have a mental illness i have bipolar PTSD and depression ( i am on meds ) i see a psychiatrist and i am in therapy and i have been seeing her for the last 9 years so i guess my next question will this stop me from having surgery or delay it ? I would greatly appreciate it if i could get some feedback , thank you in advance.

Coop

Edited May 11, 20224 yr by thinblueline

7 minutes ago, thinblueline said:

I first want to say that i noticed a few of you mentioned about mental illness in that the doc might be looking for this , well i have a mental illness i have bipolar PTSD and depression ( i am on meds ) i see a psychiatrist and i am in therapy and i have been seeing her for the last 9 years so i guess my next question will this stop me from having surgery or delay it ? I would greatly appreciate it if i could get some feedback , thank you in advance.

Coop

Absolutely not. As long as you are stable it will not be an issue. They are looking for undiagnosed or untreated mental illness.

Shoppgrl , Thank you for being so prompt i am relieved it's a non issue because my quality of life is down to a stand still i mean i can get around but clothes either don't fit me and i go shopping and i cant find anything that fits its so frustrating i have to either wear shorts or sweatpants forget about jeans that is out of the question anyway i don't mean to babble, i am having the gastric sleeve i cant wait to get my life back its so amazing how the weight just creeps up on you and youre 296 lbs i have never been this heavy and its scares me i cannot weight for the surgery date and i know its all a process but i hate to wait , how are things going with you i see you pretty much reached your goal weight that awesome , good for you, i hope to hear back from you with some advice if you wouldn't mind i would appreciate it.

Coop

24 minutes ago, thinblueline said:

I first want to say that i noticed a few of you mentioned about mental illness in that the doc might be looking for this , well i have a mental illness i have bipolar PTSD and depression ( i am on meds ) i see a psychiatrist and i am in therapy and i have been seeing her for the last 9 years so i guess my next question will this stop me from having surgery or delay it ? I would greatly appreciate it if i could get some feedback , thank you in advance.

Coop

Definitely not. I've been seeing a therapist regularly for the past 6 years. The psych I saw for my evaluation did recommend that I get a letter from my therapist saying that she supported my journey for surgery & that she would continue to act as part of my support system going forward. It's not a requirement he said, but the larger support system is beneficial.

1 minute ago, thinblueline said:

Shoppgrl , Thank you for being so prompt i am relieved it's a non issue because my quality of life is down to a stand still i mean i can get around but clothes either don't fit me and i go shopping and i cant find anything that fits its so frustrating i have to either wear shorts or sweatpants forget about jeans that is out of the question anyway i don't mean to babble, i am having the gastric sleeve i cant wait to get my life back its so amazing how the weight just creeps up on you and youre 296 lbs i have never been this heavy and its scares me i cannot weight for the surgery date and i know its all a process but i hate to wait , how are things going with you i see you pretty much reached your goal weight that awesome , good for you, i hope to hear back from you with some advice if you wouldn't mind i would appreciate it.

Coop

I did reach my goal weight but one bit of advice I am uniquely qualified to offer is about goal weight. I have bipolar disorder as well and statistically those with bipolar do not always lose AS MUCH weight as those who don’t have it. My nurse practitioner said she is guessing it’s between the meds and the depression we are just up against more struggles. Anyways, you may have noticed that my goal weight is a little higher than some. I am still trying to lose a little more but I set my first goal a little higher because I wanted to set myself up for success. The 180 weight is one that I remembered attaining before on diets and I knew it was a weight in which I felt good about myself and wanted to go out and do things. A weight where I could easily find clothes and I felt comfortable in them. There have been others with bipolar disorder that I have noticed on here who have set their goals lower and some who have reached them already so it is possible but For me I set my mind that if I got to 180 I would consider the surgery a success and I think that has helped me to not feel like a failure for not reaching a less realistic goal. If that makes sense.