Well, howdy there, y’all! Let’s talk about somethin’ called “bariatric psychological evaluation near me.” Now, don’t go gettin’ all flustered, it ain’t as scary as it sounds. It’s just a fancy way of sayin’ they wanna check your head before they go messin’ with your belly.
You see, bariatric surgery, that’s the weight loss surgery, it’s a big deal. It ain’t like gettin’ a tooth pulled. It changes your whole life, what you eat, how you move, even how you think about food. So, the doctors, they wanna make sure you’re ready for all that. They don’t want you goin’ under the knife if you ain’t gonna be able to handle the changes.
So, what do they do in this “psychological evaluation”? Well, they talk to you. They ask you questions, like, are you sad all the time? That’s what they call “depression.” Or do you get all worked up and worried? That’s “anxiety.” They wanna know if you got any crazy thoughts, hearin’ voices or seein’ things that ain’t there, that’s “psychosis“. They even ask if you’ve ever thought about hurtin’ yourself, that’s “suicidal ideation,” real serious stuff.
And it ain’t just about your head right now. They wanna know your past too. Have you ever had problems with drinkin’ too much or takin’ drugs? That’s “substance abuse”. Did someone ever hurt you real bad, maybe when you were a kid? That’s “history of abuse“. And they ask about your family, did your mama or daddy have any problems with their thinkin’? That’s “family history of mental health issues“. They even wanna know if you’ve ever seen a shrink before, that’s “treatment experiences“.
- They check if you’re sad all the time (depression).
- They check if you’re worried all the time (anxiety).
- They check if you have crazy thoughts (psychosis).
- They check if you’ve ever thought of hurting yourself (suicidal ideation).
- They check if you’ve had problems with drinking or drugs (substance abuse).
- They check if anyone has ever hurt you real bad (history of abuse).
- They check if your family had mental health problems (family history of mental health issues).
- They check if you’ve seen a shrink before (treatment experiences).
Then they give you a little test, a “Mini-Mental Status Examination“. Don’t worry, it ain’t like a school test. They just ask you some simple questions to see if your brain’s workin’ right, like what day it is and where you are. Just common sense stuff.
Now, why do they do all this? Well, they wanna find your “strengths” and “weaknesses“. They wanna see if you’re tough enough to handle the big changes that come with the surgery. See, after the surgery, you gotta eat different, you gotta exercise, and you gotta deal with all the changes in your body. It ain’t easy. And if you ain’t strong in the head, you might have a hard time.
Most times, the bariatric surgeons, the ones who do the cuttin’, and the health insurance folks, the ones who pay for it, they won’t even let you have the surgery unless you get this head check. They wanna make sure you ain’t gonna go crazy after they fix your belly. They say it’s important to know if you are “emotionally and psychologically prepared” for the big life changes, especially the “significant lifestyle changes” that come with the surgery, such as “changes to your diet”.
This whole head-checkin’ thing, it’s all about helpin’ you. They wanna make sure you’re gonna be okay. They don’t wanna just fix your belly and then leave you to fend for yourself. They wanna give you the “support you need“. They want to help you “explore your strengths and limitations” you possess related to “coping with the surgery” and the important “post surgery period“.
And it ain’t just any ol’ head doctor doin’ this. They got folks who know all about weight loss surgery. They follow these rules, like the “American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons guidelines.” These folks are the experts; they know what they’re doin’.
So, if you’re thinkin’ about gettin’ that weight loss surgery, or maybe you’ve already decided to do it, don’t go gettin’ all skittish about this head-checkin’ thing. It’s just part of the process, and it’s there to help you. It’s there to help make sure you are prepared for what’s coming, “weight loss procedure”. Think of it as gettin’ your mind ready for the big game, just like you’d get your body ready. It’s all for the best, ya hear?
