Before you qualify for bariatric surgery, you will need to go through a psychological evaluation. Although the evaluation can seem like another bump in the road to surgery, this evaluation is imperative to determine problems that might hinder your success.
Addictive Behaviors
Many people who are significantly overweight also struggle with food addiction. When the ability to consume any food of your choosing is reduced, it may trigger problems after surgery. Depending on the severity of food addiction, you may be at an increased risk of complications shortly after surgery. Since your reduced stomach is in the healing process, overeating at this point will cause vomiting, or in severe cases, your stomach could rupture. Once the stomach has healed, vomiting will still be a concern if you overeat, but people who are food addicts may find a way around this, by grazing throughout the day, leading to reduced weight loss or gaining the weight back. Another concern if you have a food addiction is you may feed your addiction in other ways. Sometimes, when people can no longer eat as they want, they may turn to alcohol or other substances.
Unrealistic Expectations
Unrealistic expectations, both in terms of what the surgery can do and the amount of weight you believe you will lose, are disastrous. A major misconception about bariatric surgery is that it is the solution to obesity. Much like an eating plan or exercise regimen, it is just another tool that can promote weight loss, if you use it correctly. The months following bariatric surgery are often the "honeymoon phase," where the weight seems to drop off without much effort.
Eventually, your stomach will be less sensitive to different foods, and you will find you can consume more. Old issues, such as eating unhealthy foods or overeating begin to resurface, and it takes effort to stay on track. Being unrealistic about how much weight you will lose and how fast you will lose weight is equally detrimental. You also need to be realistic about what your body will look like in the future. Stretch marks and excess skin do not disappear, and some people face new challenges accepting their smaller, but imperfect body.
Social Issues
Your support system or lack of support can be a challenge before and after bariatric surgery. One concern is enablers in your life. There may be people around you who provide unhealthy foods that helped you reach your current weight. This is a touchy subject because many enablers have to deal with anger or a hostile environment if they refuse a request. You have to also take responsibility for your actions. If the people around you are eating unhealthy food, it does not mean you have to eat the same food. Additionally, if your friends and family decline your request for an unhealthy food, you are responsible for how you respond.
Other social issues can be the underlying reason for having bariatric surgery. Some people feel weight loss would help them fix a relationship. Losing weight to appease others or because you think it would make you more desirable never works, and often leads to more insecurity about the true reason people want to be with you.
The psychology behind choosing bariatric surgery might be more important than the surgery itself. There are several psychological variables that can make or break your success. For more information, contact a company like Carewright Clinical Services.
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