Mental Health

I think I may need to deal with psychological issues behind my eating habits and weight gain and I don't know who to talk to. Is there a "type" of therapist that deals with WLS patients? I live in a small town and traveling out of town for the surgery. Not sure many therapists here have dealth with WLS, especially those on my insurance plan. Would anyone recommend OA (Overeaters Annonymous)? Has anyone had success with behavior modification therapies or OA?

 Talk to your primary care physician and ask for a reference.

You should call your Insurance company and ask for providers that treat addiction. I have found that there are not many therapists that deal with WLS in itself or eating disorders and my Insurance network is fairly large. Any program is a help but I would go for the one on one myself.Good luck!!

I live in Wichita, Ks and was able to find a psychologist that specializes in weight loss surgery and eating disorders.  If you had to do a psyche eval before surgery they may specialize i food issues as well.

I have been in and out of OA most of my adult life. It did not solve all my problems with food (otherwise, why would I be pursuing VSG?) but it was a god-send in many respects. When I was 26, I lost an maintained about a 100 pound weight loss for 7 years, and it kept me from staying at my all-time high weight. It isn't for everyone - the meetings are about the 12-step program and not specifically about eating - but try 6 meetings (different ones, if possible) and see if there's anything there for you. I think it is a fantastic program, even if it doesn't fix everything.