Indiana psychologist Archives - Gale Forensic Psychology

Why do I need a Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?

June 18, 2020
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Why do I need a pre-surgical psychological evaluation?

Having surgery is never an easy undertaking. This is truer today due to the requirement of some patients needing pre-surgical psychological evaluation prior to any procedure considered crucial, including bariatric operations, amputation, or any type of transplant. One of the main reasons why is due to these can be high-priced surgeries for insurance companies, so the insurance wants to ensure the proper steps are taken. A patient that needs any type of major surgery usually needs to make life changes, as well as decrease the number of resources that they rely on. The process of evaluation involves an in-depth interview process, health background history, and monitoring. The pre-surgical evaluation is also used to discuss these important areas that may be of concern.

History of Mental Illness

If a patient does not have sufficient pre-surgical care for their mental illness, then a major surgery may be out of the question. Also, any type of procedure could easily spark their mental disorder whether it’s a mood swing or something more severe. Having patients fully educated with expectations will help prevent them from falling back into their old ways. This is why it is important to have psychological evaluations because a patient with an unstable mental capacity will not be an ideal choice to undergo a major operation.

Substance Abuse

If a patient has been abusing substances, then they will obviously not be the greatest choice to have surgery. An exception to this is only if they are under treatment for their abuse. As a patient is being evaluated during their pre-surgical evaluation, a motivational technique will be able to lead the sufferer on the road towards recovery.

Adhering to treatment involves many steps in order to be successful. Treatment might include changes in their lifestyle, adhering to proper medication use, and constant continued monitoring. It is important that a complete medical history is obtained that shows the patient complying with all required appointments, medicines, and any other relevant directions.

Overall Coping Abilities

Devise a way to discover if any resources have been used as part of their overall coping ability towards stress while giving a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. If it is discovered that the patient utilizes unsophisticated mechanisms for defense while undergoing stress, then it may show an underlying disorder that may disqualify them as a surgical patient.

These are just a few reasons on why some surgeries may need a psychological evaluation. Talk to your surgeon today to find out if one is needed for your surgery.

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Top ways to Manage and Reduce Stress

June 4, 2020
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Managing Stress

Living with high levels of stress may not only have an impact on your productivity at the workplace but also can contribute to mental illness. If stress keeps increasing, it puts a damper on your body and can weaken your immune system, making you unable to think clearly and hence depriving you of a happy mood. If the situation continues for an extended period of time, you are likely to fall into depression. There is definitely no gain to living in a stressful situation. Try to get control of your situation and manage your stress to make your life joyous again.

Top tips for managing stress

1. Find the source of your stressful situation

You will only be able to solve your problem if you understand its cause. Try to narrow down your habits and find the exact cause of your stress. You may be going through a divorce, getting pressure from your workplace or even finding a difficult time repaying your bank loan. Simply try to find the cause of the stress to help understand the appropriate solution to manage your stress.

2. Use the 4A’s techniques to manage your stress

The 4 A’s includes avoiding, alteration, adapting, and acceptance in an aim to get control of your stressful thoughts. You need to avoid unhealthy habits that are likely to increase stressful moments in your life, such as alcohol or drugs. Avoiding a stressful situation is not always possible, so learn to alter the situation if you find it hard to avoid it. You may change how you communicate with others or even try to create a balanced schedule for your day to day activities.

Adapt to your situation. Try to live positively and appreciate everything that you are able to do even if you are not perfect at it.

Convince yourself to accept the things that you can’t change on your own.

3. Exercise to relieve stress

Getting some sort of workout is among the best ways to keep your body active and free from distractions as well as keeping your mind relaxed to focus on positive thoughts. You may also consider taking a walk or even dancing around just to keep your body in motion.

At times you may find it challenging to take control of your stressful thoughts. However, these tips highlighted here should guide you through managing your stress to protect your mental health and live a happy life.

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Indiana Mental Health Disability Evaluation – Workers’ Comp

January 9, 2020
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Mental Health Disability Evaluations for Workers’ Comp

People file workers’ comp cases for all kinds of different reasons. And, one of the main things these cases must establish is that the person’s employment somehow led to, contributed to, or even caused the problems they are experiencing. Often, these problems are physical in nature, but they can also be psychological, or a combination of both. In any event, if psychological issues are at play, qualified psychological evaluations should be as well.

The Process of Psychological Evaluations for Indiana Mental Health Disability

In Indiana, psychological evaluations for workers’ comp cases are all handled in basically the same way.

A qualified psychologist, ideally one who is experienced with Indiana workers’ comp cases, will do the following in an effort to determine if the person’s employment led to their situation and, if so, to what degree:

Carefully interview the employee
Review medical records
Review work records
Interview co-workers (if applicable)
Interview supervisors
Perform psychological testing

In addition to a psychological evaluation, a mental health disability evaluation will also be performed. This process is much the same as the psychological evaluation. However, the goal of the mental health disability evaluation is to determine whether the person has mental health issues that prevent them from doing their job.

Indiana Mental Health Disability Evaluation for Workers’ Comp – Expect Resistance

While it would be nice if every Indiana workers’ comp case went without a hitch and people easily got the benefits to which they were entitled, this isn’t always the case. Unfortunately, most people, even after their mental health disability evaluation and following all of the required steps, will experience some pushback from their employers.

Most employers have insurance companies that will do everything they can to deny your claim and to prevent you from getting it. This might mean examining your Indiana and national criminal history, your credit, and even questioning your mental health and the validity of your mental health disability evaluation.

The key, though, is to stay strong and to not give up. If you have legal help on your side and are seeing a qualified psychologist, there’s a great chance your claim will be approved and that you’ll get the benefits you deserve.

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