Perhaps I am venting somewhat, but it isn't my primary purpose in posting. I have said nothing to the psychologist ordering the tests with unsatisfactory results, and I have said something with unsatisfactory results, and then I went full disclosure with unsatisfactory results. My primary purpose in posting this question is to determine if there is any way that I can achieve satisfactory results.

First, thanks for the support. Second, yes - absolutely I demonstrated that I could manipulate the test results. Isn't that relevant? I mean, the fact that I can manipulate the test results but refuse to do so (except in a demonstration in which I am proving that claim) should, I would think, mean something to someone other than just me. There are three important facts here to my mind:

1. A test result which determines that I am a liar will hurt my chances of survival.
2. I continually return test results that say I am a liar.
3. I can, and have, demonstrated that I can make the test return a result that says I am not a liar.

With those three facts in mind, it seems overwhelmingly obvious that one of two things is happening:

1. I am being honest on the test and the validity indices are returning an erroneous result.
or
2. I want to hurt my chances of survival.

Either way, I need help and that help is not going to come in the form of testing me again.

If I took any pleasure in his reaction, it was short lived. I don't actually recall feeling pleasure at his being floored, but I can imagine that I might have been as his being floored illustrated that I made my point. Making my point meant that I was heard - that I effectively communicated what they have refused to hear from me any other way. However, he took that information and decided that I couldn't be trusted instead.

Look, I get that I shot myself in the foot. If I had to do it over again, I would do it differently. Given another chance I'd like to think that I would answer however I needed to in order to get the help I need and to hell with trying to be open with them. But I don't know if I would; I've got this real visceral reaction to lying or misrepresenting myself.

But really, answering honestly gets the tests thrown out and me branded a liar - which shoots me in the foot. This might have been a bad choice but there's that whole thing about doing the same thing over and over expecting different results - I was trying to do something different, and this was the only thing I could think of. If you can think of another option, I'd be grateful if you'd share it. (Another option besides, don't tell them and get the test invalidated or convince them and have this happen)

The last psychologist I saw was a thirty minute meeting with a fellow hired by Social Security. Here's an example of my thinking:

Dr. "Can you tell me the last five presidents?"
Me: "Of the United States?"
Dr. "Yes."
Me: "Does last include current?"
Dr. "Excuse me?"
Me: "If you asked me what I've done the last five mornings, you probably wouldn't expect me to start with, 'I talked to you', you'd probably want me to start with the 'last' morning not including this one."
Dr. "Oh, sure. Yes, by inauguration."
Me: "Trump, Obama, Obama..."
Dr. "Okay, not by inauguration...last five individuals who were President of the United States, starting with the current one."

You're right, I don't get to choose the test format, but the questions are often asked so sloppily that I simply can't answer them. Which leaves me with two choices - guess or leave blank. Depending on the psychologist, test results (on the MMPI-2 - different tests have different cut offs) that have between ten and thirty questions blank that the subject could not answer, are considered invalid.

Frankly, I'm starting to think of ways I can manipulate future tests honestly. For instance, one of the questions that gets me in trouble is "Sometimes in elections, I vote for people about whom I know very little." Now, seeing as I have never voted, the answer to this question for me is false. But! I could register to vote and go vote once and simply vote for people I've never heard of before. Then I could answer 'true' for the next time.

I don't get irritable when I'm not well. Apparently everyone else does. I could begin to be more socially acceptable and demonstrate irritability when I am not feeling well. It would be an act, but the question doesn't specify whether you are acting or not - just do you get irritable. Anyway, that kind of manipulation - it's the only other thing I can think of.