[SevenMile]

I didn't know where else to put this, as it could cover a range of topics. This seemed like the perfect place.

I have a question about some testing I recently had done and what it could possibly mean. First, I know that many people believe that not a lot of emphasis should be placed on IQ tests. I personally believe intelligence is a much more abstract concept that is difficult to measure solely by available assessments.

That being said, I am somewhat confused by the results of a recent IQ test. I was sent by the psychologist I'm currently seeing to a neuropsychologist to be assessed. He did a multitude of tests, including the WAIS-III, and I recently got the results back. According to the results, my full scale IQ was 140, my verbal IQ (VIQ) was 124, and my performance IQ (PIQ) was 150. Now, based on my own knowledge of these tests as a psychology student I know that the difference between my VIQ and PIQ are considered statistically significant. But when I tried to research what could cause a higher PIQ in relation to the VIQ I'm seeing things such as learning disabilities, psychopathology and sociopathology, autism spectrum disorders, and left hemisphere brain damage. None of these things they've ever found with me. In fact, considering my diagnoses (depression, PTSD, dissociative disorder) the research I'm reading says one would expect my VIQ to be higher but that was not the case.

Anyone have any ideas what these discrepancies could mean? Am I missing something?

[Open Eyes]

Well, as a student you are now learning something that maybe these tests only are addressing many different possibles and cannot be attributed or a way to just specify one abnormality.

You have also discussed the disagnosis that you have been given as being PTSD along with other disorders that most likely came from the PTSD or actually the abusive or tramatic occurances that lead to the diagnosis of PTSD.

So what you may be seeing is one way this specific group of tests can show some kind of disablity that comes from the condition called PTSD.
As a student you must realize the effects that childhood abuse or trauma can have on the abilities of the brain learning in a normal way. Depending on the abuse/trauma and age of the victim there are various coping methods that arise, even future inabilities to deal with situations in a somewhat normal process are infact effected.

Perhaps you can look at it as a similarity that may occur in other learning disabilities. Even different learning disabilites can produce difficulty in the process of relating to issues later on in life. As those with learning disabilities are treated differently growing up and sometimes are even themselves traumatized in certain ways for having a learning disability.

I don't think there is any absolute here within these tests. Now I also have PTSD but I do not have the same disorders as you. I am considered very intelligent but I do know that I did not grow up being able to apply this intelligence in a normal way. Who knows what my scores on those tests would be or if they would even be an accurate way to diagnose me. Now my daugther has dislexia that possibly be carried by not only my husband (who also has dislexia)
but by my side of the genetic picture (brother had possible ADHD however there are many extremely intelligent gifted ancestors in my genetic background). My daughter was not abused and she is considered extremely intelligent inspite of her disability. My daughter has a much better way of dealing with and managing life issues in relations and abilities in spite of her dislexia and has made great progress in acomplishments and compensating for her dislexia.

To be honest, I don't think we can really generalize it as it really depends on the individual experiences and conditions that result in PTSD. I certainly wouldn't let it upset you and go looking for some other issue that does not really exist in you. In fact you do have to consider that PTSD vicitims are really very confused already about themselves and often are not only misunderstood by others but even by themselves.

I really think that you need to consult with a professional that can direct you to better understanding what this really means. There may be some kind of learning disability present as well, which would be good to know but don't let yourself do a self diagnosis based on those tests.

To give you and example. My brother was the vicitim of abuse in many ways. I really believe that he did have ADHD to start that went undiagnosed at the time, as back then it was not recognized. So he did express behaviors that were addressed by punishments from not only his parents but by other students and even his teachers. Now he has three children that have learning disabilities dislexia, ADHD, or even ADD.

So here is that other element that I was trying to describe. Yes there can also be a learning disability present along with the PTSD. But, those tests may not really be accurate in that as in my bothers case he was abused as well so now it is more complex than trying to base those tests and seeing brain damage or Autisum or not.

No, there are just too many variables to consider. So you have to relax and not jump to conclusions. You really have to make sure that you are consulting someone with a much better knowlege in what these tests are.
Personally, I don't think that they are going to be a real means to and end or true diagnosis. I would think that you would have to just consider your scores and go from there but you really have to consider that there are in fact many different variables.

I do hope you do continue to see a therapist. I know you are studying psycology but make sure you keep yourself in check.

Open Eyes

[Open Eyes]

I was thinking more about your question. I wonder if the disassociative disorder is similar to a spectrum of Autism as many of them behave like that. Now I am not saying that you are autistic, could be a possiblity or just a similarity, hmm I wonder.

I think that it is good that you are a psycology student. But I hope that you will not let the self defeating attitudes that can come from PTSD get in your way. Maybe if you make sure to keep a journal with your own history and look at it in a completely objective way. That is what I do, only I don't really have a journal but I do a lot of the why research. I don't blame myself for my past. I really look at it objectively.
I only look for the profiles of the abusers and the whole family dimention and how I reacted and all the different behaviors, especially what was behind it. That is really important, not just the abuse but the why behind it.

That is what PTSD victims don't get sometimes. They just look at the abuse but not the real profile of the abuser. See I did that and it helps alot. Because now I can track my own reactions and address the reasons why I do the things I do today. There is not a blame thing, guilt thing now for me. The only thing that we can really change is how we can see now and concentrate on our own behavior patterns. And when we look back at our own actions and forms of addressing or reacting to the abuse, well we can see the many whys of what we are today and we can work on it.

That is what I meant by keeping in check Sevenmile. You have to make sure that you don't let the PTSD get in the way. You have to make sure your not trying to fit something to blame yourself with or add more scare etc. You have to be very objective and make sure you stay with that by asking questions and not just adding un-needed concern.

I hope that helps, I would like to know what you find out. You got my number so to speak now. My number is easy to remember Open Eyes

[Open Eyes]

Back again,

I was thinking more, I love puzzles, or my brain does or something in my genetics does. LOL

I have a possible idea about that result that is confusing you. I think that it is picking up the DID. Now I wouldnt worry about that or look at it as a brain damage thing, please don't go there. And I have given some thought to the DID disorder and also how it connects to PTSD and it may even connect to other disorders in a way. I am sorry but I am interrupting a thread on discussing the need to be alone, which can be a form of DID but not really diagnosed as such. It could be just in a spectrum of that.

I also noticed that I do have a type of interruption that I noticed more at PC. I have a tendency to leave out words. Well, growing up, I was constantly interrupted by my father every time I spoke. He did mean well and his intention was to encourage my word usage and speak better english but it caused more harm than good as he just kept interrupting my thought word process while growing up. It did take me a long time to get over that, but I did.

The other thing I noticed is that I do live with two dislexics and I am a constant dictionary and spelling corrector. Well, I see that too when I write, I somehow picked some of that up.

But, I wanted you to see that a brain can pick up some bad habits that we may not be aware of. But I also wanted you to think about when someone studders. Often, this can just somehow develope as an interrupted speach pattern, yet we can resolve it to a normal speach pattern with time and guidance. When someone has this problem they do it more under stress. And they can even revert back to it under stress.
So, it is always there on some level. But it can be changed, our brains can be retrained.

I am a strong believer in the ability of the brain to learn to overcome many things. But I think that it is necessary to become aware of how it developed and get guidance in how to correct it on a conscious level.
I think cognitive therapy can go along way someday in different areas.

This is why I also think that you should keep a journal for yourself as you study psychology. I also think that it is important for you to track all your moods and reactions to whatever you learn. Try to think of it this way, you are on that yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz and there will be things that you come across that may seem scary, take for example the lion. The lion popped out and others were frightened and then they learned that the lion was not as scary as they thought. Given your PTSD you have to think about that and that will help you keep in check.

Sometimes it is actually those that have it that can better describe how it feels and what needs to come next. But you have to keep yourself in check and may need a therapist to help. I do not believe that people lack in intelligence with different disorders. And in fact, that is why they often struggle. I also think that it is also how they can overcome if they get the right guidance. Just because we have some kind of inablility, it doesn't always mean that we cannot overcome it.

Open Eyes