[Gentle Lamb]

Just a few days ago I admitted that I had manipulated the 400+ pysch test to avoid being labeled psychotic or worse. OK. Now that I did that, admitted that 'I Lied', what is a person to do?

I manipulated it too! Just enough to make me look crazy-but not too crazy. When they asked if I thought I was posessed by evil spirits, I said no.

But why did you tell them? Had a diagnosis come into question as the result of your score? Or were they just messin with you? Or did you just freak out and tell the the truth because you were concerned about what your bogus score might reveal?

Please let me know-I might run into the same situation!

[ifst5]

I'm not sure i understand - were you forced to take this test or do you feel that getting a certain diagnosis won't help you in your situation? What have your care providers said so far and who else can you speak too if you can't trust them? There are advocacy agencies and complaints procedures if it's difficult finding an adequate solution to the problem by yourself. All the best.

[Gentle Lamb]

Originally Posted by Tea&Sympathy

I manipulated it too! Just enough to make me look crazy-but not too crazy. When they asked if I thought I was posessed by evil spirits, I said no.

But why did you tell them? Had a diagnosis come into question as the result of your score? Or were they just messin with you? Or did you just freak out and tell the the truth because you were concerned about what your bogus score might reveal?

Please let me know-I might run into the same situation!

But why did you tell them? I didn't tell the psych doc, only my hubby and a friend.

[Gentle Lamb]

Originally Posted by ifst5

I'm not sure i understand - were you forced to take this test or do you feel that getting a certain diagnosis won't help you in your situation? What have your care providers said so far and who else can you speak too if you can't trust them? There are advocacy agencies and complaints procedures if it's difficult finding an adequate solution to the problem by yourself. All the best.

No I was not forced, I am just very fearful of their power of the authority that they have. Before I learned that I simply did not understand the questions and how to answer them, I just put down anyway when I was stumped. That resulted in their telling me that I was bipolar! It never occurred to them that I really have a intellectual problem in questions of any kind. Then just assumed that I answered correctly. I have the same kind of problem with math and anything to do with numbers.

Well after a period of time(years), I learned that I need to take time on tests and think about the question before answering it, BUT they do not want you to think about them, NO just give the first thought that comes to mind! Then later on in the test they flip the questions, which tricks the mind! I never do well with any kind of trickery like that, it is meant to get me to say the opposit of what I said earilr in the test! I believe that is wrong!!!

[Jolisse]

I thought psych tests had a built in lie factor?

[(JD)]

Which test? (Not familiar with a "400+" test.)

But any test worth it's salt has validity factors built into it. You may have made your case worse while trying to fake it...but I suspect it has you figured out anyway. One of the validity factors, for example, may have been:

Defensiveness Scale (K): A very subtle scale used to pick out respondent's tendency to fake on the test in order to make themselves look better. While the Lie Scale and the Defensiveness Scale seem similar, the Defensiveness Scale focuses on lies due to "defensiveness in admitting problems" (Trull, 2005), and is done extremely subtly; whereas the lie scale detects simple lies meant to cast a better light on oneself.

[Secretum]

I thought psych tests had a built in lie factor?

Most do have questions designed to catch "liars", people who are faking good (making themselves seem less sick) or faking bad (making themselves look worse).

[risenfrominsanity]

I think it is better to let them figure it out. I was treated for depression early on. Opps I forgot to mention I heard a voice (God) and periodically thought I was the second coming of Jesus. They didn't ask and I was not sure what to say and really didn't want a label.
The problem is my life got worse instead of better and ended up hospitalized. If I would have been honest then I might have gotten better treatment to start with. Either way I am happy with my life because the right meds have given me the ability to cope. Psychosis was my escape and now most of the time I don't want it. Don't get me wrong I have my moments. But they are far more fewer and further between. For the first time in my life my thoughts, wants and desires are consistant and don't change with the wind.

[SnakeCharmer]

It sounds like you may have taken an MMPI-2 or similar test. I don't think you cheated or manipulated the test by stopping to think about your answers or even by trying to paint yourself in a better light.

They expect people to think about the answers. But some people over-think, getting all tied up in knots and upset trying to answer just right. That's what they want people to avoid. Maybe you took the directions about not thinking a little bit too literally the last time and your answers were so random you sounded like your mood was wildly swinging during the test.

If all you did this time was take time to consider the questions in a way that's most effective for your learning style, then you did not manipulate or cheat. And if you tried to sway the test a certain way to make yourself look better, it's no big deal. The test takes that into consideration.

[Gentle Lamb]

Wow Guys, your answers really make sense and I can hear what you are saying pretty clear. Yes, I did take it way too seriously, because i believed that they were going find something really bad about me. I was so... badly stressed by this that I was quite literally tied up in knots, my muscles in my neck and back were all cramped up and I was exhausted when I was done! All because I was afraid of them!

I was subjected to alot of twisted thinking by a certain group of people that has had a powerful influence on my mind regarding Psych Docs, Psychology and Psychiatry. Much of their beliefs are that these Doctors are evil and use evil methods to control and manipulate weak people. It was a cult and I didn't know it until recently, yes I have escaped it, but their teachings still control me. Fear, suspicion, guilt,shame, condemnation etc Control!

[glok]

guilt,shame, condemnation etc Control!

My question are: Would your life be better if this issues were dealt with? If so, how does not being forthright and open with your treatment team help them help you deal with them?

If this is the MMPI, it's a bit difficult to "cheat" or "manipulate" that particular one and it sounds like that may have been the test.

Thats trippy.

What I did was stick closely to the truth but lied here and there to make myself look worse than I am. It doesn't have anything to do with treatment-I'm in charge of my own treatment. I only take about half of what I am prescribed and it's working very well for me.

My objective to speed up the benefits my country owes me as a result of my injuries while in the service.

[Gentle Lamb]

Originally Posted by glok

My question are: Would your life be better if this issues were dealt with? If so, how does not being forthright and open with your treatment team help them help you deal with them?

That makes sense, thanks for speaking straight with me.

[Gentle Lamb]

Frankly, it never occured to me that I was messing things up for me, never even entered my mind.

[Gentle Lamb]

Originally Posted by JosieTheGirl

If this is the MMPI, it's a bit difficult to "cheat" or "manipulate" that particular one and it sounds like that may have been the test.

No that test I took was on paper, it had several answers to choose from, then you mark that answer by using a pencil to darken your choice.

Originally Posted by FrappenFreaky

No that test I took was on paper, it had several answers to choose from, then you mark that answer by using a pencil to darken your choice.

Yep.

The MMPI has a long and short form, and actually has a few different versions [I can remember which version/revision it is on at this point]. It is administered, generally, with pencil/paper.

[Gentle Lamb]

Should I admit this to my PDOC?

If you really want good care, being honest with your pdoc and therapist really is a must. Otherwise, they are working off of incomplete information or totally incorrect information.

[thickntired]

I always thought the funny question was do you hear voices coming from your TV set? Well, yeah if I'm watching Oprah.

[Perna]

I think most of the better tests have the same question asked multiple ways/times and it's almost impossible to remember where you are in that maze The questions are usually about our perceptions so "cheating" doesn't really do much for us as we still know. I had a lot of problems with some of the questions, themselves, like "I loved my father" -- past-tense when he was still alive? A lot of over analyzing when I could not possibly know why they asked particular questions, what it would mean to them.

[Restin]

I think somebody must be pretty intelligent to manipulate a psych test.
Let's just say the designers of the test aren't very smart to let be manipulate-able. So, go for it, as you really should get what you need from the system and maybe that's the best way. If you do want therapy, the T will probably feel it's good to work with someone who can think things through pretty well.
P.S. I've done it too. They really do seem to think we can't see what's going on.