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AnaWhitney
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Default May 27, 2023 at 06:00 PM
  #1
Advice wanted!
So I had a psychiatric evaluation, I was asked a lot of questions. I was not comfortable with the doctor at all but told myself to just go through the process as it’s not like I’ll have to see this person regularly and it will help my T know how to help me.
I answered everything as best as I could. I just told one mistruth when asked about ‘abuse’, I said no (I just panicked as I did not want to get into it with this doctor) A few questions later she asked how my sex life was and I sort of shut down because I’m weird about it and have never been able to engage in anything like that -my only experiences are CSA and I’ve never got over it) And since I panicked and said No to that question, I didn’t know how to explain so I looked away and finally managed a ‘does it matter?’ And she gave an abrupt ‘Yes!!’ And prompted me for an answer at which point I’m sure I dissociated. She said ‘Ok so I’ll take it you’ve never….?’ And I don’t even remember how I got out of it but I think the questions moved on when I didn’t engage
Anyway I know I was being unhelpful and stupid but I just wasn’t expecting that question. Why in the world would she need to know that? And what would have happened if I gave the correct answer (you know since it was supposedly so important)
And how the heck does everyone else cope with these sort of questions from someone who they aren’t even comfortable with? I feel like I totally failed to give the correct information about myself but I just couldn’t 🙈🙈
I wish I could talk to my T about it, but the shame will probably swallow me whole. I just want to know if I messed up the evaluation or if it even matters?
Any ideas welcome and needed ❤️
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Default May 27, 2023 at 06:22 PM
  #2
Not great at this kind of advice but, hey, you are paying her so try not feel like you have to perform/be what she expects. Perhaps just think about why her questions made you feel that way. In real life, we don't talk about these things much--the sort of friend we might is sort of few and far between and only in certain moments. So the whole therapy thing can be awkward and, also, sometimes we just don't mesh conversationally with everyone.
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Default May 27, 2023 at 07:59 PM
  #3
Questions:
1. Why are you having a psych eval? For a diagnosis? Insurance? For meditations? For a program?
If for medications, it's best to answer as truthfully as possible so you get a correct diagnosis. Medications differ for different diagnoses.
2. Why can't your T do an eval?
Last time I was generally diagnosed, I had both my pdoc and T at the time do it. And L and previous pdoc both diagnosed me with PTSD. I would rather have people I trust diagnosis me.

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Default May 28, 2023 at 01:09 AM
  #4
I would say given the subject then yes it definitely matters tha you didn't disclose the abuse. They will be used to people dissociating from trauma tho, if possible tell whoever it is that you struggled in the evaluation and need to do it again or make changes to your answers.
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Default May 28, 2023 at 01:53 AM
  #5
I got the evaluation as my T recommended it for a diagnosis. I have this sense of me just never making sense / being understandable to anyone and she always says we just need more help before it all makes sense. So that was the idea
Not sure how it is in other countries but here a T can’t diagnose so that why she couldn’t evaluate me.
I don’t feel like I can ring this person back up and say that I answered incorrectly, but If I did would it even make a difference? She wasn’t able to do anything for me, said there was no diagnosis and referred me for other types of tests.
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Default May 28, 2023 at 09:54 AM
  #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnaWhitney View Post
Advice wanted!
So I had a psychiatric evaluation, I was asked a lot of questions. I was not comfortable with the doctor at all but told myself to just go through the process as it’s not like I’ll have to see this person regularly and it will help my T know how to help me.
I answered everything as best as I could. I just told one mistruth when asked about ‘abuse’, I said no (I just panicked as I did not want to get into it with this doctor) A few questions later she asked how my sex life was and I sort of shut down because I’m weird about it and have never been able to engage in anything like that -my only experiences are CSA and I’ve never got over it) And since I panicked and said No to that question, I didn’t know how to explain so I looked away and finally managed a ‘does it matter?’ And she gave an abrupt ‘Yes!!’ And prompted me for an answer at which point I’m sure I dissociated. She said ‘Ok so I’ll take it you’ve never….?’ And I don’t even remember how I got out of it but I think the questions moved on when I didn’t engage
Anyway I know I was being unhelpful and stupid but I just wasn’t expecting that question. Why in the world would she need to know that? And what would have happened if I gave the correct answer (you know since it was supposedly so important)
And how the heck does everyone else cope with these sort of questions from someone who they aren’t even comfortable with? I feel like I totally failed to give the correct information about myself but I just couldn’t 🙈🙈
I wish I could talk to my T about it, but the shame will probably swallow me whole. I just want to know if I messed up the evaluation or if it even matters?
Any ideas welcome and needed ❤️
no you did not mess up your testing.

many people even normal people have trouble answering sexualized questions and hide uncomfortable situations / experiences. in ........general..........most people over the age of 20 have been raised in an era of or with parents that were raised in the era's where body parts were taboo, and discussions about sex related things were also taboo, and learning about "stranger danger" from pre k in schools on up. so, it's pretty normal to be uncomfortable talking about such things especially with a stranger.

The sex related questions are asked on testing, because there are some sexual and gender related mental disorders in the DSM 5 TR. as a result its now standard for psychiatric evaluations to include sexual and gender disorders type of questions.

they ask the abuse related questions because some mental disorders are abuse trauma related.

worst case scenario you won't get diagnosed with a sexual or gender related disorder or an abuse trauma related disorder because your "self-reporting" ruled them out when you answered no and refused to answer.

example you won't get diagnosed with sexual dysfunction if they think you are still a virgin, nor gender Dysphoria, and so on. having to do with sex and gender disorders.

and you wont get diagnosed with PTSD or other trauma related disorders from "directly experiencing" abuse trauma because you, yourself self-ruled out being abused by answering no.

on a good note, trauma related disorders usually require a person to hit so many marks out of so many symptoms, problems and behaviors.

a person can still end up with a trauma related disorder that does not require personal experience of being abused. so all is well there too.

example

since you didnt answer any sexual gender disorder questions you wont get a sexual dysfunction or reproductive disorder.

Since you "self-reported" no on abuse you wont receive any trauma and stress disorders or dissociative disorders where experiencing long term or short-term abuse is a factor.

you can still hit the PTSD and Dissociative disorders "categories" just not the specific disorders that require symptoms problems and behaviors from "directly experiencing" abuse related trauma.

example with PTSD the criteria is so many out of this many criteria. and you dont have to personally experience going through an abuse, it takes into consideration many other forms of trauma too.

with dissociative disorders most are not abuse trauma related. a person can have depersonalization/ derealization disorder without undergoing "abuse related trauma".

in other words all is well. you will hit the "categories" aka grouping of mental disorders that fit you, just not hit the exact disorders where abuse trauma is taken into consideration because your- "self-reporting" ruled abuse related trauma out.

in a year -5 years depending on your insurance plan, they may allow you to be re-evaluated if you want or need a new evaluation done, at which time you may feel more comfortable answering those kinds of questions.

the good side of a psych eval is its never the final word. you can always take a new test later on in the future.
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AnaWhitney
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Default May 31, 2023 at 07:52 AM
  #7
Thank you! This does help. I won’t worry about it too much. Ended up having a great session with T anyway even without disclosing which questions I avoided. I don’t know why but I thought there’d be nothing more anyone could do for me because of my evaluation. I expected her to be done with me, not start moving in a different direction (In a good way) in therapy. So I guess the evaluation wasn’t that important!
Thank you all for your answers
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