I received a wad of stuff from Dr T (psych… no not “Psych!”, I mean, Dr T is my psych, oh for gods sake…) in the mail today. A bill, firstly, which was preposterously large, and no doubt worth every penny. At some point that will be paid I’m sure, hopefully before the next bill arrives in a months time.
The rest of the bundle was the array of psych tests and ‘Am I Mad or Not’ paraphernalia. I think I did one of these things before, but I was erm, mental at the time, so can’t remember what it was for, or which test it was. I also can’t remember if anyone ever read it. Wait! No, I do remember. It was when I was referred to the local mental team, the CPN squad. I had one appointment with a CPN, about a year after I first was referred. For some reason it was the only appointment I ever had. I think they decided I wasn’t about to top myself and fuck up their stats for the year, and let me loose to fend for myself. No great loss I think, they didn’t seem too bright to be honest.
Anyway…
What the hell was I talking about?
Tests! Yes. I am a little hazy this evening. Rough day. Mood low. Fight the good fight and all that.
I have before me an SCL-90-R (Pearson Symptom Checklist, measure of psychological distress), what appears to be a BAI (Beck Anxiety Inventory), a BDI-II, which is The Beck Depression Inventory, an Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (could take a while…), a Social Activities and Distress Scale, and a Body Sensations Questionnaire.
This seems fairly comprehensive to me. I have thus far filled in the BAI and appear to have made a pretty zig zag pattern on the multiple choice boxes. I hope this doesn’t mean anything. It reminds me of the General Studies A Level I took, which I had failed to turn up to , erm, any of the seminars for, because it was a ludicrous and pointless A-Level that nobody cared about. It was multiple choice, A to D, and I did indeed make a zig zag patter, ticking box A, then box B, etc so on. I was done in 10 minutes and day-dreamed the rest of the seven gazillion hours that we were forced to sit in the room. I do believe I had taken some quantity of LSD the night before and hadn’t actually slept at all, and wait – it’s coming back, I think I was still tripping a little because it was a morning exam. So anyway, I got a C, a free A level. Woot.
Why must cats always trample all over any paper that is put down anywhere? Why I ask you? Get the frick off my psych evaluations you crazy cat!
Ok. So I got bored after that. Or worried. Or nervous. I don’t know. I’m supposed to answer the questions according to how I’ve felt in the last week. How strict is that? I can’t remember exactly when I felt certain things. Am I supposed to be strict about that 7 days? Does it mess it up if I felt something 8 days ago that totally throws the curve out? Is it important? Is the fact that I’m worrying too much about the answers being accurate worth more than the test reults themselves? Arghhhhh. Why must they torture us crazy people so?
Really though. I sometimes go a couple of weeks without any severe anxiety issues, and then go all out and have a couple of freak outs in a week. It depends on whats happening in my life. How am I supposed to give an accurate measure of my levels of anxiety if they restrict me to this week? Should I just answer honestly, and hope therapy will gradually unravel my slow madness, or try to give an average level of craziness in my answers and hope it saves time, and gives Dr T a better handle on what goes on in my mind.
There needs to be a box at the bottom for a personal statement or something. Like you get on benefits forms…
July 23, 2008 at 12:57 pm |
I’d say do the average. They are pretty hopeless questionairres at times. I reckon someone should be filling this out with you, that way you’d be able to explain this. But then again doctors aren’t normally down here on a human level now are they.
Take care x
July 23, 2008 at 12:58 pm |
Oh and I love your song of the day (The Rip – Portishead). I just love Portishead in general, especially Glory Box x
July 23, 2008 at 8:33 pm |
I did the average from the last few weeks. I will explain to Dr T how I did them. I’m sure he won’t care too much. He doesn’t seem too much of a rulesmonger.
The new-est Portishead album is dark and lovely. I can’t listen to Dummy much any more. Played it too much back in the day. I was living in Bristol when Portishead, PJ Harvey, Massive Attack and Tricky were getting big. It was an interesting hazy time.
July 23, 2008 at 9:23 pm |
I hate those questionaires they always make me look compleatly bonkers, I would say go for the average. They stopped giving me questionaires last month when I ticked the question for each one and none of the boxes. I think they got the point I was trying to get across. Hannah X
July 31, 2008 at 2:03 am |
I meant to come back to this but I got distracted–like that’s bloody news!
I’m glad I did though as it made me laugh. Why??? I’ll tell you why!!! And that’s just the cat part. I’ll get to that in a titch.
Crap, you sound like me…huh…oh, wait…NOW I remember! Are you sure you don’t have a dx of ADD, my dear?
Tests Schmests. Well, alright. My “Scientific Mind” says fine, there is a need for benchmarks and such but your LSD story reminds me of a real Bipolar Glorified Moment when I went to a couple of uni. finals completely drunk out of my mind. In one case, my final mark for the course increased! So W00t right back at ya, brotha!
All the squgglies, zig-zags and does a day throw it off? Nah. This is where the cats come in! Just let them have at it and fill out the tests for you!