I’m So Nervous

[Deleted User]Emerald20772 (deleted user)
in General

I go for a psychological evaluation tomorrow and I’m very nervous about it because I have no idea what to expect. I also fear being judged or being told to “grow up” or “stop being dramatic”. I’m so scared. Has anyone ever been evaluated and/or know what to expect?

Comments

  • sunnysideupsunnysideup

    I'm not sure exactly what it entails either, but if it's a professional organization I highly doubt they'll say such childish things as grow up or man up, etc.

    Best of luck.

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    I have no idea if this is accurate or not, but here is a breakdown that I found...

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.meganscarney.com/blog/2019/6/28/what-happens-in-a-psychological-evaluation?format=amp

    Hugs! I'm sure the dread leading up to it will far outweigh the actual experience.

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

  • MCcuddles2MCcuddles2

    Make you to tell them that you know the government is listening and they won't get anything out of you.

    Then say "where is the camera? How much are they paying you?"

  • entwineentwine

    Good luck! No idea what kind of tests it entails either... But I feel just be true to yourself and honest to yourself. Otherwise it won't be a good evaluation. Even though I'm sure tests like these have some kind of "standard"/"average" that you may fall along... Don't think of it as trying to compare yourself to others, but to find where you truly fall along the line. Then can either embrace it or now you know, if care to try and change it.
    Not saying it's easy either...I have been through all kinds of therapy, and if not true to the core of you, then it's all for naught, and I've waisted much time by not following these suggestions.
    Take care

  • TNNativeTNNative

    The link above from google is a good representation of the process that will happen. Try to keep in mind the evaluator is there to be helpful to you; to meet you where you are emotionally and to be of help to you regarding the problems you identify. So, just be yourself. Tell them you are anxious and try to honestly answer their questions. They will walk you through the process. And it is all confidential. The only time confidence can be broken is when someone is thought to be a harm to themself (suicidal) or a harm to someone else (homicidal), and in those settings there is a legal obligation for the provider to try and establish a safe plan for care. May your nervousness be relieved.

  • Minestrone101Minestrone101

    Been to two therpists and also another had me tested for adhd. Nothing to fear.

  • LionsFanLionsFan

    Had one for a job at Arthur J. Gallagher. Easy peasy. The math test was tougher.

    Good luck

  • BabichevBabichev

    Is this your decision or someone else’s? Is this for a job or for your personal benefit? Exactly what is at stake? How it goes depends on exactly what type of psychological evaluation, what is the purpose of it. I’ve been through so many for such a variety of reasons I think nothing of it. They will ask you a lot of questions. Some of them might be uncomfortable. They may ask you what appears to be the same question a lot of different ways. What is the worst that can happen? You probably won’t get committed to a mental institution against your will so you don’t need to worry about that. They probably won’t tell you to grow up or that it’s all in your head but even if they did, is that really so threatening? Think about it. Exactly what is there to be scared of? If they tell you to grow up then ask for help in figuring out exactly how to do that.

    I’ve worked with therapists on and off over the years and I think most people could benefit from it. I actually did need to grow up in some areas of my life and the therapist helped guide me through that process. Ironically, in other areas of my life I was too responsible and needed to learn to give that up. The process wasn’t always comfortable but in the end I was a lot better off.

    In recent years I’ve volunteered to be a subject for medical research. It’s been really interesting and I’ve personally benefitted from some of it. Like I got a lot of testing done for free back when I had really crappy health insurance before Obamacare and that helped me get my asthma under control. I was in another study where I got to work out with a personal trainer once a week. Some of these studies involved a lot of psychological testing as part of the study, like memory tests. I even got to take that test that the former President likes to brag about - several times! It’s easy, it’s just a rough screening to make sure you don’t have Alzheimer’s. The hardest part ins counting backwards by 7 and that is not difficult. With some of these they asked permission to call someone who knows me and they asked questions like do I ever get confused about where I live, do I dress myself properly? (i.e. like I didn’t go to the grocery store in pajamas) My friend laughed at that one and said, well, she’s been dressing steam punk lately, that might be a matter of opinion.

    Courage is not a lack of fear, it’s the willingness to do what we need to do in spite of our fear. I always think of the worst case scenario and come to the realization that I can handle that. And of course it never turns out to be the worst case scenario. If you feel anxious, just tell them.

    This is an opportunity for you to discover some things about yourself. It’s an adventure. Let us know how it goes.

  • pmvinespmvines
    edited June 2022

    Good luck @Emerald20772 . I know you will be fine despite your anxiety about this . You know I'm around if you need to chat 🤗

    I will give my usual public service disclaimer about the potential hazards associated with sharing sensitive info on the interwebs. Once you post on here , its here forever for anyone to see , and not just those we like and trust so be careful and be safe

  • SoftHairForDaysSoftHairForDays

    @Emerald20772 - best of luck to you. 💕💕💕 I'm sorry you're nervous! Idk what to expect. I wish I had a better answer for you!

  • munkgmunkg

    Girl, you know you got this 😌

  • nurturingmannurturingman

    I’ve had both psychological evaluations and psychotherapy, and I can tell you they are not the same. An evaluation just involves a series of standard questions, at the end of which they may give you a diagnosis, and if they are a psychiatrist they may prescribe medication. Even in psychotherapy no ethical therapist is going to say “it’s all in your head“ or “grow up.“ They may challenge your assumptions and guide you in reevaluating your thoughts, feelings, and actions, but not during an evaluation.

  • BabichevBabichev

    I should have thought of this last night: make sure you know who the President is and the date. I often don’t think about the date and that last one is tricky. I don’t think they penalize you if you’re not sure if today is June 29 or June 30 but if you think it’s 1952 and Eisenhower is president that’s not good.

  • Mike403Mike403

    "It's one day later than it was yesterday."

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    @Babichev @Mike403 I don't know what day it is, but...

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

  • TNNativeTNNative

    Hope everything went okay today. Hugs for you!!

  • Finnegan2017Finnegan2017

    I can tell you this with 100% certainty: Your anxiety over this session is far, far worse than the reality of the session.

  • jaswbrownjaswbrown

    Hopefully all went well for you. I've had multiple Psychological Evals for work, but they were mainly checking to see if I was able to handle a highly stressful job... "I can handle being shot at, but ordering for someone else in a drivethru is nerve-wracking..." 😆 If they are truly professional, they will understand that you may have been nervous. Again, hope it all went well. (hug)

  • herby357herby357

    @Emerald20772 You won't have to worry about a professional telling you to, “grow up” or “stop being dramatic.” That's something a Zen idiot friend might say while smugly thinking it's all about "mind over matter." I used to be that guy until I accepted the fact that many issues in life cannot be overcome with the power of positive thinking. Sometimes you have to reach out for help.

    You should be proud of yourself for summoning up the courage to do just that. Try to be as open and honest as you can. I say this because I understand that it's extremely difficult to allow one's self to be vulnerable with a relative stranger. I've found group therapy useful too, mostly because it lends perspective and lets you realize that you're not the only one that has a challenge at this moment in time to overcome.

    God speed.

  • BabichevBabichev

    @Emerald20772 - so how did it go?

  • [Deleted User]Emerald20772 (deleted user)

    @Babichev it went well. I really had nothing to worry about it. It involved word association, arithmetic problems, making patterns out of block things to match patterns in the book, fill in the blank, etc.

Sign In or Register to comment.