3-Hour Long Psych Evaluation! - ThinnerTimes

2cats&adog · 10-17-2005, 12:13 AM

My psych eval is tomorrow, (Monday), and I was told it's for 3 HOURS! What in the world would take that long???

Dave · 10-17-2005, 05:44 AM

Maybe you'll be getting a full workup. Mine took 20 minutes and I learned nothing but he approved me so I shouldn't complain. Another doctor I looked into does a full workup on his clients. He has you meet with the shrink 3-4 times. It also costs a few hundred bucks because the insurance doesn't require that much time.

Gioia · 10-17-2005, 06:00 AM

I don't have a clue. Mine took all of about 15 minutes. I can't imagine what would take that long.

Bypassingme619 · 10-17-2005, 06:12 AM

Ansley I live in Cali and you live in Ga. so I am sure there is a difference in how they do it there as they do here. Mines took about 30-45 minutes and I spent most of that time filling out paper work. But I think you might be taking that test with like 500 questions on it. I forgot the name of it. It might not be that long. I hope all goes well.

sbjim5755 · 10-17-2005, 06:18 AM

Ansley,

My review was also 3 hours.....it consisted of a 40 minute consultation and 2 hours of psychological testing. The testing is no big deal....it repeats questions alot trying to identify any pathological / psycological issues. Just be honest and consistant with your answers and you'll do fine. The Psychiatrist knew after talking to me for 10 minutes that I was OK for surgery......All of the testing is just standard procedure for some docs. Good luck......don't forget to bring an extra #2 pencil.

Jim

LizardQueen · 10-17-2005, 06:36 AM

Just be yourself and answer as honestly as you can. Mine was very short and I really think the lady just wanted her $250 (I think) and that was it. She asked me if I understood how the surgery worked and if i knewthis was a big change and that I would have to find a new way to deal with stress. She also said I would need support (which you all know I have!) and maybe some therapy to deal with food issues (considering going because I can't seem to get use to this new skinny body of mine). Take a book! I'm sure some of that 3 hours will be waiting!

JenniferD · 10-17-2005, 06:58 AM

I had to meet 3 different times for the eval. One time we just talked about why I was wanting the surgery, what my concerns were, who was my support group, etc...
The second visit I had to do a test on the computer.
And the third time she told me what she was going to put in the report.

sdgrrl · 10-17-2005, 07:23 AM

That stupid big test that you are talking about is an MMPI--Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. They're a very long test to see if you are psycho. It's a bunch of yes/no questions like: I always feel like my health is worse than others my age. Now how are you supposed to feel about that? There are a lot of Always and Never. Then they ask the same question with the words in a different order. From all of this they divine how sane we are?!?!?!

I had to take one for a lawsuit I was involved in a long time ago, and I was waiting for my first back surgery. They asked the question above, and I put yes, because other people in my peer group weren't waiting for a room and a spinal fusion. Well, the "reader" of it, someone whom I had never met, responded that I was a hypochondriac with borderline personality disorder. If the doorknob had met me, it would be logical to answer in this way. They do it with everything you can think of. "Sometimes I feel like everyone is out to get me." Who hasn't thought that at some point in life. It's actually laughable it's so arcane. I think they get more money if they administer it.

mfergusont · 10-17-2005, 07:54 AM

My psych eval appt. lasted 3 hours, too. It was because I had to take the MMPI test, which is something like 567 questions. I think its a pretty accurate test but it is annoying. It tries to catch you in lies, and the way you answer different questions will tell the truth, even if you try to lie. Just be completely honest.
My psychologist told me one interesting thing about why the test asks all those weird questions. One was "I prefer hard floors" and the other was "I prefer carpeted floors". Well you might think that is odd and what does that have to do with it, right? Well I guess that they have done studies and depressed people prefer the hard floors more often, so if you answer yes to that question, it indicates that you might be depressed, and would help to back up answers to other depression-related questions. Weird, huh?
With my results, my psychologist said that I was depressed and that I hold things in. He told me that I needed to seek psychotherapy for my depression but he still gave me my referral for the surgery. It was OK. I also had to go back for a 1-hour follow-up session. My insurance paid for everything but the test, which cost me $90.
If you want more info on the test, here are 2 links I found:
http://www.pearsonassessments.com/tests/mmpi_2.htm
http://changingminds.org/explanation...ences/mmpi.htm

eyesthatkissu · 10-17-2005, 08:09 AM

Well... that's just lame! I prefer hard floors because they are pretty and easier to clean! lol