Mental exam for disability

[Clerner]

Disability sending me for mental exam. Any advice? I already see a psychologist for depression/anxiety and she filled out forms. I am really nervous. Any advice appreciated!

 

[geraldt52]

Just be truthful, and try to be consistent with anything that is in the reports from your psychologist. There's only so much you can do. If this is for Soc Sec, don't expect who they are sending you to to be competent and unbiased.

When I failed the short term memory test that the Soc Sec psychiatrist gave me, which was shocking and upsetting to me at the time, the psychiatrist wrote in his report that I "failed short term memory test but didn't appear to be trying very hard". How does one appear when trying hard to remember something said a couple of minutes earlier? The whole experience that day felt like something out of the third world...including the place it was conducted in and the psychiatrist himself, who I would guess was Pakistani. He was so obviously being paid to get something negative into my medical file, and he did just that.

 

[Clerner]

I "failed short term memory test but didn't appear to be trying very hard". How does one appear when trying hard to remember something said a couple of minutes earlier? The whole experience that da

Yes, this is exactly what I'm afraid of. They will be biased and hard on me the whole time. I'm afraid I'm going to cry because I am in such a fragile emotional state. Thanks for your story.

 

[geraldt52]

Yes, this is exactly what I'm afraid of. They will be biased and hard on me the whole time. I'm afraid I'm going to cry because I am in such a fragile emotional state. Thanks for your story.

If you cry, you cry, Clerner...that isn't the end of the world.

The psychiatrist I was sent to really wasn't disrespectful or "hard on me". In fact it wasn't until I got a copy of his report that I fully realized what had happened...it didn't resemble what I remembered from that day, and was written to put the worst possible spin on everything. I really couldn't even believe what I was reading.

Do be careful not to understate any issues that you are having. Our tendency is to try to appear more normal than we really are, and that will not serve you well. Don't be afraid to show that you are having trouble.

Best of luck.

 

[ScottTriGuy]

Audio tape the session, covertly.

 

[geraldt52]

Audio tape the session, covertly.

I would be careful about doing that covertly...particularly in Florida. If you think that you want to do that, I'd ask a lawyer about the legality of it first. Of course you could always just tell the psychiatrist you'd like to record the visit...it's only the covert part that could be an issue.

 

[Clerner]

the psychiatrist

I won't record. I'm already nervous. This not a psychiatrist, but phd psychologist. I read some reviews and they sound scary. You are right though. I always try to pretend I'm more normal/okay than I am. I am embarrassed to tell people I have cfs. I feel they just think I'm lazy. It took so long and I had to fight so hard just to get people to believe something was wrong! I'm sure you can identify. Going to talk to my own therapist first to get some strength.

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

If it's a Social Security disability exam, it will most likely be a structured interview, with a list of questions the interviewer will ask you. They may ask you how much you sleep, what you do during the day, how far you can walk, who does the grocery shopping. It could be more tedious than anything else.

You should consider answering how you are on your worst day, not how you are on a good or average day.

 

[AndyPandy]

When I was examined by a psychiatrist (which was required as part of my claim for invalidity benefits for ME/CFS) it became clear that the psychiatrist himself had a truckload of mental health problems. I didn't have any.

It was a stressful process but it was successful in my case.

@Clerner I hope it all goes well for you.

Best wishes Andy