Posted by Racer on January 12, 2006, at 12:35:31
In reply to Re: Psych Testing Tomorrow What to Expect?, posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2006, at 18:07:04
OK, I know that you are hurting, and you have every right to be, but Phillipa, WHERE IS YOUR ANGER??? It's time to get that anger out, rather than just internalizing it.
Here's what you do now, because that sort of behavior is NOT acceptable. Not only because you felt bad afterwards, but because that is simply NOT professional behavior.
1. You write down what happened, to the very best of your ability, without a single mention of emotion. Just a cold, stark recitation of the facts: "I went in for psych testing. The tester spent [x] minutes discussing skiing with my husband. Then he spent [x] minutes telling a story about a woman who tried to murder her husband, because she was taking benzos, in order to illustrate his view that benzos caused mental illness to worsen." etc. I recommend outline version, just boom-boom-boom. You end with the fact that you were unable to speak to anyone else after your session with him.
2. You then write, at the end, that you felt very anxious afterwards, that you take valium and had felt that it helped you. That you are now frightened about taking it -- if that's true, which I assume it is. Just a very, very brief comment, short paragraph, saying that you were considerably agitated, more anxious, etc, after this experience. Reiterate that you were unable to speak with anyone else afterwards.
3. And then request what you want them to do to correct this. Of course, to do that, you have to figure that out. My advice would be to ask that they reverse any charges for this session; that they assign you to someone else for psych testing; and that that someone else explain the psych testing to you, to help alleviate your anxiety over it.
What happened to you is NOT OK. And you have a right to your feelings about it. I hope that those feeling include anger, and that you will do something about it.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:597782
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060110/msgs/598350.html