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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Janice on January 31, 2000, at 20:46:43
Hi everyone,
On Wednesday, I start psychological testing; 2-3 hours a week for 4 to 6 weeks.
Does anyone know what I can expect? For certain I will be tested for ADHD (I've been doing nothing but hustling for Dexedrine ever since I've been travelling), and manic-depression.
Has anyone else had an experience like this. I know quite a few people with ADHD who's doctors seem to convince them not to try the stimulants. I feel so angry when I hear this, because it has changed my life.
I'm doing it as an outpatient at a hospital.
Posted by Noa on January 31, 2000, at 21:29:39
In reply to Testing for ADHD and other disorders, posted by Janice on January 31, 2000, at 20:46:43
Janice, they will give you an intelligence test, some achievement type tests, and other paper and pencil, puzzle tests, etc. If they are doing emotional testing, there will be pictures to look at, sentences to complete, maybe ink blots, etc. There might be diagrams to remember and copy, words and sentences to hear and recall, etc. They will probably be looking to see if you have any processing difficulties, learning disabilities, etc., and will be able to tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are in terms of how you process information (verbal, auditory, visual, etc.)For ADHD, they will look at memory issues, attention to detail, how you manipulate information in certain tasks, etc.
You will probably find some of it interesting and fun, and other parts will be boring or feel more like work. But you will certainly learn a lot about yourself. After the testing, the psychologist will meet with you to go over the results, and should give you a written report within a reasonable amount of time. Feel free to take notes, and definitely ask questions. Ask if you can call him or her with follow up questions after you have read (or re-read) the report, and had time to absorb all the info.
Posted by JohnL on February 1, 2000, at 14:11:18
In reply to Testing for ADHD and other disorders, posted by Janice on January 31, 2000, at 20:46:43
Personally I don't think testing is all that useful. Even if we come up with an accurate diagnosis, the cause of the problem can vary significantly. Is it serotonin? NE? Dopamine? Too much? Too little? Too unstable? I remember hearing of someone refractory to all the known treatments for anxiety, finally totally cured with a stimulant! A lot of people with ADHD do better on a serotonin antidepresant, others on a tricyclic, and yet others ironically on a benzo. Someone with dysthymia might get worse on an antidepressant, but respond nicely to a mood stabilizer or an antipsychotic or a stimulant.
There are just so many things that can go wrong and yet cause the same symptoms. So putting a label on the symptoms I don't think is all that helpful. It helps guide us in the right direction. But if that direction isn't working, we have to throw the label in the trash and try a different class of drugs. I've just seen too many times where a drug that should have worked didn't, and another unlikely drug did. The disease diagnosis was irrelevent. All that matters is what fixes whatever chemical imbalance is going on. I think testing is interesting for theoretical discussion, but only somewhat useful in guiding treatment.
Posted by Janice on February 2, 2000, at 20:34:18
In reply to Re: Testing for ADHD and other disorders, posted by Noa on January 31, 2000, at 21:29:39
What a positive attitude Noa! I am going to try to adopt it. I tend to agree with John, that it is a waste (of taxpayer's) money.
They got me jumping through hoops just to keep taking my Dexedrine. I understand, but am half resentful.
I wonder how much money people are selling this stuff for on the street.
Of course, my biggest concern, is to NOT get diagnosed with ADHD. I am fiercely competitive when it comes to test taking. And I have the ADHD type that excels in hyper-concentrating.
I thank both of you for your imput into my life, Janice
Noa, do you work in the mental health field?
JohnL, what ever happened to your experience on Ritalin?
Posted by Noa on February 2, 2000, at 21:30:19
In reply to Noa and JohnL... & 'how much is Dexedrine worth?', posted by Janice on February 2, 2000, at 20:34:18
It is unusual to do psychological testing to dx ADHD. It can be helpful, when there is a question of a possible learning disability or to identify particular processing problems. But--I agree with both of you--if a person has been dxed by psychiatric interview and had been taking a medication with good results, what exactly IS the point of psychological testing?
The "standard" for DXing kids with ADHD is to use a normed checklist, completed by two separate observers of the child in two separate environments(parents and teachers, for example), to get a complete developmental history, do a good interview, and have direct observation. I don't think this standard is met most of the time. A lot of pediatricians make decisions based upon parent report alone, which can be correct, but sometimes is insufficient, and doesn't meet the criterion of observed problems in two settings. Some doctors even go so far as to base their decision on simple parent report in a typical 10 minute HMO office visit, without using a checklist. This, in addition to the issue that sometimes depression and/or anxiety can present like ADHD in kids.
Even if a doctor is 100% sure of the dx, he or she should ALWAYS gather the data, because baseline data is necessary to properly track response to the medication.
In any event, all of this is relatively cheap--a couple of questionnaires, some telephone time to touch base with school personnel, time for a good history. It is nothing compared to the cost of a complete battery of psychological tests. BUT, there ARE learning problems and processing deficits that present in similar ways to ADHD, so sometimes the testing is really useful.
This is the end of the thread.
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