Psychological assessments are a fantastic way for psychologists and treatment centers to diagnose you for disorders and gauge where you’re at in your processes of thinking and behaving. Any treatment center that you attend will want to conduct one of these or a psychiatric assessment (primarily used for medicinal purposes) to determine the best course of treatment for you. As stated by the American Psychological Association (APA) psychological assessments may involve a few different components:
- Psychological Test
- Informal tests
- Interview with close friends or family members
- Surveys
- School or medical records
- Medical evaluation
- Observational data
When getting a psychological assessment, there are 5 things you want to remember:
- There are no right and wrong answers. Do not feel pressured to answer any certain way – in fact, by answering without worrying about the results, you will likely be much more authentic.
- Be as completely honest and accurate as possible. If you don’t remember something, say it; if you have more details to add to a particular question, voice it. Every bit can help.
- Try not to look up tests beforehand. If you take online tests beforehand, you may feel pressured to respond a certain way – which could skew your results.
- If a diagnosis doesn’t seem to make sense or fit, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion from another licensed psychologist. Each psychologist is different, and sometimes they get it wrong. Don’t be scared to ask for a second opinion to feel confident moving forward.
- You are not your disorder. Whatever you are diagnosed with is only a very small component of you. Outside of this, you have hopes, dreams, fears, goals, and much, much more – don’t forget that.
If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center about taking an assessment and moving forward with an appropriate, customized treatment program. Your recovery – your life – matters. Don’t wait any longer to seek the help you need today.
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