What Is Wrong With Me?

[cuchi]

I am supposed to go for a two hour psychological exam in two weeks at the VA. This was ordered by the psychologist I saw after the psychiatrist could not figure me out.

This all started with my father dying and it kinda snowballed into trying to find my problem out.

Has anyone gone through one of these exams and what does it entail?

My private psychiatrist says I have adhd but I keep changing meds and really don't feel much different. Except for the Clozepam that helps me stay calm and sleep.

All I want is to be able to concentrate so I can read a book or organize my clutter. Be able to remember to turn the stove off and not forget that I have something cooking and not let it burn up. I start my breakfast and then decide to get on the phone and call about something and my breakfast burns. Maybe I need to go back to cold cereal. My wife keeps telling me I left the stove on again. I don't do it on purpose but just get distracted and forget. I know how serious this is but don't know how to stop this. I think I will put a sign by my front door " turn off the stove ".

Don't bother with this I am just rambling as usual.

Cuchi

[purple]

Did they tell you that the appt was for testing? Just curious.

The stress from your Father passing away is more than enough to cause your lack of attention span and memory problems...don't let them slap an ADHD label on you so quickly. I'm very sorry to hear about your Dad. My own Dad passed away about 2 1/2 years ago...it's very hard, there are bad days, horrible days and some not so bad days thrown in there.

You will make it.

[LarryJ]

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) can, and will, cause the "forgetfulness" that you describe.

I know.

Trust me.

Now, I'm in no way saying that that is what ails YOU.

But, I'd forget that I put the dog out (poor mutt, I looked out in the backyard once and he was standing there at the back door, covered in snow...I wondered where he'd been all day).

Or, I'd forget to pick up my wife from work (we just had one car so I'd drive her to work......she learned to call me to remind me).

And, I'd never, ever remember to put the trash out on pick-up day.

Heck, I'd even forget what day of the week or the month that it was, and I mean, day after day, because I could never remember what day yesterday was.

The psychologist did the "okay, now I'm going to tell you something, then, in a little while, after we visit some more, I'm going to ask you what it was that I told you...................". Yeah, RIGHT! "Well", he says, "I see that that didn't work so how about we count backwards from 100?". NOPE, doc, why don't YOU count backwards from 100, while I try to remember WHY I'd like to count backwards from 100, and, oh yeah, while we're at it, where's the parking lot, and where's my car, and where's my ass 'cause I can't even find IT.

It got better, much better, after several months of medication adjustments, etc.

NOW, NOW I remember things that I WISH I could FORGET!

Oy Vey!

[Wings]

I am supposed to go for a two hour psychological exam in two weeks at the VA. This was ordered by the psychologist I saw after the psychiatrist could not figure me out.

This all started with my father dying and it kinda snowballed into trying to find my problem out.

Has anyone gone through one of these exams and what does it entail?

My private psychiatrist says I have adhd but I keep changing meds and really don't feel much different. Except for the Clozepam that helps me stay calm and sleep.

All I want is to be able to concentrate so I can read a book or organize my clutter. Be able to remember to turn the stove off and not forget that I have something cooking and not let it burn up. I start my breakfast and then decide to get on the phone and call about something and my breakfast burns. Maybe I need to go back to cold cereal. My wife keeps telling me I left the stove on again. I don't do it on purpose but just get distracted and forget. I know how serious this is but don't know how to stop this. I think I will put a sign by my front door " turn off the stove ".

Don't bother with this I am just rambling as usual.

Cuchi

Your signature shows 100% SC. Why would you want to ask the VA to consider a private psychiatrist's diagnosis of ADHD, when that condition is non-compensatable?! The two-hour exam would prolly entail psyche testing. Who ordered the testing, the VA or your private shrink. Cover your 6! ~Wings

Edited December 31, 2008 by Wings

[Pete53]

Cuchi:

I hope that you get to feeling better. Sometimes the loss of a parent is almost impossible to deal with but you can and you will get better.

[cuchi]

Thanks all,

I am not trying to get compensed for something just trying to figure out how to understand what is going on. I am 100 % temporary for prostate cancer so trying to get all the help I can while I am still 100 %. Because it all started back in July with my father's death and then my sister-in-law taking over the funeral , flowers, the obituary, and yelling at the funeral director when he did not label who the flowers came from. I was just numb and could care less what she did. After the funeral we went away for the weekend came back to find my sister-in-law taking things for her daughter who is from a previous married, including furniture. My brother does whatever she says. I just lost it when I went down to my dad's house and saw what had happened. I decided to go to the VA and they said I was having panic attacks. Then my sister started taking things. I did not care about the stuff I just felt we just buried my dad and give it a rest before you start taking stuff. My brother would call me every day and say we are taking this because... I stopped answering the phone then. They know that I am fragile mentally anyway so they were just trying to upset me. I finally got some meds from the VA so I could sleep since I went from May to August without sleeping. We had a meeting with the lawyer in August and it was just me against my brother and sister with their spouses. After the lawyer left to make some copies my sister-in-law started her verbal attack and I just let her have it. Telling her we had to always bite our tongue because my parents said she would take it out on my brother. I said they are both gone now and I am going to say what has been building up for years and I did. I felt much better after that and have had no contact with my brother since. No Christmas card this year. It's quiet now that I have no contact with them.

The reason I went to the private psychiatrist was because the VA did not want to give me anything to stop the madness and let me get some sleep. They did not agree with the closepam but I got it anyway. It just takes too long to get a appointment with the mental health dept. of the VA anyway.

I don't know why they want to do the psychological testing but if they can find something out and help me, I am for it. The VA psychologist ordered this testing she said they don't treat for ADHD because that is a children's disorder not an adults. So that is why she decided to do the testing. I go January 8th for the two hour test. She said they do it with some kind of machine or computer.

Well I blabbed enough,

Happy New Year to all,

Cuchi

[Wings]

Thanks all,

I am not trying to get compensed for something just trying to figure out how to understand what is going on. I am 100 % temporary for prostate cancer so trying to get all the help I can while I am still 100 %. Because it all started back in July with my father's death and then my sister-in-law taking over the funeral , flowers, the obituary, and yelling at the funeral director when he did not label who the flowers came from. I was just numb and could care less what she did. After the funeral we went away for the weekend came back to find my sister-in-law taking things for her daughter who is from a previous married, including furniture. My brother does whatever she says. I just lost it when I went down to my dad's house and saw what had happened. I decided to go to the VA and they said I was having panic attacks. Then my sister started taking things. I did not care about the stuff I just felt we just buried my dad and give it a rest before you start taking stuff. My brother would call me every day and say we are taking this because... I stopped answering the phone then. They know that I am fragile mentally anyway so they were just trying to upset me. I finally got some meds from the VA so I could sleep since I went from May to August without sleeping. We had a meeting with the lawyer in August and it was just me against my brother and sister with their spouses. After the lawyer left to make some copies my sister-in-law started her verbal attack and I just let her have it. Telling her we had to always bite our tongue because my parents said she would take it out on my brother. I said they are both gone now and I am going to say what has been building up for years and I did. I felt much better after that and have had no contact with my brother since. No Christmas card this year. It's quiet now that I have no contact with them.

The reason I went to the private psychiatrist was because the VA did not want to give me anything to stop the madness and let me get some sleep. They did not agree with the closepam but I got it anyway. It just takes too long to get a appointment with the mental health dept. of the VA anyway.

I don't know why they want to do the psychological testing but if they can find something out and help me, I am for it. The VA psychologist ordered this testing she said they don't treat for ADHD because that is a children's disorder not an adults. So that is why she decided to do the testing. I go January 8th for the two hour test. She said they do it with some kind of machine or computer.

Well I blabbed enough,

Happy New Year to all,

Cuchi

I'm sorry for the selfishness you've had to endure from certain family members --and I'm sorry you are feeling bad, it's natural to feel mixed emotions after the death of a loved one. We understand. I hope the VA will help you. To me, it sounds like maybe some clinical depression; and depending on your cancer and cancer treatment, there may be a genuine hormal inbalance that can cause depression on top of everything else going on. Have you had any hormone lab work recently? It is possible to claim Depression secondary to prostate cancer. Hang in there. ~Wings