Dan,
What do you think about those self-assessment mental health surveys? I’m not talking about the stuff on Facebook but stuff from more legitimate sources like a mental health website, a brochure that you might find in your doctor’s office or maybe one passed out from your wellness center at work. Do you see any value in these types of tools? Do they really tell you anything about yourself?
Even when you are trying to fill them out honestly, it isn’t easy. Do you feel hopeless? Sure some of the time, doesn’t everyone? How often? Every day, half of the days, occasionally? Who knows how to answer that…some days I feel hopeless only in the morning when the dog has pooped under the piano, the kids are late for school, I’m having a bad hair day, I only got 3 hours of sleep and oh yeah…I remember that my husband is paralyzed. That happens a lot, but am I hopeless all day long, probably not. Do you think you would be better off dead? Sure some of the time, doesn’t everyone? When you are in a constant battle with insurance companies, doctors, lawyers, in-laws yeah some days I wish I was dead. Are you having trouble sleeping? Yes, every single night but maybe that is because of some of the caregiving duties I have throughout the night. I really have a hard time even making a realistic self assessment. Maybe I over think the questions.
So I know you’re thinking, then why would you even take such a survey. Good question. Sometimes we are forced into such things. Let’s just say something like a “healthy lifestyle” insurance premium requires that you don’t smoke, you wear your seatbelts, have your bp checked at the wellness center yearly, submit to a Chem24 & CBC yearly (wanna see my big bruise) just to mention a few things. You get my drift….sort of Big Brotheresque I know, but sometimes you do what you gotta do to stay in compliance. I’m just hoping I don’t get reported to EAP. Any thoughts? Not about EAP...I was joking there but about these assessments.
Trish
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's learning to dance in the rain."
