how many of you have taken the MMPI?

[Raquel June]

A year ago I was in therapy and my shrink wanted me to take the MMPI-2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mmpi). I was surprised how much I looked like an average, well-adjusted person who has it together. I scored pretty much zero on psycopathy and paranoia, and I wasn't actually out of the ordinary on the masculinity/femininity scale. I did score pretty high on depression.

But what surprised me is that the only thing that my therapist thought was even slightly interesting is that I totally blew away the schizophrenia scale. He said that they like to call that "social dysphoria," and it often means you just don't feel like you fit into society or into your life in general.

I guess I just always thought that all intelligent somewhat-philosophical people felt a good bit of "social dysphoria," but maybe not. I'll bet a lot of CDs do, though.

[Marvina Martian]

Amen sister!

[Shadeauxmarie]

I remember taking the original one many years ago for employment screening.
The only question I remember was:

"Do you like mannish women?"
I answered False.

I wanted to say "I AM a mannish woman!"

[Carroll]

I was forced to take it twice. Once when my first wife and I were thinking about taking in a foster child, and the other time my mental state was questioned when I was in the USAF. Both time, as far as I know, did not show anything abnormal. I do remeber a few questions; Do you want to kill somebody, do you hear people when they are not there.

[Raquel June]

A few of the questions are great. I kept having to laugh by the transitions from "are you crazy?" questions to "what do you want in life?" questions:

24. Evil spirits possess me at times.

25. I would like to be a singer.

62. I have often wished I were a girl. (Or if you are a girl) I have never been sorry that I am a girl.

72. My soul sometimes leaves my body.

80. I would like to be a nurse.

96. I see things or animals or people around me that others do not see.

112. I like dramatics.

114. Sometimes I am so strongly attracted by the personal articles of others, such as shoes, gloves, etc., that I want to handle or steal them, though I hvae no use for them.

[Stephanie-L]

I had to take the MMPI about 18 years ago as my wife was having custody issues with her ex. I found it amusing as I was in nursing school at the time and had just finished my psych training. The really intersting part is that for my wife and I, it came back fine, but for my wifes ex, who's lawyer insisted on the psych eval, it really hurt him. It might have something to do with the fact that he was illiterate and was having his 10 year old daughter read it to him, and we think she was just marking whatever answers she wanted to. Over all, I am not very impressed by any of the psych evaluation "tools" I have seen.............Stephanie