#EVALUATION

[philosophybits]

The wise weigh everything: they delve into things that are especially deep or doubtful, and sometimes reflect that there is more than what occurs to them. They make reflection reach further than apprehension.

Baltasar Gracián, The Art of Worldly Wisdom

[palatinewolfsblog]

"Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth.

Be critical and evaluate what you believe in."

- Aristotle

[copperbadge]

How did you find the doctor(s) who assessed you for ADHD? Im looking into the process of getting diagnosed because (although ive suspected I might have adhd for years now) I've been struggling a lot more lately and i want to try medication to see if it helps at all. Im trying to search for psychiatrists through my health insurance portal but the the results im getting are all for child/adolescent psychiatry specialists, and I dont think that'll be much help for an adult adhd assessment? Did you have an established therapist to refer you for your assessment or were you able to find a psychiatrist independently?

I actually just kind of had to freeform it, but that does mean I have some tips to share!

I will say, I have never once used a health insurance portal to find someone to treat me for anything. Often their search engine is fucked up and the information is sometimes out of date. I almost always either ask someone who I know has had similar issues if they have a recommendation, ask my treating physician if I have one, or just google until I find someone reputable-looking; any qualified medical center or professional will list what insurance they take anyway, and you can always ask when you make the appointment.

So here's the process for how to do that!

When I was first considering it, I asked a friend who'd had an evaluation that came back not-ADHD, which I liked because it meant we knew it wasn't like, a weird Adderall pill mill or something. I really wanted to have a professional and thorough evaluation because I knew myself and knew I was capable of gaming a questionnaire. The place she had her evaluation was unfortunately having some staffing issues; part of the reason it took me so long is that I played phone tag with them for ages -- I'd call, and regardless of what time of day I called, their scheduler would be "out", so I'd leave a message and never get a call back. Ultimately I said "I really need to talk to a human, because your scheduler has not returned any of my numerous calls" and they said they could transfer me to another office outside of Chicago (in the burbs). That was not going to be accessible to me, so I told them thanks but I'll go somewhere else. Then COVID hit and I was not going to go anywhere near a medical center unless I had to for about two years.

So, when I was making my second serious run at getting evaluated, I did what might be expected of me by longtime readers of this blog: I made a spreadsheet.

I want to caveat this up top with REALLY IMPORTANT CONTEXT: I did not do all of this in a single day. The process from starting research to making an evaluation appointment took about a month, and probably would have taken longer if I wasn't getting somewhat desperate. Do not push yourself to do this as a single act. Research alone is a multi-day process; some days I looked at the open tabs and only entered one tab's worth of information. It took me quite a bit of time to write the form email I sent inquiring about an assessment. It took me time to call the clinic back when they asked me to call to book the appointment. This is a series of steps, not a single leap.

So!

I was looking for a clinic rather than an individual, in part because I'd heard a couple of horror stories about people who went to a psychiatrist and just got argued with for an hour instead of actually getting evaluated. So I googled, and here are some key terms for you, chicago adult adhd assessment. Chicago obviously for the region, but "adult adhd" (putting it in quotes will help) is the important term that will help you filter out a lot of child psych stuff. A lot of what I looked at did included family or child assessment/therapy but were clear that they also evaluated adults.

Then I went through every legit-looking search result and noted down, in my spreadsheet, the name of the clinic/company, the contact phone and email, the URL, the physical location (I needed to be able to get to it fairly easily) and whether they took my insurance. Even if they didn't take my insurance (all but one did) I still put them into the spreadsheet so that if I found them again I could check the sheet and know I didn't need to investigate further. I also tended to bump more legitimate and friendly-looking places to the top of the sheet. And if I were going to do it again I would also look for one specific thing, which is an assessment guide of some kind.

The assessment guide may be something they only give you after you speak with them, so it's not a no-go if they don't have one on their website, but it basically tells you what generally will go on during the assessment, how long it will take, and what you should bring. A full assessment like I had is estimated to take 4-6 hours and they recommended I wear layers so I wouldn't be overly cold/warm in their office, and to bring a snack. That's the kind of information you want, duration of the assessment and what they recommend for you, to ensure that you're working with people who are thorough and care about your comfort.

So, I have this spreadsheet now of places to reach out to, which I know take my insurance and do adult assessment. In the spreadsheet I also had columns for what date I contacted them and whether they'd responded. I started reaching out via email, one per day, with the form email I'd written.

The form email basically said "I'm 42 with no previous diagnosis but I have a family history of autism and dyslexia. I've been told I should get assessed for ADHD, so I'm looking for a clinic that will do the assessment and takes (my insurance). I prefer to be contacted by email but if need be, my phone number is (phone number). Please let me know if you have any open appointments and what information you will need from me to book an evaluation with you." (You can always ask for more information about the actual evaluation process once they respond.)

If I didn't get a response within 24 hours, I moved on to the next, but I only greyed out the text in that line of the spreadsheet; I didn't disqualify/remove the nonresponsive ones because again, I wanted to make sure I kept that information in case they eventually did respond. I did this with about ten clinics, because I figured I must be able to find at least one in ten who could do the eval, and I could go back and research more if necessary.

I think the third or fourth one I reached out to was the first to respond, and I ended up going with them; I had a very positive experience in the assessment itself but it was a real pain in the ass getting the documentation from them -- they took about a month to go through the evaluation data (this is not abnormal but is rather longer than usual according to my psychiatrist) and they gave me an in-person-by-zoom report once it was ready. That said, it took another four months and the threat of reporting them to the state to get them to send me the text of the eval (in part because the evaluator left the clinic unexpectedly with my formal report not yet written). But that's something that's truly impossible to know until you're working with them, and highly unusual, so don't let concerns about that deter you. If you end up in that situation come hit me up and I'll tell you how I dealt with that.

My eval recommended an executive function coach, but if I haven't been able to func it by now I never will, so I thanked them for the recommendation and went looking for a psychiatrist unaffiliated with the clinic to prescribe me meds. There, the key words you're going to be looking for are again "adult adhd" but also "adult disability" and if you want medication that's less likely to be a huge fucking hassle, "medication management". My psychiatrist and I meet every two months to reup my prescription, but he doesn't require me to take a regular drug test or meet him in person in order to get a new scrip, as some people have encountered. We meet in person once or twice a year (I can't remember, it's due to a legal requirement in Illinois) but otherwise it's over zoom.

So yeah -- it's a process, but there are ways to streamline and manage it, and a few tripwires in place to make sure you don't end up screwed by the system. Definitely feel free to ask if you have questions, either here or if you want a more indepth conversation you can email me at copperbadge@gmail.com. GOOD LUCK!

[dutchs-blog]

Evaluation Time

[iwenttosee]

I Went To See ... Macbeth

Blood drips into a bowl of water. A quiet, deliberate introduction - a kind of imagery that screams "Tragedy ahead!" But here is the thing: how much did the theatre audience actually see? How much did they hear? That’s the lingering question throughout Trafalgar Releasing’s “Macbeth”, a production that seems as torn between its theatre audience and its cinema audience as Macbeth is about everything in his life.

David Tennant, our Macbeth, does not just speak - he performs directly to us, his eyes meeting the camera in a way that feels incredibly intimate - like you should be taking notes. The 4th wall shatters so beautifully, a moment where slow-motion, eerie sound design, and direct address transforms Macbeth into something more than a doomed warrior: A mad king? One of the Wayward Sisters, perhaps? It was a mesmerizing choice that leans into the supernatural horror at the heart of the play. But it also raises a bigger question: who is this performance actually for? Is it for the live audience at the theatre or for us, watching through the carefully placed cameras of TR? When Tennant turns to deliver his monologues, he is not speaking to the audience in the room - he is looking right at us, as if this production of Macbeth was always meant for the silver screens of the cinemas around the world, a medieval "Fleabag" so to speak.

The staging plays with contrast: the entire cast dressed in black, except Lady Macbeth in her ghostly white. A visual cue for her inevitable unraveling? A way to make her look like a malevolent angel of death? Either way, she stands out, especially when she starts (sleep)walking through the halls like an 11PM existential crisis personified. And then, there is that dream sequence - an absolute show stopper. The lighting, the sound design, the raw physicality of it all - it is a highlight of the play, a moment of pure cinematic horror that feels closer to a psychological thriller than a Shakespearean tragedy. The slow-motion of celebrations and claps, the subtle choreography of movement - all carefully designed to make each moment of tension stretch a little longer.

But then there is that comedic scene that disrupts the play - like a breath of fresh air in the midst of the murders and schemings of Castle of Inverness. The kilt joke and the audience participation can only be described as a shift towards a stand-up routine. One second we are drowning in blood and betrayal, the next we are watching a guy riff about kilts and calling out the first row for being loaded. Is this Macbeth or a late-night show in Edinburgh? For a brief moment it feels as if we would have left the play with him entirely. However, after 3 minutes of jokes, the actor flips so effortlessly back into the routine and the rhythm of the original play. And that is what I would call some serious range!

The production also puts the whole "what makes a man?" question under a microscope. By the tenth mention of 'manhood', one might start to wonder if "Macbeth" is really about ambition, fate, and power or is it just the Elizabethan version of a toxic masculinity seminar. 

Add to that the actors are playing multiple opposing roles (which might be confusing at first, but then the following line explains all: "The tyrant's men fight on both sides"), and the glass wall that divides the stage and occasionally bisects actors in a way that feels less symbolic and more like a frustrating camera angle.

And then finally, there is the ending. Macbeth dies (spoiler alert, I guess?), but his final pose on stage is not the same one we see in the next overhead camera shot. A bold and deliberate cinematic edit? A weird continuity error? A directorial choice to make his death look better on film? Whatever the reason is, it is yet another reminder that this "Macbeth" exists in two worlds, never quite settling on which one it truly belongs.

So, was “Macbeth” made for the theatre audience or was it made for us, watching from afar? The cameras of TR decide where to look, what to focus on and even which version of a scene to present. The result? A cinematic masterpiece, which invites the cinema audience to go to London and compare the recorded version to the live one. Striking, unsettling and at times completely mesmerizing. But at its core, much like Macbeth himself, this production seems stuck in indecision - forever caught between two fates, never quite committed to one.

[andrewmbond]

Evaluation and Care

2024

[officialbruciewayne]

Gonna be asking grandkids too like that one Damian kid?

Potentially. I am generally soliciting opinions from my family to input into my datasets.

[myhusbandsabitburnt]

felt silly

this PARTICULAR screenshot has got me going absolutely feral

-------------------------

so I've been deeping this for a couple days and hear me out, dabi holding all mights hand.

him holding all mights hand might represent his childhood and how Dabi was raised to take after all might and surpass him. And with him originally following stains ideas of all might being the only worthy hero , it shows that he actually looked up to all might a bit more than endeavour and saw him as a worthier hero than his father. Or maybe only following stains ideals to spite his father , who he saw as an unworthy hero.

But that's just a game theory🗣️

[philosophybits]

When the mists of a metaphysical-mystical philosophy succeed in rendering all aesthetic phenomena opaque, it follows that they are also incapable of being evaluated one against another, because each of them has become inexplicable. If, however, they are never again compared with one another for the purpose of evaluation, there at last arises a completely uncritical frame of mind, a blind toleration, but likewise a steady decline in the enjoyment of art (which is distinguished from the crude appeasement of a need only by a highly acute tasting and distinguishing). The more this enjoyment declines, however, the more the desire for art is transformed back to a vulgar hunger which the artist then seeks to satisfy with ever coarser fare.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Assorted Opinions and Maxims, 28

[relaxedstyles]

Aaron Rodgers keeps it real.

[cmweller]

Challenge #04476-L092: Temporary Apprentice

A human teen has been following a hellkin around town for some time now.

"Why are you following me, human? I'm not doing anything wrong!"

Um...I...um .. sorry but..I...c...can... you t... teach me to d...do magic better? P.... please?

(Yes the stutter in the post is deliberate. Not everyone talks what most people call 'normal'. Just because we stutter does not mean we're stupid.) -- Anon Guest

They called themself Reason Solo. Reason, because there had to be some in the universe, and Solo because they preferred to be alone. For a Hellkin, it was just easier.

The same rule applied to sorcery. It made things easier.

The power to look like anyone or anything helped Reason avoid the Teufel Tax. The power to vanish from one point and appear in another helped them escape many a sticky situation. As for the power to shoot pure energy from their hands... well. Reason was never without an offensive capability.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[hale-my-nathan]

Trump Weird News - Bipartisan Performance Evaluations

[pumpkin-the-girlie-girl-vixen]

📱 This is the text message I sent my mother, it marked a turning point for me. It was the moment I finally found my backbone and stood up for both myself and my partner. I refused to let her disrupt my peace or tarnish the beautiful life I’ve built without her meddling and undermining my efforts. I won’t allow her to stigmatize my progress and growth any longer. Throughout this journey, I’ve learned that “love” alone isn’t enough to keep someone in your life.

Dear Mom,

I need to set some very clear boundaries regarding our relationship, especially concerning how you speak about my partner. Despite my multiple warnings, you continue to talk negatively about him and try to influence me against him. I want you to understand that he is the best person I’ve ever been with—someone who brings out the best in me that nobody else ever has.

I see parts of you in me, especially when it comes to our struggles. The key difference is that I have been committed to therapy and medication since I was nine years old, and now, at almost 30, I’m still working on myself. You, on the other hand, have never sought therapy and have only taken a fraction of what I have in terms of medication.

I want to be honest: marijuana is not helping you. It exacerbates your BPD, enhancing your worst qualities. There are actual studies that indicate not all medication works for everyone, including marijuana. For the past four months, I haven’t even touched it myself.

Michael is not taking advantage of me; he has not pushed himself into my life or my home. He moved in because we both wanted to share our lives together—something I approached responsibly for the first time. He is a responsible, mature person who supports me, allowing me to feel capable. It’s disappointing that you view me as incapable and irresponsible, while I know my worth and what I bring to the table.

You need to address your erratic moods with medication, just as I do. I suggest therapy not because I think you’re “crazy,” but because I believe it could help you develop social skills, like how to communicate without resorting to name-calling or cursing, which only escalates tensions and doesn’t solve problems.

I’m trying to build my own life and family because I realize I’ve never had the support I needed from the family I was born into. I’ve worked hard to reach this point, and I had hoped to reconnect with you and my family in North Dakota. However, I now see that if I never felt like I belonged, then I won’t find that connection now.

I’m genuinely happy and at peace, doing things I never had the chance to do before, thanks to the positive support from Michael. Building a life requires a support system that believes in you, something I feel is missing from our relationship. A lesson I’ve learned in therapy is that conflict resolution starts with understanding each other’s perspectives, not trying to place blame or prove who is right or wrong.

This difference between us—my commitment to mental health and your refusal to seek help—has led me to back away. I need to distance myself from you, not out of desire, but out of necessity. I’m going to continue living my happy life with Michael, and I’m sad you haven’t taken the opportunity to get to know him. He truly respects me and supports my happiness.

I cannot tolerate being treated like a child or being made to feel inadequate any longer. I’m aware that you see the boys as adults because of their progress, but your perception of me feels stuck, overshadowed by how you view my life through a screen. It’s painful, and I hope you realize your role in that.

I love you, but I can’t allow you to undermine the happiness I’ve found—a happiness that has helped me grow and love myself for the first time. Your words have often made me feel stupid and inadequate, and that’s something I can no longer accept.

I expect that my message will be met with defensiveness, but I need you to take accountability. You’ve chosen not to seek help, while I’m striving to be better every day. Your journey is yours, but I need to focus on mine now. I won’t respond to your messages or phone calls, and I’m stepping back from social media. I’m choosing emotional intelligence for the sake of my peace.

What I want from you is love, and it shouldn’t come with a price tag. I doubt I’ll receive that, but I will still wish you well. Merry Christmas, happy New Year, happy birthday, and all the holidays I’ll miss. This isn’t a choice I wanted to make, but it’s one I need to.

Goodbye, Mom. 🤟

As you might expect, she didn’t receive my text very well… So, in closing, I’m putting my relationship with my mom to rest—for my peace, comfort, and love. ❤️

Navigating the Complexities of My Relationship with My Mother

The relationship between a mother and daughter can often be a beautiful bond, but mine has been a complicated tapestry woven with threads of pain, misunderstanding, and growth. That little girl inside me still exists, a ghost from a time when things with my mom were far from good. She almost had me fooled, weaving a narrative that I was nothing without her, but after everything she put me through, I’ve discovered a strength within myself that I never knew existed.

From a young age, I found myself fighting for a place in my mother’s world, striving to meet expectations that seemed to shift with the changing winds. No matter how much I worked or how desperately I sought acceptance, I felt like I was always falling short. It was an emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual battle that consumed much of my childhood and adult life whenever we interacted. It might not have been all-consuming at once, but as a collective experience, it truly sucked. She brought the flames and put me through hell, teaching me the hard way that I had to learn to fight for myself. And deep down, I think she knows it too. We both know the truths that could be told, but instead, I’ll simply say, “I wish you farewell.”

I can make it on my own now. I’ve learned that I don’t need her in my life; I’ve found a newfound strength that’s empowering. For years, I was the one forgiving her, often without ever hearing an apology in return or seeing any accountability for her actions. It’s astonishing to think that I’ve never witnessed her say sorry to any of my siblings or even to my dad. From the age of nine, she placed me in therapy, and now at 28, I realize the irony. I’ve perfected the art of communication, taking accountability and truly meaning it each time I’ve said I was sorry. Yet, it’s disheartening to realize that while I’ve worked on conflict resolution, she seems to play the role of the menacing, abusive mother with no intention of changing.

She has this uncanny ability to shift blame onto everyone else once things go wrong, ignoring her part in all of it. When it’s clear she’s at fault, she pretends as though it never happened the next day, expecting us to move on as if nothing is amiss. Yet, she holds onto others’ wrongdoings that affect her like a badge of honor, despite her own history of mistakes. I often wonder if she ever forgives herself. If she does, it truly disappoints me.

If I could tell her one thing, it would be this: “He is good, so good. He treats your little girl like a real man should. He makes promises he keeps.” I want her to understand that I’m okay, and that when I watch my baby grow up, I hope she finds the kind of man I’ve found—loving, respectful, gentle, and kind. My partner reminds me of my dad—the morals and values he holds bring me back to the essence of home. If only my mother weren’t so stuck in the past, unable to see that I’ve learned from my mistakes and found someone worthy of my heart.

But the reality is, I can’t get through to her. I never could as a child, and I doubt I’ll be able to as an adult, not without her committing to medication, therapy, and applying what she’s learned. Sadly, it seems she wouldn’t even entertain that notion. In order for me to build the family I’ve always wanted for myself, I’ve had to let go of her. I still visit the memories of our past, but everyone has to grow up.

It pains me to admit that I had to cut her off. She was my first best friend, and for most of my life, I viewed her as the most important person to me. But now, at the age of 28, I’m finally awakening to the truth: “Huh, we are not that close.” The other day, I almost reached for my phone to chit-chat with her, only to remember the reality of our relationship. I set the phone down and sat in silence for a while. I would rather hear nothing than face the hurtful words she’s hurled at me over the years—words no mother should ever say to her daughter.

In conclusion, my relationship with my mother is a complicated one, and while I mourn the bond we could have had, I’m also grateful for the strength I've discovered through the struggles. I’m moving forward and building a life where I can thrive, free from the shadows of a tumultuous past. And for that little girl who still lives inside me, I promise to protect her fiercely from the flames that once consumed us both.

In closing, I want to reflect on the happiness I’ve found with my partner. Despite the attempts to push a negative narrative onto my shoulders, I’ve realized that it’s not the story I’m living. I’m living a life filled with joy, love, and support—something I never thought I could have. I feel incredibly blessed to have my partner by my side, who nurtures my growth and embraces me for who I truly am. Together, we’re building a beautiful future, and I’m grateful every day for the love we share. Here’s to celebrating the life we’re creating together and leaving behind the negativity that no longer serves me!

[filibustin-a-nut]

How well is this blog adhering to the goal "reblogs and resources dedicated to resisting Trump and preserving the people's rights"