GAF

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Hi-

It was in the DSM III, R:

http://www.brattlebororetreat.org/files ... ioning.pdf

Check under the score of 20........

I wonder what my GAF score would be?


I can hold down a job
I am not working right now but trying to find temporary work
I am lazy
I can drive
I have had suicide thoughts and depression
I have obsessive compulsive thinking
When I get pushed over the edge, I lose it
I don't have many friends or have any desires for them
I have an eating disorder
I have anxiety so it might impair me a little bit and stop be from doing things
I have a learning disability so it made me struggle in school

To me the GAF is like a "functioning IQ" but mine is extremely low because of the lack of "reality testing" that I have "delusions" and hallucinations and sometimes act on them. Right now I say its between 20-30. When I went into the hospital they always rated it around a 20 but when I got out (whether I really got better or not) it was ALWAYS 50. Its like that is their policy, you must have a GAF of 50 to leave the hospital even if its not really true. I never did smear my crap or any of the gross things. It was mainly due to self harm and the delusions/hallucinations with suicidal ideation. Yes as you can tell I also have schizoaffective disorder on top of my autism. I know some of the requirements have to do with communication, which I sometimes speak or write in a "word salad" but not now of course. But I know some of you probably have seen some of those posts. Just random words would come out of my mouth, thats probably another reason why my GAF is so low. I think my pdoc agrees with the level that I wrote, between 20-30 or more likely if you want an exact number 25. Right in the middle of the two. The highest in the past year is probably around 50-60 (that's when the pills were working perfectly and everything was great!). But most of the time I'm around that 25 mark. I feel like a doctor!

In forum venue I can communicate fine. According to the chart, and only the chart, I have major impairment in 4 areas. The 4th would be meltdowns and I can avoid having them in public. What exactly constitutes major impairment? It says if you can't hold a job, if you have few or no friends, if you neglect your family or fight with them. Maybe the chart means physical injury involving family members? And if you talk to them once every 10 years, that's not neglect? If I can accept having no friends without making it into a crisis or getting suicidal over it....then I don't have major impairment in the friendship area? And I didn't even consider self-injury because I don't do it that often. But it seemed to imply if you ever did it, it's a huge impairment. Not a feces smearing impairment but an impairment nevertheless. And mood swings?..I didn't even go there.

Sounds like health care professionals aren't following their own chart.

Okay. I'll give myself a 60 then.

What's ironic about all this is when I was heavily into recreational drugs I would have scored off the top of the frackin chart! Working, loads of friends, talking to parents and no fights, very few or no meltdowns....etc. etc. I hardly ever got worked up over anything. Why? I was stoned out of my mind all the time!!

The GAF is actually nothing like a "functioning IQ." The functioning IQ is given by a psychologist after administering a test like the Vineland Adaptive Behaviors Scale.

I just found out mine is below 70, but I'm not sure how low it is, since I haven't seen my report.

I'll guess somewhere between 38 and 43, based on the second chart.

I'm sure I have one, with my history, but doctors are rarely very forthcoming with that kind of information.

Well... dangit. If they always rate you at 50 when they discharge you, then a lot of us may not even have legitimate numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Ass ... unctioning

When I said 25 I meant it. Nothing is mentioned about if you score below 40 that you have to be put away. Usually 20 is the number that you go into the hospital because you are either psychotic or suicidal. Since according to a billion doctors I am having a psychotic episode, can't make decisions, occasional incoherence, no school or "real" job other than being an artist and speaker.

21-30 Behavior is considerably influenced by delusions or hallucinations OR serious impairment in communications or judgment OR inability to function in all areas.

I know how the GAF works, it is based on the LOWEST part of your functioning. Notice above it says "OR" not "ALL." If you had all, you would be on the low end of the 21-30.
So if you have one item in the 21-30 range such as your behavior being influenced by delusions or hallucinations, then that's your score. Sometimes when I'm outside I move in weird patterns to avoid a laser satellite from shooting me. There are other times where I am yelling at the government agents to get out of my house. Sometimes I even cut myself (haven't done it in awhile though) to get the chips and "nanobots" out of my body. To the psychiatrist, this would be considered "behavior influenced by delusions/hallucinations." I know some of you have seen my incoherent posts, but I doubt all of you have seen them so I meet the requirement for "serious impairment in communications" even though its not all the time. Its more like (depending on the day) 10-30% of the day where I can't talk or write properly. Its all gibberish.

Here's what I wrote in the Haven called "incredibly depressed"

All of me wow depressed and Great Depression that I caused I am dead what? Who in fly die why as I say, drop down the stocks died for me. Aliens are invading, for me as it for stuff streaks of light in the sky nothing good. Seeing everything the gov put the nanobots snake machines I feel them. Fight for aliens or die by the gov? I don't know who but I am at fault. No money for anyone me it is the cause, I'm sorry. People lie all to me, no truth, and the moment of truth I am the only one. As low the flow will go, down I go. Up, what is that mean? Aliens want me..don't know why but no I won't go fight in their intergalactic war. NO!! !! ! My head is the pain but no gain, the snakes mess up my brain. No voices, oh yes, that proves it! Sane!! !! Pills are poison, I'm fat as fat can be, I see Evil Doc on March 30th. Evil Medical School people graduate from, its all over online they call me insane. Everything is real, I know wow the bow and reality and not reality is different. For me, reality. Hope people read. I will go nowhere, life is bad and my fault, mom almost died. Once again, my fault. I don't thing think what to say, now for the middle cow, real high tech, huh?

Now that is confusion right there! Thats why in my info (part of my avatar) it says "Im confused about being confused"

You wouldn't know if they did. It's just something they check off on one of their forms.

Yeah, I don't think I'll ever get past the 50s, because oddly enough, even if I become a wildly successful engineer, I don't necessarily have to have a lot of good friends or efficient verbal communication!

I haven't read all of that criteria thingy, but I'm guessing I'm about 60-70.