How would you answer this question on a medical form?

Those are all vague terms. Unless the suicide attempt was successful, in which case we would not be having this conversation.

Just say no.

That’s weird.

“Insanity” is a legal term, not a medical term.

Do what I do.. When in doubt, put down “Peanut butter”..

I’d say no or N/A. Really, it’s none of their business.

Suicide? Just suicide? Not suicide attempts, as your personal history (obviously, you weren’t successful, since you’re filling out a medical history form), or completed in family history? That’s… not to be all grammar nazi, but that’s in no way correct.

“Nervous breakdown” is a colloquial term with no clinical definition. Insanity is a legal term with no clinical definition. Either way, neither of them has any business being on a medical history form.

I’d just leave them alone. You’d be surprised at how much you don’t have to fill out on those forms.

Seriously, what kind of cutting edge medical company is this? A drug trial? WTF?

I am assuming it is a very old and outdated form since none of those are current medical terms. Rheumatic Heart Disease, which hasn’t been much of an issue since the 60s, is also listed. So are Stomach (yes, I have one) and Goiter (no, I do not.)

@Supacase Like, it’s asking if you have a stomach?

@Aethelflaed I think it meant stomach problems? Ulcers and colitis are also listed, so I’m not really sure. My grandmother can probably translate.

It is a medical group that includes hospitals, clinics, primary care, specialists, and whatever else. I’ve been a patient for years, but am changing PCPs, which is why I have to do the forms again… even though the entire system is connected by computer.

@Supacase Oh, is this in another language? That would make a lot more sense.

Medical history forms are almost always more of a formality than anything else. The nurse or doctor will almost always ask you again about your history, and put it into the chart/computer themselves. So I never stress over them.

No, but I’m willing to try.

just say “No thank you!”
On forms that say Sex: I always put “Yes, please”

Sorry, guys. I was being a little tongue-in-cheek, which obviously didn’t come across. This really is the form I was given – in English, in the US – but I know it is out of date and completely absurd. I just couldn’t believe they gave me this form from 1950-whatever.

When is says “Sex: M or F” I think how I like to F, but usually have to M.

Yeah! I’m with you filmfan.. On a form that refers to ‘sex’ I always answer “Often”..

On forms that ask if I’ve ever had homosexual sex, I like to reply with “None of your fucking business, you homophobic twat”.

@filmfann I see what you did there.

@Aethelflaed that particular question has little to nothing to do with homophobia. It’s in regards to AIDS. Yes, I know that heterosexual people get AIDS, but it is (or was?) most prevalent in the gay community.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Yeah. I know. But it’s an old stereotype based more around GRID than AIDS. If you’re asking if I’ve ever had unprotected anal sex, ask that – both gay men and heterosexual couples are at risk in that behavior. And it emphasizes gay men as the default, and ignores lesbians; lesbian sex is less risky for AIDS, so that’s not what they’re trying to get at from a medical standpoint. And while unprotected anal sex is the best way to spread AIDS through sex, you know what’s the best way to find out if someone actually has AIDS? Do an AIDS test. The bottom line is that it ignores how the people having the sex went about doing it (mainly, protected or not, though there is a bit of an oral vs anal thing as well) and treats all gay sex as at an equal risk for transmitting AIDS while ignoring the dangers of having unprotected homosexual sex. And no, AIDS is not actually most prevalent in the gay community. It was initially seen that way, but the heterosexual community has since gained some serious “has AIDS” ground (especially in Africa), and now we understand that a virus doesn’t give a shit about your sexual orientation, and I’d expect a doctor’s office to be at the front of focusing on science instead of politics.

@Aethelflaed ok, that makes sense. I was thinking that “do you have any bloodborne illnesses” would be a more appropriate question anyway. Thanks for the reply and for not going off on me.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard No problem. I like to assume people have just never thought of it that way unless they’ve given me some reason to think otherwise.

“No, just zombie-ism. But that was my great uncle Zebulon.”

I’ve learned to lie on such forms because if I was honest I’d be locked away.
I think that’s^ probably true for most people though. Psychology be pseudo science.

@everephebe Why do you think it’s pseudo-science, and what would they lock you away for?

@Aethelflaed
“Why do you think it’s pseudo-science?” Well, I dig Jung and all but…
“What would they lock you away for?” Suicidal Depression. [coughs, looks around awkwardly] Hey I still have my earlobes dammit!

@everephebe Ok. I would point out that a lot of the stuff they mention in that section is either stuff that’s frowned upon in the psychological community, or stuff they’re often careful to note. And that it’s becoming less of a soft science and more like studying other medical conditions.

Just fyi, they cannot lock you up for suicidal depression or even suicidal ideation. Unless you tell them that you have a specific, fleshed-out plan to harm yourself or others, they do not have a legal standing upon which to lock you up (nor is anyone interested in wasting resources on someone before they’ve formulated a plan). Up until that point, it has the same confidentiality as telling them that you have syphilis or once killed a cat.

Well I was being slightly, how shall we put it, hyperbolic for the sake of rhetoric.
While psychology has progressed very far, but still there are major issues with psychology today not the magazine that dog the profession.

I don’t think I would be locked away if I answered honestly on such forms but people would start recommending all sorts of medication for me that is entirely unnecessary, and things would go onto my medical file that I rather not have on there for anyone to see. I love cats. Meow. But not like that though. :D blah blah blah…