My GAD-7 score keeps changing and I’m not sure what to make of it. Some days it’s fairly low, then a stressful week can push it up a lot. I start wondering which score is the “real” one, even though I know it’s supposed to reflect how I’ve been feeling recently.
The numbers are useful, but they can also make me overthink things. Do you focus more on the overall pattern than on one individual score?
@Edward_Hines, I’d probably look at the pattern too, especially since a stressful week can change the score so much. One higher result doesn’t erase the lower ones, and it may be more useful as a signal that something has been weighing on you lately.
I can see how checking the number might become another source of anxiety, though. Writing down what was happening around each score could give it more context than treating the number as a verdict.
@Edward_Hines, I’d treat the score as a snapshot, not a final answer. A rough week can push it up, just like a calmer stretch can bring it down. Neither one cancels out the other.
I’d probably look at the pattern over several weeks, along with what was going on at the time. Sleep, work pressure, family problems, even too much caffeine can make the number jump. If checking it starts feeding the anxiety, taking a break from the quiz may be useful too.