Post-Test Stress

[annonymous]

Does anyone else continue to experience anxiety responses long after their polygraph exams? My polygraphs were over a year ago,  but whenever I think about them or someone brings them up, my hands start shaking visibly and my heart races. (This especially happens when reading posts on polygraphplace.com...) It seems the polygrah was really a traumatic event for me! Granted I'm a timid person, and being in a small romo with a hostile polygrapher for hours on end was a real nightmare. Has anyone else had anxiety responses regarding the polygraph long after their tests were finished??

[Marty]

Does anyone else continue to experience anxiety responses long after their polygraph exams? My polygraphs were over a year ago,  but whenever I think about them or someone brings them up, my hands start shaking visibly and my heart races. (This especially happens when reading posts on polygraphplace.com...) It seems the polygrah was really a traumatic event for me! Granted I'm a timid person, and being in a small romo with a hostile polygrapher for hours on end was a real nightmare. Has anyone else had anxiety responses regarding the polygraph long after their tests were finished??

Dr Furedy has discussed the ethical issues inherent in the CQT polygraph which you can read more about here http://psych.utoronto.ca/~furedy/poldil.htm. Even if you are not a false positive and "passed" the exam it can be psychologically stressful. Understanding what they do and why should help to reduce that stress to some degree. Good luck. Here is Furedy's summary of these stresses:

The two horns of PD are damage the innocent examinee classified as deceptive, and damage to those examinee's psychological well being who are classified as non-deceptive to the relevant questions, and who are not even debriefed concerning their feelings of unease about issues raised by the comparison, so-called "control" questions.

-Marty

[Guest]

I had my poly for a federal LEA a couple of days ago.  I am still experiencing total exhaustion, physical and mental and emotional.  I feel like chopped liver.  I did not lie.  It was grueling.  3 1/2 hours.  The examiner was not hostile but very professional and by the book.  He was sympathetic, I felt, to my nervousness.  At the end, I was told I was within passing parmeters, but, I "bumped" on a couple of areas and they may elect to retest me, or pass me, or fail me (hows that for specifics...).  I will know within 10-15 days....  Here's the real insult to my integrity, one of the areas I bumped on was "have you ever dealt drugs".  Well hell no I have never done that and I about flipped when he told me I showed sign on that one.  In fact I investigate drug dealers all the time.  Which only made me beleive that you can't take these things for the 100% truth.  I feel very anxious, very stressed.  I am a very honest person and courageous yet felt intimidated by the whole experience, almost violated.  I feel wiped out.  Even my running isn't taking care of the stress.  I'm somewhat releived to see others experience this too so it's not just me.  Thanks....good luck to all.  I would not wish this on anyone.  But if I get in, it will have been worth the pain and turmoil....

[old school cop]

I had my poly for a federal LEA a couple of days ago.  I am still experiencing total exhaustion, physical and mental and emotional.  I feel like chopped liver.  I did not lie.  It was grueling.  3 1/2 hours.  The examiner was not hostile but very professional and by the book.  He was sympathetic, I felt, to my nervousness.  At the end, I was told I was within passing parmeters, but, I "bumped" on a couple of areas and they may elect to retest me, or pass me, or fail me (hows that for specifics...).  I will know within 10-15 days....  Here's the real insult to my integrity, one of the areas I bumped on was "have you ever dealt drugs".  Well hell no I have never done that and I about flipped when he told me I showed sign on that one.  In fact I investigate drug dealers all the time.  Which only made me beleive that you can't take these things for the 100% truth.  I feel very anxious, very stressed.  I am a very honest person and courageous yet felt intimidated by the whole experience, almost violated.  I feel wiped out.  Even my running isn't taking care of the stress.  I'm somewhat releived to see others experience this too so it's not just me.  Thanks....good luck to all.  I would not wish this on anyone.  But if I get in, it will have been worth the pain and turmoil....

And this guy wants to be in Law Enforcement?  What will happen to his jelly guts when he has to deal with some real stress?

[Anonymous]

Some shining example of law enforcement YOU are with a snide comment like this.  Please refrain from such unprofessional posts in the future.  Your glaring lack of maturity leads me to wonder how you got in to LE to begin with.  Shame on you for being so snide.

[old school cop]

Some shining example of law enforcement YOU are with a snide comment like this.  Please refrain from such unprofessional posts in the future.  Your glaring lack of maturity leads me to wonder how you got in to LE to begin with.  Shame on you for being so snide.

The original rude prick has now become the Miss Manners of the board.  I've seen your posts and you make my "snide" remarks seem downright polite.