Does Anyone Have A High Iq

[Springbok]

How do you think this factors into PTSD? I wish I could find a therapist who also has a high IQ. Why? I don't know. For some reason I think they would better understand me. I feel so alone, and like I'm wasting my life.

 

[darrenS]

i think being intelligent can lead you to complicate things , by thinking its an intelligent problem and requires an intelligent solution is only complicating what could be a simple problem or simple solution

 

[WillyKat]

I'm not sure that a higher IQ is directly correlated with a greater ability to understand someone's innermost thoughts and feelings and to then provide good therapeutic advice. It's not an apples to apples thing. More like apples and orangutans. I wouldn't expect Einstein or Hawking to be good therapists. You have to factor in training, empathy, and their personality.

I think effective therapy depends as much on interpersonal chemistry as it does on intelligence.

 

[sun seeker]

I agree. There is probably a modicum of intelligence as "capacity for insight" that would help in therapy, but beyond that it may lead us to separate intellectual understanding of what is wrong with us from a commitment to the grunt work needed to heal. A high IQ usually manifests as a reduced need for repetition of concepts, which is a plus when assimilating information and developing new ideas, but by the same token there is increased boredom with repetition. Healing does require repetition, internalizing new skills and then going home and using them day after day.

So it depends what you want in a therapist. If you would be happy with talk therapy where you spend lots of time delving into your psyche and why you are the way you are, then yes, you would want a therapist who is at least as intelligent as you are. You'll be able to tell pretty quickly. That kind of therapy is usually not considered the best for trauma work though. What you need is a therapist who is compassionate and good at their job. Or maybe you need two therapists - one to talk to and the other to work with.

 

[Seagreen]

Good question. My son has a high IQ and is a very deep thinker. He is also a deeply sensitive person. I think it does provide extra challenges. He is young at the moment but I worry about him later in life. For him it was about finding a therapist that he could have a meaningful conversation with first. Trial and error. Sorry I cant be of more help.

 

[joeylittle]

IQ tests are predictors of certain things - basically, your ability to perform/learn in an academic and/or professional setting. Kind of like a measure of capacity for intelligence. But they don't quantify intelligence per se. Also, there is debate over when in the aging process the IQ either becomes static or declines. I think it's related to the differences in fluid and crystallized intelligence.

So, i think if you want to see someone you think is smart, talk to them and see if you think they are smart. IQ means you have the capacity for intelligence, but whether you have actually developed your intelligence through learning, reasoning, etc. is totally up to the individual.

Some quick googling turns up a few studies that "indicate" (I say this very loosely) that there is more statistical likelihood for those with lower IQ to suffer from PTSD.
http://

But there are also studies investigating the same phenomenon in mood disorders:
http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=481989

 

[sun seeker]

I forgot to comment on the other thing you said. Yes, having a very high IQ is lonely. There are only so many people you can talk to who are going to be able to keep up with you on an intellectual level, and then of course you may or may not have anything in common besides that. Add in the trauma you are working with and it does sound like a recipe for loneliness. The best advice I have is to try to find people to talk to who are interested in some of the same things as you. What do you like to do?

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I don't think that a high IQ factors into having PTSD, but it may indeed help you get through it better.

 

[Deleted member 28403]

I had an IQ test a few years ago, on which I scored high above average or above average on everything except for social intelligence. The social intelligence was average, in theoretical situations, but decreased more due to trauma. That means I am extremely good at everything except that I can't handle simple social situations. IQ does affect many things, if you had a test with more than one chart, seeing social intelligence and everything else as well, you would notice that the IQ matters, but I don't really have use of cognitive skills and great mathematical knowledge in a situation where panic takes over and I just run away, or dissociate. But still, I go into upper 1-2% by IQ.

 

[ghotiff]

I have a high IQ (academic intelligence) and a low EQ (emotional intelligence). I think this hinders therapy. My wanting to treat therapy intellectually and not emotionally is something I struggle with.

I have no idea of my T's IQ but I'm sure it's above average. I need someone who can keep up with me and not someone who is still talking about something I said three topics ago (unless of course I moved on because of avoidance).

 

[missbliss]

High IQ is a rare virtue in *therapists*. Those that are drawn to be *therapists* are usually average in all respects. It is uncommon to find a gem among them, one who will go the extra mile to investigate, delve into the unconventional modalities of healing and speak in a manner that is not insulting to the soul. High IQ I decipher to possessing finesse. Forget about it. If you want high IQ in a therapist, you might as well become one yourself and save yourself a lot of time, energy and money because they're so rare - they're practically non-existent.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I was under the impression the IQ tests can be inaccurate.

However my therapist always comments how intelligent I am. I have to agree with @Solara and if you are willing to gain knowledge to help your treatment then in it will help in your journey of healing. But I'm not sure if that's IQ or just maturity or seeing reality.