(sillighost again! pt 1) Okay so i went to see a psychiatrist, actually, I was recommended to go by the student councellors. He seemed nice enough, but the second session out of three, he brings up psychosis. I didn’t think this was relevant, I tried to explain, and he agreed with me. So I came a last time, and we talked about other problems, like how I believe I may have anxiety and ADHD, but he said “no” to everything, saying that “some people are just more lazy” and
(sillyghost pt 2) and “your anxiety is because of childhood trauma/negligence so it’s not real anxiety”. Still he asked if it was okay for him to write a letter to my doctor and recommend I speak to someone about childhood stuff etc. So I agreed. Then I got a letter from my doctor that she had gotten a letter from him, but I wasn’t so keen on going. Eventually I had to go for a physical reason, and she mentioned the letter. It turns out he recommended I be assessed for schizophrenia at the
(sillyghost pt 3) psychiatric hospital?? I was completely confused. How could he just lie to me for two hours? Is it even legal for him to mention something I haven’t given him permission to (re: confidentiality)?? And now I definitely never ever want to talk to MH professional again, it’s like he was trying to make me paranoid???? Is this normal behavior?? What on earth should I do.. I feel really cheated and paranoid. and confused. maybe my memory is not trustworthy. ugh why would he do that?
Hey anon,
I’m sorry that you had that experience. It wasn’t ok for your provider to lie to you like that, even if he was trying to help. You deserve informed treatment, and you didn’t get that with that psychiatrist.
I do think, though, that you should go for that assessment. I know that you don’t think you have delusional thinking, but your last ask did describe some things that could be seen as delusions. I’m not saying that they are, just they show some similarities. It’s worth at least going so that you can rule that out, if for no other reason.
I also doubt that the only reason for an assessment is to assess a specific disorder; it’s possible that that’s a specific specialty of the assessor he wants to send you to, but it’s probably a more general assessment.
What I think probably happened is that your psych heard what you had to say and thought that some of your beliefs sounded potentially delusional. He, not having expertise in disorders that could cause that, wanted to refer you to someone who could more effectively figure out if you’re having delusions.
My recommendation would be to get the assessment and to find a new psychiatrist. No matter what else, his comments about anxiety and ADHD were wrong and invalidating.
As for confidentiality, it sounds like you probably signed a form allowing him to communicate with your primary care doctor (which would have enabled him to send a letter). Once you signed that form, you lost control over what he was able to send. Ethically, I don’t think he should have sent the letter he did without explicit consent, but I think that what he did was legal.
Stay strong. You deserve competent, compassionate help.
–roboraptor
Edit: It may be possible to revoke permission, depending on circumstances. I would check out the laws in your area and the written policies of any clinician you have seen.
