Long story short, I recently had an appointment with a psychiatrist following an unfortunate incident 2 months ago.
All was well during the initial consultation, then at the end of the hour, the guy states that he is going to report my substance use (currently cannabis and nothing else), to my workplace.
Obviously this would be a breach of doctor patient confidentiality, right? There's no legal need to report anything unless a person is in danger.
My question is; do psychiatrists actually do this sort of thing or is he trying to fuck with me?
First of all, I am an American and I think I heard this type of thing before in Australia. I am in America and unless a person is a danger to to others or is really suicidal, they can't report shit like that.
I wouldn't go to a shrink, but if they did that to me and got me fired, I would not admit to what I would want to do. I am a Christian but the temptation to really go after them would be there, however I can control my rage, but what if I were psychotic? And that is one of the many reasons shrinks cannot report shit like smoking weed. They would die if they ruined the wrong person's job over here. I would never encourage and I think that sort of thing is awful, but the fact is you don't fuck with a person's job like that.
My general practioner thought It was fine and he said ok because it is legal in the state I live in and has benefits. He basically encouraged it to a point.
There are people who would kill them, stalk them and go after them over here.
That is bullshit and completely undermines the the trust and confidentiality between a therapist and a patient. I would never be honest with a shrink and then you have destroyed the confidence of the patient and the trust is now gone.
I get the whole reporting someone who is plotting murder or is genuinely suicidal( in Canada they would be probably try to help with a patient committing suicide) but in a sane environment, they would have to and probably have a person committed.
But smoking pot? I would probably seek vengeance if it were not for my beliefs.
How can there be any real help, if the shrink is going to tattle on you and fuck up your life?
How can there be any real help when so many are going to lie, leave out stuff, and not have any level of trust in them?
That completely undermines the doctor patient relationship and no real therapy can take place if they are being bullshitted by every other patient.
Look into what the laws in your country are. Here you could sue them for millions and probably get a fat out of court settlement, but I am not sure in Australia.
Did they change the laws in your country? Because what you said is what I know to be true here in America. They could possibly lose their license for shit like that here. Definitely a hugh lawsuit. Definitely illegal over here.
That could only make your life worse. What if you lost your job, family, and home. Because they tattled on you for pot. That wouldn't fly here. Because they would probably die on a regular basis( physiatrists as a whole) and it is illegal and and they would loose everything they worked for and possibly their life.
No, I am not encouraging violence, I am merely explaining what could happen in America. Also giving another reason why it is illegal here.
Violence and vengeance are wrong.
