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Heroin rehab confidentiality?

K

k20

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
197
Hey guys. I live in California and was wondering about the privacy of going to a rehab.
Let's say I register and go to rehab. Will it be on record? Will other doctors be able to know I was abusing? If I apply for a job or school and they do a background check, will it show up? No patient confidentiality? Will the police be able to know?

How about if I see a psych? Patient confidentiality? or will it go on record accessible to other doctors and stuff?

How about methadone/suboxone clinics?

Thanks
 
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I can't believe I don't know the full answer to this, so thank you for the reminder.

To help answer your question, which looks worse on your record: a breathing prison sentence, or volentarily checking into rehab without even being asked?
 
I mean if it does go on my record and I'm not able to get a job because of it, I rather try to quit by myself....

I wanna be a doctor (don't laugh or judge!) and I'm pretty sure I won' be able to practice if I'm known to have abused drugs in the past

edit: I mean if a doctor knew they'd have to report it right? Is it the same with a shrink, would the shrink have to report it too?
 
Many doctors abuse drugs, but most don't seek help because they are the professionals to start with.
You do your homework, you buy your toys. If you're already thinking you can do it yourself, you can.

Worst case scenario, become a drug conselor and get paid to talk about your past.
 
well I tried quitting many times, but failed so I'm considering professional help. if not I'm gonna give it another go by myself.

how about NA, is that confidential?
 
It doesn't go on your record at all, medical or othewise. The information is not available anywhere, it's illegal for them to give it out.

So YES, rehab is confidential. Go get the help you need. You're already on the right path, seeking help for yourself. Trust me, it doesn't get any better. I fucking hate what drugs have done to my life.

Quitting by yourself just doesn't work very well for the vast majority of people. It just doesn't. I have tried MANY times to quit myself. I last a couple days, a couple weeks, even a couple months, and always find a reason to relapse. You just need a support network.

The longest I stayed sober, almost a year, was because I went to rehab and continued with outpatient once I got out. As soon as I quit outpatient, I didn't keep going to AA, and I relapsed. Surprise fucking surprise, eh? It all happens exactly like they fucking say it does. A progressive, relapsing disease. Fucking shitty. So get help if you can. If you think you need help you probably do.
 
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Trigeminal said:
It doesn't go on your record at all, medical or othewise. The information is not available anywhere, it's illegal for them to give it out.

So YES, rehab is confidential. Go get the help you need. You're already on the right path, seeking help for yourself. Trust me, it doesn't get any better. I fucking hate what drugs have done to my life.

Quitting by yourself just doesn't work very well for the vast majority of people. It just doesn't. I have tried MANY times to quit myself. I last a couple days, a couple weeks, even a couple months, and always find a reason to relapse. You just need a support network.

The longest I stayed sober, almost a year, was because I went to rehab and continued with outpatient once I got out. As soon as I quit outpatient, I didn't keep going to AA, and I relapsed. Surprise fucking surprise, eh? It all happens exactly like they fucking say it does. A progressive, relapsing disease. Fucking shitty. So get help if you can. If you think you need help you probably do.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Is there an only outpatient rehab? I need to attend school so inpatient is not an option for me. I really don't know anything about rehabs and how they work.

DexterMeth said:
But if someone is in a coma, it really helps to know what meds they are on (or not), their diet, etc, so that the "life saving antidote" won't kill them.
Click to expand...

So you're saying they can get the info if they feel like they have to? Thank you too dexter
 
k20 said:
Thanks for the info. Is there an only outpatient rehab? I need to attend school so inpatient is not an option for me. I really don't know anything about rehabs and how they work.

Yea there are plenty of outpatient only rehabs. Just look for some online.

So you're saying they can get the info if they feel like they have to? Thank you too dexter
Click to expand...

But this is not true. People have a lot of misconceptions about rehab and confidentiality. They can't get this information. It is not protocol when someone is in a coma to say "Quick! Find out if he has ever been to rehab!"

Obviously that was sarcasm, but even if that WAS protocol, a hospital STILL could not get that information. The only possible exception to this would be if you went into a coma while you're actually in rehab, and the rehab staff took you to to the hospital. Then yes they might know what meds you're on.

Anyway this is not applicable to you since you're only going to outpatient.

Also, call up a rehab and ask them about their confidentiality policy. Advice from strangers on the Internet is often wrong.
 
k20 said:
I mean if it does go on my record and I'm not able to get a job because of it, I rather try to quit by myself....

I wanna be a doctor (don't laugh or judge!) and I'm pretty sure I won' be able to practice if I'm known to have abused drugs in the past

edit: I mean if a doctor knew they'd have to report it right? Is it the same with a shrink, would the shrink have to report it too?
Click to expand...

I rarely post to Other Drugs but your question is relevant to me because I'm in the business so to speak and I've been
to rehab.

Many medical professionals, including physicians, have been to treatment. Seeking residential treatment for chemical
dependency should not preclude you from joining the profession. No one will have access to your medical records, but
some schools and licensure boards will ask for disclosure. Under these circumstances, it is best to disclose that you
went to treatment. Keep it brief. No member of your treatment team will report that you sought treatment. Your
medical records are confidential. The only time your records become subject to review is if you are actively using while
you are in training (school, internship, residency), or in active practice, and you are being monitored by the Board or
place of practice.

Better to get clean now.
 
k20 said:
Thanks for the info. Is there an only outpatient rehab? I need to attend school so inpatient is not an option for me. I really don't know anything about rehabs and how they work.



So you're saying they can get the info if they feel like they have to? Thank you too dexter
Click to expand...

It's called a blood test when you are unconscious and they have to save your life.
 
Excellent response here. I am an NP that takes benzos for PTSD, but as prescribed. I've been an opiate addict in the past, but was able to use methadone to successfully kick the habit. Granted it was 2 yrs of methadone, before I decided to go for the slow taper (felt like I was ready and could do it on my own w/o the methadone). So this was excellent advice. Trust me you have much HARD work ahead of you and it will be easier to be a success as a physician if you quit now. Don't be afraid...
 
With regard to your question about inpatient vs. outpatient treatment, there are no hard and fast rules. As a medical professional, I needed
a solid ninety-days of inpatient care because I was surrounded by drugs all day. I followed inpatient with outpatient and daily NA/AA but that's
just me.
 
You always need to sign release forms if a facility is to disclose any information, and they can't just release it to anybody. I was court ordered to inpatient, and in order for them to contact my case worker, I needed to sign a release form, with the persons name on it that they were going to call about my release.

While I was in inpatient, I had to sign a release form between my counselor and my probation officer. This was mostly just to allow them to reveal the outcome of any drug tests, and my progress.

I wasn't pushed to sign the consent form for anybody other than those that would absolutely need my information, which was only my probation officer, and my treatment court case worker. She would present to the judge a statement along the lines of "Tommyboy has continued outpatient treatment and is showing great progress. All drug test performed there and by us have all been negative. We ask that this be adjourned for 1 month."

I was seeing a suboxone Dr at the outpatient facility, and the facility did not want anybody there that was being prescribed xanax or other benzos. The said they would only let me continue there if I let their Dr call my psychiatrist. The Dr was actually really good about it, and I told him that I told my psychiatrist that I was arrested for marijuana possession, and I asked that he keep my suboxone use confidential. He obliged, and the next time I saw my psychiatrist for xanax he just mentioned that he received a call from a Dr about me, and I just said that I had to see him as part of a plea arrangement for being caught with weed.

I know that you weren't asking about confidentiality for those in legal trouble, but I think that my experience may shed some light as to how difficult it is for any records to be shared, even when you are in a legal bind that may require some communication between two or more parties.
 
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