DesperateChallenge
Member
- Oct 25, 2018
- 46
I have suspicion that my therapist either contacted my parents directly or contacted the VA's Suicide Prevention team who contacted my parents out of concern for my mental health/suicide risk. I am NOT a minor- I am 27 years old. They don't have a power of attorney over me or any other sort of "guardianship".
In doing some research it seems that HIPAA does not really protect the rights of someone with mental health conditions who is a risk to themseld or others. I always knew medical providers could call the police for things like that but assumed HIPAA prevented them from contacting my family directly. It doesn't seem like the case- can anyone with some knowledge on this issue please confirm or clarify? https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hipaa-helps-prevent-harm.pdf
I am pissed, to say the least, for numerous reasons. One, pissed that my therapist called them (or had suicide prevention call them) based on perceived- not expressed- suicidality. Granted, I am extremely suicidal and have been for a few days, but I have not told him that. The only thing he could be going off of is that I've refused my mandatory "daily email check-in". Two, I am pissed that my parents never gave two shits until someone called them. I've had two suicide attempts, they know my warning signs, and they ignore them or worse, provoke me to make them worse. Now I am paranoid that everything I say and do is going to be under scrutiny. Going to dinner alone, sleeping 8 hours during the day (even though I work night shift... God forbid if I get some sleep), getting angry at my father when he continues to provoke me because my response is inappropriate (if I ask you to stop putting your hands on me, multiple times, don't continue to joke about it and do it, and then get offended when I have an outburst).
Sorry, mostly venting, and very frustrated. I have worked with my therapist for 2 years. I have a lot of trust in him and he is one of the only people who I have opened up to about a lot of things. I can't say for sure that he initiated the call, but I am feeling a bit betrayed by the thought that he may have. And feeling very betrayed that I apparently have no right to privacy with a mental health condition.
In doing some research it seems that HIPAA does not really protect the rights of someone with mental health conditions who is a risk to themseld or others. I always knew medical providers could call the police for things like that but assumed HIPAA prevented them from contacting my family directly. It doesn't seem like the case- can anyone with some knowledge on this issue please confirm or clarify? https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hipaa-helps-prevent-harm.pdf
I am pissed, to say the least, for numerous reasons. One, pissed that my therapist called them (or had suicide prevention call them) based on perceived- not expressed- suicidality. Granted, I am extremely suicidal and have been for a few days, but I have not told him that. The only thing he could be going off of is that I've refused my mandatory "daily email check-in". Two, I am pissed that my parents never gave two shits until someone called them. I've had two suicide attempts, they know my warning signs, and they ignore them or worse, provoke me to make them worse. Now I am paranoid that everything I say and do is going to be under scrutiny. Going to dinner alone, sleeping 8 hours during the day (even though I work night shift... God forbid if I get some sleep), getting angry at my father when he continues to provoke me because my response is inappropriate (if I ask you to stop putting your hands on me, multiple times, don't continue to joke about it and do it, and then get offended when I have an outburst).
Sorry, mostly venting, and very frustrated. I have worked with my therapist for 2 years. I have a lot of trust in him and he is one of the only people who I have opened up to about a lot of things. I can't say for sure that he initiated the call, but I am feeling a bit betrayed by the thought that he may have. And feeling very betrayed that I apparently have no right to privacy with a mental health condition.
