Posted by Racer on January 26, 2006, at 13:24:45
In reply to Re: Suicide on Effexor, posted by Devastated Mother on January 26, 2006, at 5:55:35
> but I am driven to try to do something to change our system that allows these sorts of things to happen to people. This is so wrong.
>
>Believe me, I can relate to that sentiment.
If you really do want to do something to improve the system, I highly recommend that you report the doctor involved to your state's medical board. You can get all the forms online, and it's not that difficult to get through the whole process. The benefit of doing this is that it's free -- AND, if the doctor gets any sort of consequence at all, it's a whole lot easier if you choose to sue at a later date.
The medical boards are an often overlooked resource, and the more reports they get, the better the chance that things will change.
Another thing to do is to contact your local representatives -- although it shouldn't be, health care is a political issue. Especially mental health care.
Also, you can contact your local chapter of NAMI -- the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill. They have a lot of information about how to get through the maze of getting help in this sort of situation -- whether that help is getting the doctor involved investigated to make sure she did everything she was required to do, or getting you counseling, or adding you to a list of people the legislators should know about for the next time something about this comes up.
I realize that I'm suggesting that you DO things at a time in your life when I very much doubt you feel up to it, and I regret that. Maybe you'd find the process therapeutic, but regardless of that I very much hope that you have found grief counseling for yourself.
poster:Racer
thread:601406
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060122/msgs/603031.html