Posted by Racer on July 29, 2004, at 15:35:36
In reply to Re: Question/suggestion -- unsolicited » Racer, posted by antigua on July 29, 2004, at 13:08:33
OK, I researched this as it applies in California -- since that's where I live -- and here's a brief summary of how it works here:
Patients over 18 have a legal right to access their medical records, with a few exceptions. First, a doctor can choose to summarize the records for a patient. Kinda takes the teeth out right there, doesn't it? Second, mental health records can be withheld if the clinician deems it to be in the patient's best interest, but still has to present the rationale behind that decision.
If mental health records are withheld from the patient, another clinician can still access those records on the patient's behalf. The requesting clinician is prohibited from providing access to the patient.
All that makes a certain amount of sense, since there really are a lot of people whose mental health records could be very damaging to them. I don't think you're one of those people in a general sense, but I do think that, considering the history involved, I would not encourage you to read those records yourself. That isn't what I was advocating when I made that suggestion.
What I wanted to suggest, though, still makes sense to me: if your therapist -- someone who has a personal distance from the situation -- could read this animatronic ape's records of your treatment, she might be able to help you gain insight into the situation and your reaction to it in the course of therapy. THAT I think would be a great outcome. If you live in a state with similar laws regarding medical records, that's all that could happen, legally, if she requested your files. You would be legally prohibited from seeing those files yourself. While there's an argument to be made that that limits your rights and liberties, it's for your own protection -- and in this case I think it really would protect you.
As for what might have happened, I think I'm reacting the way Daisy did: I'm trying to think of reasons for that sort of behavior on the part of a mental health professional. Now, I admit to a strong bias in my thinking: I've read your posts long enough to have formed an opinion of you, and the opinion I have formed is influencing my speculations on the situation.
I don't think you're delusional, so I can't imagine that you've totally misinterpreted the situation, nor do I think you're misrepresenting it here. I know you suffer depression and have a history of csa, so I think your interpretation probably focusses on the negative aspects. I know how I react to this sort of stress, so I'm extrapolating from that -- and I suspect that you've probably reacted to the situation, rather than responding to it, if you know what I mean? (That's what I do, anyway...)
And I don't think you're a malformed monster made up of psychopathological goop -- I think you are probably a lot like me, as I see myself. Smart, with skills, articulate, insecure, with a mix of good and bad traits, and with a core of self-confidence that can be very, very hard to access -- especially when faced with interpersonal stressors.
With all that, the only explanations I can come up with are all some variation on his total inability to identify the antigua we all know and respect; or something that's mostly unrelated to you; or he's someone who should be in intensive, court-ordered therapy himself to work on his pathological difficulty in dealing with women.
Hm.... I don't see anything in there that supports your thesis that you're the problem here...
Come to think of it, I don't see anything in your posts that makes me think you really believe you're the problem, either. I just see a lot of reaction to having been *told* so many times that you're the problem. (Yeah, OK: that's projection, too, since that's part of my own struggle. I was told that I was the problem, even when I didn't believe it. Since the only way to survive was to *pretend* that I believed it, I did internalize it to some degree. Maybe that's entirely off base with you, but you know that answer better than anyone else, and as long as you know, no one else has to.)
One last thing: thank you. I actually do know something about the quality of writing out there, and it saddens and angers me. The thought that a writing teacher approves of mine means a lot to me.
And I never read anyone's personal correspondence or posts on this board with any sort of mental red pencil. I'm so sensitive myself that I only offer criticism when asked, and I always try to emphasize the positive when I do. I believe that the purpose of language is to communicate, so if I feel that I understand what you're trying to express, I consider that a successful post. I do fall into the "Gotcha Grammarian" habits from time to time, but generally only when listening to politicians and political pundits :-D
poster:Racer
thread:371208
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040728/msgs/372091.html