Psychiatrist lied on committment form...what to do?

This all happened about 10 months ago.

I've had a "somatiform" disorder for about 9 years; I have claimed prior surgery to my airway has failed. At the time of hospitilization, I had picked up a diagnosis of hypoxemia, and my pulmonologist had Rx'd an oxygen concentrator. (No known risk factors, outside of my claims of airway compromise.) Since this time, I've picked up a "respiratory/pulmonary insufficiency NOS" diagnosis, too.

Anyhow, I was experiencing shortenss of breath sufficient to preclude sleep for ~48 hours, and vertigo plus tingling in extremities. I presented myself at the local ER, hoping for admission, and to be titrated on O2. The doctor denied a physical component, stating "patient has been worked up numerous times, all of which have been unremarkable." (i.e. couldn't be bothered to verify new diagnosis.) He offered me voluntary admission to the psych. hospital, which I took, under the assumption that I didn't really care where I was, so long as I could get titrated to O2.

24 hrs. in psych and it became apparent my Rx for O2 would not be honored. I then moved to leave. Psych doctor filed for commitment (law states 7 days' max). Even though the law specifies a 30-day satutory limit on "crazy actions," I later found out he falsely included a tracheotomy performed 2.5 years' prior...representing it as happening within 30 days.

After 7 days, I got my time in front of a magistrate (they wanted continued committment) and was released due to the stautory issue. On top of that, the Dr. withheld my "sleeper meds" (Seroquel/Quetiapine 200mg that I was habituated to) the night before my hearing. (Naturally he claims an innocent coincidence for the medication adjustment...yeah, right.)

I find this type of conduct offensive! I need to know what avenues exist for filing an ethical complaint: how does one go about doing this, and what resources exist for an indigent such as myself? (I'm not asking for "how-to-sue"; what I really want is how to get this sort of behavior reprimanded, and possibly get his conduct in general audited).

FWIW, I live in the US, in the state of Pennsylvania.

Hi,

We are not a legal advisory website here. However, I imagine that the psychiatric hospital which you attended has a complaints procedure which you could follow. Also, if you contact the Department of Health, they should also have information for you. A third option wouuld be to contact a law firm/agent, as I'm sure they would have come across similar issues many times before. Certainly, if what you're saying is true, then it sounds like you were mistreated.

Kevin

Hello all. Hello to the original poster.

I have been around psych units since I was 18 years old as depressing as that sounds to me. I have been in and out of them 8 to 10 times as far as I can remember. My last encounter with a psychiatrist was around one year ago. I came in on a friday afternoon saw the psychiatrist after a long wait and then was sent up to the psych unit. She prescribed me an anti-depressant and a mood stabilizer then left for the weekend. The following Monday morning I was told to meet with the doctor and the social worker. One of the first things she said to me was that she thought I was doing so much better on the medication. What she did not know was that I was refusing medication over the weekend. I told her that I was refusing medication. She obviously did not bother to even look to see the medication records to see if I was taking it or not. She just presumed that I was. Now I admit that I took a certain pleasure in knowing what she did not and calling her out on it. For all intents and purposes, I was a bit nuts so to speak, having been through extreme drug addiction leading up to being admitted. When she asked me how I thought I was going to get better without medication I said that I was going to do it without medication and on my own. To that she replied "there is no cure for mental illness" in a steadfast and jolting way. It was rather horrifying to hear her say this the way she did. This gave me a horrible feeling.

Some time later that day. A nurse came to me while I was sleeping and told me that the records showed that I was taking medication and mistake was recorded by the nurse.

This of course was all #######4. The Doctor felt uneasy about me calling her out on it and had the nurse smooth things over. I was probably seen as a possible threat in terms of a filing a lawsuit against her or the hospital. Of course I was not in any condition to file one. Also, at the time, the thinking on my part was that in the U.S. trying to get a lawyer to actually be willing to help you when you have no money, a psych history, and want to sue a psychiatrist, it is basically impossible. Unless I had money that is.

Basically what I am saying is, that, yes psychiatrist's will lie, cover up and manipulate or distort facts. It all depends on who they are and what reason.

I have had other experiences that I can share about the amazing disappointment with psychiatrist's but I am to tired to continue. Maybe someday I will.

killuminati wrote:Basically what I am saying is, that, yes psychiatrist's will lie, cover up and manipulate or distort facts. It all depends on who they are and what reason.

I have had other experiences that I can share about the amazing disappointment with psychiatrist's but I am to tired to continue. Maybe someday I will.

That's false NOT ALL psychiatrists will lie and manipulate a person nor will ALL doctors for that matter or to distort facts. It seems to me you did have negative experiences. I however ha nothing but positive experiences with the mental health systems and doctors who have treated me.

From your experience you can say that you were treated badly, but you can't put down all the hundreds of thousands of doctors in the world due to that.

Butterfly Faerie wrote:

killuminati wrote:Basically what I am saying is, that, yes psychiatrist's will lie, cover up and manipulate or distort facts. It all depends on who they are and what reason.

I have had other experiences that I can share about the amazing disappointment with psychiatrist's but I am to tired to continue. Maybe someday I will.

That's false NOT ALL psychiatrists will lie and manipulate a person nor will ALL doctors for that matter or to distort facts. It seems to me you did have negative experiences. I however ha nothing but positive experiences with the mental health systems and doctors who have treated me.

From your experience you can say that you were treated badly, but you can't put down all the hundreds of thousands of doctors in the world due to that.

First off no where in my post did I say or claim that ALL psychiatrists lie. So I don't know why you even bring that up in that way. Saying that I have had negative experiences with the mental health field is an understatement and just plain obvious.

Secondly, I know of not one person who has had experience with being treated by the mental health field, who has not at some point had a negative experience.

I will say though that I question your ability to think clearly based on what I said, and what you think I said.

Again I never put down thousands of doctors...not once did I say anything like this. To the contrary, I stated to the original poster that YES doctors do lie. Yes it does happen.

To each their own with their experience with psychiatry. It is NOT an exact science and closer to a pseudo-science. Psychiatrists are people too just like us, not GOD.

There isn't such a thing as god I don't think so yes you are right .....

The way you wrote replies to your to these threads sounded like you were bashing all psychiatry, all doctors that treat patients that's why I responded the way that you did. If you didn't then you didn't that was just my take on what you've written.

Take care.