DO I HAVE TO PAY THE LATE FEE?

I missed my psych appointment because she is a horrible un-helpful bitch that I won't be seeing again.

But I was sent a $50 fee for not attending the appointment. To be honest I think she should give all of my money back from past appointments because she is $#%^.

I'd have better luck getting advice from a homeless person on the street.

I don't remember signing a contract.


(BY the way i live in australia and i was referred to the psychiatrist by my regular doctor)

Have you considered finding a different psychiatrist? It sounds as though your current one isn't working out at all.

I'm going to move your post to the Living With Mental Illness forum as it would better fit in there.

NOT a psychiatrist. I don't know how anyone could recommend such. I fundamentally disagree with much of what psychiatrist are taught. It's not a science like maths, physics or chemistry. The medical industry is only somewhat science, and rest ideology. You go there for an opinion, YOU ARE NOT GETTING FACTS. AND THEIR OPINION IS WORTH NO MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE'S

Same with my doctor, go there with an anal fissure. "Here, a script for ointment". NO mention of natural solutions like high fiber and sitz baths? WHY!?

Why give me drugs? Why give anyone drugs? The mental symptom manifests within us. But we're not genetically flawed. It is our society or the system that makes us this way. THIS MANY PEOPLE AREN'T GENETICALLY FLAWED IN A WAY THAT LEADS TO SUFFERING. WE ARE A RESULT OF THE SYSTEM - OF THE HORRIBLE WORLD. Our environment stresses us, makes us sad, angry, depressed and helpless - that is, the environment that we created.

It doesn't have to be this way. But you all let it be.

Perhaps I could employ a homeless guy as well. It will seem absurd to you, but not I. A homeless person's opinion is no more or less valid that a psychiatrists.

Oh, btw. I was told by my regular doctor that he couldn't find anyone else to provide therapy to me based on what I am. Anxious depressed and asperger syndrome.
That's right, no one in my whole area.

I'm sorry to hear it hasn't worked out for you with this psychiatrist you have been seeing. Psychiatrists aren't all bad and I think if you found one who suited you, you would see it's less about their training and more about where they place the emphasis of their focus from what they have learnt. For example, my therapist is a psychiatrist who does psychotherapy and isn't into dosing out pills, and he's really wonderful help to me. Whereas I had a psychologist before that and she couldn't even diagnose me correctly. So I think it's more about the actual person you get and their own knowledge and their therapy style, more so than lumping them all into one category and saying that you won't find any of them helpful...

In terms of the late fee... If you did not give her adequate notice that you were cancelling your session (at least a day, though longer would be better) I think you should pay the late fee. It is the right thing for you to do. If you didn't arrive at the appointment and hadn't given her adequate notice of cancelling, she would have been unable to fill that session with another person and so will not otherwise be payed for that time (either the gap fee or the medicare charge). It is only reasonable that if you prevented her from earning an income during that time, that time that she held free for you, that you pay her for it. I imagine you wouldn't be very happy if you turned up for work, spent your time there, and they decided not to pay you. It's not reasonable for it to work like that, so I think you really have a responsibility to pay the fee and to make sure you give her proper notice of you cancelling if you are going to discontinue sessions with her.

I think you should consult a different GP for a referral if your current GP can't think of anyone else to refer you to. In main cities there is a variety of choice of different mental health care professionals and if your GP can't think of another suitable one to refer you to, that is concerning. Another GP might have more ideas for referrals.

Wow I didn't ask for a moral opinion. I guess if everyone was like you there would be no problems, because everyone would act nice. But do you... I mean I don't want to argue... But don't you see all of the horrific things people do to each other and the environment for money? I've exposed myself to the knowledge. It's absolutely heinous.
So no, i'm not too concerned about not giving her another $50 More than she has already gained from our multiple appointments or that she's already received from hundreds more people by giving them crap advice.

People aren't evil, the concept money makes them that way. So I don't see myself going to another doctor just to find another person to give money to for no reason. I wish there was a society in which people wanted to help each other. By handing them money it's apparent they do not care.

Everyone wants something, money. We're at the point now with technology where we could all be living better lives if "profit" didn't ruin everything. If money didn't exist we wouldn't even have to work. Our society puts all of its effort into producing crap products that we don't even need, just to throw them in land fill within 1 year and buy more crap to replace it. Or going to war.

We could provide every homeless person in either of our countries (i'm from australia, not sure where you are) or even the whole of ######6 africa with water, food, shelter and education if we wanted to. But corporations don't because it's not profitable. But we could, we have the technology and the resources.

I know what I am, (but not why I am in some regards, though in some cases it is clear).
I know what I need to be mentally happy.
I need to not feel helpless (security). I need people i can actually trust and be close to, someone to empathise with. I need to do something I enjoy.

I need to stop hating society but I can't. The system makes people evil, and people ignorantly defend the system due to the propaganda they've listened to their whole life.

Anxious58 wrote:don't you see all of the horrific things people do to each other and the environment for money?

Yes, I see that, but the only way we can hope to change that as a society is to make sure we treat our own interactions with money amicably. By doing so, we set an example and a standard for other's to play by. That's why I suggest you paying the fee, because in a way, it is taking the high moral ground and setting a good example for other's interactions with money and the people around them.

Anxious58 wrote:I don't see myself going to another doctor just to find another person to give money to for no reason.

I suppose how helpful you find the person you end up seeing in a way dictates whether you feel you have a reason to pay that person money. For instance, I would say that my therapist is exceptionally helpful and hence I feel I have a really good reason to pay him money because his knowledge and expertise really do make much more of a difference to me than talking to your average person. I suppose I would hope for you that you would be able to find someone similarly good. But if you are feeling discouraged at the moment and don't want to go back to see someone, I can really understand that. I felt like that after seeing my first crap therapist too.

Anxious58 wrote:By handing them money it's apparent they do not care.

Whilst some do not care, I think quite a lot of them do. Personally if therapy didn't involve me paying for it, I would feel like a hassle being there and hence that wouldn't allow me to talk about the things I needed to, because I would feel I was being a burden or annoying. By paying the money, it actually sets up a therapeutic environment because you know they are not doing you a favour and you can be as blunt and attention-hogging as you need to be in order to improve your mental health and because you've paid them money, with no need to feel guilty about it. This is actually really important to your healing and improvement.

Anxious58 wrote:We could provide every homeless person in either of our countries (i'm from australia, not sure where you are) or even the whole of ######6 africa with water, food, shelter and education if we wanted to.

I can understand what you are getting at here and why you feel angry about it. Though it may be a little off topic for a mental health forum.

Anxious58 wrote:I know what I am, (but not why I am in some regards, though in some cases it is clear).
I know what I need to be mentally happy.
I need to not feel helpless (security). I need people i can actually trust and be close to, someone to empathise with. I need to do something I enjoy.

I think it's good that you've identified these things. I hope you make improvement in these areas like you are aiming to...

You seem to know exactly what you want, which is good. You're right, in that type of situation a psychologist wouldn't be helpful. Good ones don't provide advice but give gentle guidance on how to achieve what we need to do in order to be more happy.

As for the fee, if you're not going to see her again then you likely don't have to pay it. If she sends a bill collector after you that's another can of worms. Her office may demand you pay the fee if you ever want a copy of your records though.

Anxious58 wrote:I missed my psych appointment because she is a horrible un-helpful bitch that I won't be seeing again.

But I was sent a $50 fee for not attending the appointment. To be honest I think she should give all of my money back from past appointments because she is $#%^.

I'd have better luck getting advice from a homeless person on the street.

I don't remember signing a contract.


(BY the way i live in australia and i was referred to the psychiatrist by my regular doctor)

no. What's her recourse? take you to court for $50? How would she even win? you never signed a contract, like you said. she'd never try that in a million years. if i were you, i would call her to say i am not paying and why.

Your thread has landed in the anti-psych forum, welcome to our layer.

Pay the $50 if they can get at your credit report. My credit report is ruined after getting a bill for the unwanted misdiagnosis and mistreatment behind the locked door of inpatient psychiatry.

What they did to me was nothing less than extortion,

Extortion (also called blackmail, shakedown, outwresting, and exaction) is a criminal offence of unlawfully obtaining money, property, or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Extortion is commonly practiced by the mental health industry. The actual obtainment of money or property is not required to commit the offense. Making a threats of violence (forced injection or more time locked up) which refers to a requirement of a payment of money or property to halt future violence is sufficient to commit the offense. Exaction refers not only to extortion or the unlawful demanding and obtaining of something through force, but additionally, in its formal definition, means the infliction of something such as pain and suffering or making somebody endure something unpleasant... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extortion

The hospital later sent someone to my house to "help me" get insurance for that bill and future bills I guess. He had a large build and a fancy name tag badge looking thing. I didn't know the truth about psychiatry back then and was still taking there addictive poison beliving there bull so I didn't pull the "this is private property, you are trespassing" and all, but I yelled real bad on the phone when they suggested I do $250.00 an hour bi-weekly "out patient" after they couldent finaly tell me my diagnosis on the phone and said never call me again. They did.

Pay the $50 and run from psychiatry with a lesson learned. Run fast and run far. Don't look back.

Yes, I see that, but the only way we can hope to change that as a society is to make sure we treat our own interactions with money amicably. By doing so, we set an example and a standard for other's to play by. That's why I suggest you paying the fee, because in a way, it is taking the high moral ground and setting a good example for other's interactions with money and the people around them.

I don't know if you live on earth like me but on my planet there is no incentive to take the "moral high ground". And hence barely anyone does. The richest people do not. The system rewards people for stealing, killing and ruining lives.
Have fun giving your money away to people who don't deserve it. I could donate that $50 to someone who actually needs it to live - or to a cause that I believe in. But you suggest I give it to a rich women who has never done anything for anyone? That is absolutely stupid. And I never asked for your opinions on morality.

As for the fee, if you're not going to see her again then you likely don't have to pay it. If she sends a bill collector after you that's another can of worms. Her office may demand you pay the fee if you ever want a copy of your records though.

I'm not sure how that works in Australia, ie debt collectors. They just come to my door and stand there, if I open it they ask for money? What else can they do they obviously can't forcefully enter. I don't get it. I don't think she has any records that I'd ever want. Plus she was sending relevant info to my regular doctor (who in the past has given me any records I've asked for).

no. What's her recourse? take you to court for $50? How would she even win? you never signed a contract, like you said. she'd never try that in a million years. if i were you, i would call her to say i am not paying and why.

Haha well nothing would surprise me at this point in time.

Pay the $50 if they can get at your credit report. My credit report is ruined after getting a bill for the unwanted misdiagnosis and mistreatment behind the locked door of inpatient psychiatry.

Na i don't have a credit card nor do I plan on ever purchasing anything with credit. I won't participate in that system.
Pretty crazy what happened to you but i'm not surprised. I don't think something as bad could happen here in australia though.