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This scenario is so outrageous and unbelievable that I can't bring myself to believe it.
I'm not saying you’re lying or that your friend is—though it’s an open question in my mind given how strange it is (I’m not accusing, I’m flabbergasted), but either so he's out of touch reality--then and/or now--so he doesn’t know what went on, or this is a textbook vignette for mental health pros to learn about 3-5 different major ethical (and perhaps depending on locale legal) violations in one case. I think in Law School they call those sorts of things "spotters"--spot the violations and the seriousness of each. Is it serious enough to report? In 5 different ways it is.
The only thing would explain what the pdoc did would be if there were some real mental breakdown with Ed that others needed to take responsibility for him. Were it that Ed was so far gone, his pdoc should've committed him. I can't believe the medication given to a 3rd party friend, except in an extraordinary circumstance with someone so out of touch--but given to a friend?
I had my brother once go try to talk to my T because he was really spooked at how strongly su I was. They would neither confirm nor deny that I was a patient. My T wasn't there, but another T sat and listened to my brother share his fears for a few minutes. He then asked that I not be told that he came to them; they told him that if someone who was a patient there had someone come like that that they'd be obligated to tell the patient. So they told me.
So people can call and share their fears under the umbrella of a T or pdoc not revealing ANYTHING AT ALL, even that you're the patient. What an ethical T or pdoc should do is if the information alarms them is to act without those others knowing anything about it. Like commitment. If Ed were so bad off that any of what you relayed is true, he wouldn't be competent to take care of himself. It sounds like more than just a manic episode, it sounds like a psychotic break with reality.
Even revealing what meds someone takes is a violation in a major way, because it can likely be identified with diagnoses.
If something extreme did happen along the lines of what Ed says, I can see where a T or pdoc would want to--or be required to--inform the patient for mental health purposes--bring back to reality--and ethical responsibility to be open. It's not beating up at all--it's full disclosure about the pdoc's and Ed's behavior and part of the attempt to treat Ed.
A T or pdoc needs authorization from a patient to share any info with others that identifies the patient--even with another pro. They can consult without ID'ing the patient. As with my brother situation, I can't imagine that there isn't a requirement to disclose any parties who were spoken to in any regard. Talking in the first place is a massive violation. Exceptions are made as far as I know only for when there is a reasonable threat of the patient harming self or others; the crisis exception. You haven't described a critical point like that.
What about these "friends" "others who were given meds?" Where are they now? What do they say now? Ed might be impaired in his faculties and the pdoc was impaired somehow, but they shouldn't be.
All I hear about the pdoc is that he's violated not just the most basic confidentiality issues, but extremely so with the meds thing.
If all of this is plausible enough to your T that it really happened--not that your T agrees with it or supports it, s/he should be reporting the pdoc or acting somehow--like contacting the pdoc. When a pro hears about serious ethical violations by another pro, they're supposed to act somehow, someway. It can be done without revealing you.
I can't imagine staying with that guy.
The best thing that you can do to help Ed is make sure he starts seeing a good T yesterday. A lay person can't handle figuring out what happened, the best way to go about reporting or not, and esp. won't be able to get the pdoc to open up about what the deal was/is. And Ed needs the help mentally. It sounds like he's a really stressed out wreck with all of these things going on, needs to realize he was abused by pdoc, and have someone keep him in touch with reality.
It's like the plot of a B movie trying to parody mental illness and getting it so wrong and a parody of what pdocs do.
It is unbelievable.
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out of my mind, left behind
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