[cmai]

This is a long story but the main question is: Can I take to my sister's therapist? Or even, should I?

My sister had what we believe to be a mental breakdown 5 years ago. She collapsed multiple times in the busy city streets and went to the hospital several times. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong except an anxiety disorder. My mom flew out and found a black dot on her belly which appeared to be a tick. My sister was treated for lymes but the tests always came back inconclusive.

They flew back to my parents house as my sister re-cooperated. Later we found out it was at this point that my sister started to converse with an angel, "David". She also started to talk with a man she found on Facebook about her life and passions. She began to get well and fell in love. She moved across the country (after only talking with him on the internet for months) to live with him. They lived together for 2 years and then my sister told my mother she wanted to move back to "take care of her". She never worked while she was living with this older, sick gentlemen. She isolated herself with him and we believe she gained some suggested delusions from him.

My sister told the family recently that she has multiple personality disorder (this man helped her see the root of her issues).

Possible trigger:

They discovered that my sister was systematically raped by her ex-boyfriend, friend and people in power (cops).

She maintains that she then split her personality to cope with the trauma and that her angel was actually a personality. She also claims (ed?) that she has had these personalities since childhood. The story changes and I am unsure of exactly where she is at now.

She is finally getting help but I fear it is not the right kind. She is seeing a dance therapist who has no experience in multiple personality and who apparently supports my sister's views of events. Is this detrimental to her mental health? My sister has had other delusions during the angel time and I am confident that she wasn't abused in the way that she says she was. She could very well have been manipulated

Possible trigger:

and possibly raped by her boyfriend in the past but the systematic rape is a whole other impossibility.

We have a family history of schizophrenia and anxiety. I guess my main question is; can I or should I talk to her therapist about my sister's delusions?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by cmai

This is a long story but the main question is: Can I take to my sister's therapist? Or even, should I?

My sister had what we believe to be a mental breakdown 5 years ago. She collapsed multiple times in the busy city streets and went to the hospital several times. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong except an anxiety disorder. My mom flew out and found a black dot on her belly which appeared to be a tick. My sister was treated for lymes but the tests always came back inconclusive.

They flew back to my parents house as my sister re-cooperated. Later we found out it was at this point that my sister started to converse with an angel, "David". She also started to talk with a man she found on Facebook about her life and passions. She began to get well and fell in love. She moved across the country (after only talking with him on the internet for months) to live with him. They lived together for 2 years and then my sister told my mother she wanted to move back to "take care of her". She never worked while she was living with this older, sick gentlemen. She isolated herself with him and we believe she gained some suggested delusions from him.

My sister told the family recently that she has multiple personality disorder (this man helped her see the root of her issues).

Possible trigger:

They discovered that my sister was systematically raped by her ex-boyfriend, friend and people in power (cops).

She maintains that she then split her personality to cope with the trauma and that her angel was actually a personality. She also claims (ed?) that she has had these personalities since childhood. The story changes and I am unsure of exactly where she is at now.

She is finally getting help but I fear it is not the right kind. She is seeing a dance therapist who has no experience in multiple personality and who apparently supports my sister's views of events. Is this detrimental to her mental health? My sister has had other delusions during the angel time and I am confident that she wasn't abused in the way that she says she was. She could very well have been manipulated

Possible trigger:

and possibly raped by her boyfriend in the past but the systematic rape is a whole other impossibility.

We have a family history of schizophrenia and anxiety. I guess my main question is; can I or should I talk to her therapist about my sister's delusions?

here in the USA we have privacy laws that protect the mentally ill from just anyone getting access to their health records and treatment providers. As it stands right now family members can call a persons treatment providers but most can not even acknowledge they are treating that person. usually what happens is when someone enters mental or physical health treatment they are asked to sign a release of information form stating whether they want family and friends to be involved and informed by the treatment provider.

usually the only time a family member is kept in the loop is when that family member or friend has been appointed as the mentally ill persons guardian.

that said there are some proposed bills in legislature right now that will give immediate family member (mother, father or other immediate family member) access to participate if the mentally ill person not following their treatment options... ie a person with schizophrenia who has had multiple problems with the law due to their not taking their medication the parents can step in and have that person committed to the mental facility and treated against their will.

my suggestion is if you feel your sister is not capable of making her own mental and physical health decisions and that family must participate, make those decisions as to who her treatment providers are and what treatments she receives you can petition family court for guardianship over your sisters mental health rights.

Im guessing since you post states she is taking care of herself and is in treatment (regardless of whether you think the therapist is the right one for her or the treatment plans is right for her) the court will probably say she's well with in her rights to make her own decisions.

I just want to point out that her therapist isn't allowed to talk to you in the first place - unless, of course, your sister has specifically given her permission to do so.

That being said, would your sister be up to you tagging along for a session?

There exist support groups for family members and support persons of various disorders. Would you feel this might be of benefit to you?