[gustter]

Hi guys, I'm new here and have an important question regarding ethics. If I'm recreationally abusing doctor prescribed drugs, is a therapist allowed to report this? I know that therapists are bound by confidentiality and will not send you to the police or anything but considering my psychiatrist and therapist work in the same building and literally see eye-to-eye each day this seems different. I would wonder if disclosing this information could make him viable to report this information since they're working at the same institute. Does full confidentialty still apply here, would I be safe in sharing this info with said therapist??

(I realize this is somewhat of a specific question but I'm hoping someone can help )

Thanks

[feralkittymom]

I suspect your T would want to talk with you about this in the hopes of changing your behavior. The info does put the T in a very ethically difficult position: keeping confidentiality vs acting in your best interests. If what you're doing doesn't pose an immediate threat to yourself, I would guess your T would not disclose it, but would keep bringing it up with you. And your T may choose to insist upon disclosure by you to your pdoc as a condition of continuing therapy.

If you are seeing them within an institutional setting, you would need to check if there is any assumption that by seeking treatment, you have given permission for info to be shared between all professionals involved in your treatment.

[CantExplain]

Several Group members mentioned taking marijuana and the facilitators didn't seem to think it worth pursuing. Mind you, that was "in the past".

[Miswimmy1]

my t told me that as a t, there are three things that have to be reported, legally. 1) if you say that you are going to kill yourself and t thinks you hav the means to do it, 2) if you say that you are going to kill someone else and t thinks you hav the means to do it, 3) if you hav been sexually abused.

abusing drugs was not on the list. i assume that if you are not an immediate threat to yourself or making yourself dangerous to others, t will not report it. however, i do think that they will want to talk to you about it and try and convince you otherwise. (for instance, my t thinks i am going AMA which i guess I am by not taking my meds, and she talks and talks about it, but she isn't going to report it because I am really in no danger to myself or others)

[Eliza Jane]

You mentioned the same building, but are their practices affiliated in any way? Also, have you ever signed a release of information? Have they ever had contact in the past?

I was wondering in what context you are going to mention this to T? "This is something I am doing, but I'm not ready to change, so don't take my supply away" or "Help me fix this problem?"

Good luck,
EJ

I can understand your concern. But the question is ..if you want to work on getting " off those drugs" a T would be able to help you but a DOC would be able to make it more comtable.

I don´t think a T will " report you" but usually this stuff is easier to handle if you work with a T and a medical doctor at the same time.

Hopefully you will talk to your T about this. Usually people don´t get in trouble over issues like this. They get in trouble in the long run, for not seeking help and being worried about all sorts before things spiral..

All the best to you.

[Towanda]

Originally Posted by gustter

Hi guys, I'm new here and have an important question regarding ethics. If I'm recreationally abusing doctor prescribed drugs, is a therapist allowed to report this? I know that therapists are bound by confidentiality and will not send you to the police or anything but considering my psychiatrist and therapist work in the same building and literally see eye-to-eye each day this seems different. I would wonder if disclosing this information could make him viable to report this information since they're working at the same institute. Does full confidentialty still apply here, would I be safe in sharing this info with said therapist??

(I realize this is somewhat of a specific question but I'm hoping someone can help )

Thanks

According to HIPPA rules and regulations, even if they work in the same practice, your therapist is bound by confidentiality and cannot tell your PDOC without your permission. That being said, however, your T will probably urge you to share this information, for your own well being, with your PDOC.

[Victoria'smom]

Because my pdoc and T work together they share notes. Any T that works with us (DH, son or me) can add and see my notes as well. They can & do talk to each other about our family mainly the individual T's. When we were admitted part of that paper work was a consent form that anyone on our case would share notes and be able to communicate to best serve us as a whole. So check your paperwork. We did have to sign a consent form for each other to be part of our individual treatment team. We did not sign our son's because we respect his privacy. Ask T before you say anything about her policy's with pdocs in the building. I've been told anyone can call and give pdoc info. he just can't say if that person is or is not a patient. I don't know how that relates to T though.

[Yoda]

Before I disclosed that I would ask the T if s/he would agree to not mention it in writing in your file.