Family included or excluded

Health and Recovery
1

I know with the HIPPA laws… there’s not much family can do for me if I don’t let them…
so I did sign a lot of papers letting my docs talk to my family… letting my therapist and my doc talk…

The main doc I’ve had I feel has done well including my family into my recovery once in a while… He doesn’t disclose everything… but he does take some of my families concerns into consideration sometimes.

But there was a few who really didn’t want my family involved at all and would ask them to leave. I’ve been reading how people who have family included or part of the recovery team do better…

So why do some docs seem to dislike my families involvement when I’ve completely crumbled and can’t offer any coherent input.

Or worse… invite my family in… and then dismiss everything they have to say… not educate or enlighten… just insult and patronize.

I’ve been pondering this all day.

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2

Id exclude family, but that is just me.

One of them tried to poison me to death with crack. He threw the bait out hoping id take it to get rid of me. I brought it up today and everyone thought it best to suggest i get an ambulance called on me.

I can’t complain now, im crazy, i have no family.

Hey, if i take the crack he doesn’t have to worry about any investigations right?!

3

I’m glad you didn’t take the crack.

I was just wondering why docs treat family members the way they do.

4

I think this is due to arrogance(thinking they are more intelligent than they really are) and poor communication/social skills.

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5

Being only in your 30’s might have a lot to do with it. Going back in time the theory was parents/family was the cause of all mental health problems. Not as prominent in today’s mental health treatments, but still has it’s merits. As we all have issues with our parents (Even muggles).

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6

Wow… I’ve heard of that… but it blows me away when I do come across some of those old theories.

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7

40 years ago when I first got a schizophrenia diagnosis my parents would have regular chats with the pdoc. Whether there was a more free exchange of information then,regardless of what the patient may have wanted, I don’t know.
I do know my parents put on a united front when going for these chats, although at home my being ill had become another reason for them to argue and then cast blame at me.
My parents never discussed what went on in these chats with me but decades later it became clear they had at least discussed with my sister who was in her mid to late teens at the time.

8

I’m sorry they turned this on you after a doc visit. It’s very sad that they didn’t discuss this with you… and talked to your siblings instead.

I’m lucky that my Mom does tell me what she and the doc discuss. It’s not very often now… when I was under 18 I was too out there to understand or care what they did.

When I got a bit older… my Mom tried to be open with me. I guess having a family member in the room once in a while is a new and odd thing.

9

I was low functioning while at home . My mother would respond to independent thinking on my part, that contradicted her, by saying things like " I think you are getting ill again" or " Have you taken your pills?" and my father’s attitude was a contradictory mix between expecting me to function as a non mentally ill young adult and yet treating me like I was several years younger than I really was.
Neither of them helped me with life/practical skills so if they had suddenly dropped down dead I would have been ill prepared to cope on my own.

10

In some cases, the families are themselves so crazy that getting them involved is counterproductive.

And in some cases, the docs are so stressed out (and, well, sort of… crazy) that getting them involved is counterproductive.

I can tell you this much: If they’d had room for me at a certain VA hospital in 2003 instead of farming me out to a much better one up the hill, I might not be here writing this.

11

How many times have I heard stories like this? Fifty? Seventy-five?

(Rhetorically & not at you) When will people here start to get it that our genetic natures too often found a lack of nurture?

13

I’m with @pansdisease as usual. I’d exclude family as they will dump you if you get too inconvenient for them. It’s a false security blanket. You’re on your own with this disease at the end of the day.

You sound reasonably ok at the moment, so your family can tolerate you probably.

Wait till you become really bad, and dumping you is basically the way your family survives.

14

Nope. People who are doing better have family included, not the other way round.

15

I signed a paper at my pdocs office, including my father, if she needs to talk to him about my treatment.

She was very inclusive - which I did not mind at all.

Some doctors are strict when it comes to the patients privacy, and do not include family members - its just the way it is.

Signing papers - to include family members might be necessary for you

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16

Your right… When I look back on my life… I see it…

17

I have… I’ve got my parents on a HIPPA release and I got it so my Doc and my therapist can talk.

Now that my sis is a legal adult… I can sign one so she can be included as well.

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18

That’s the crappy truth about families and mental illness.

19

I had to get better before I let them in. I was born a bit out of my head… my Mom Swears my first episode happened when I was 5. I was always a hyper handful.

But there was a time I was too out there and drank too heavily… and thought they were all out to harm me… and my sis I kicked a lot of people out of my life.

getting stable is when I’ve been letting them back in.

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20

your family is amazing in my opinion…your kid sis is surely an angel from heaven :angel: , like you have said.
most families are not like that…
take care :alien:

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