How Patient Suicide Affects Psychiatrists by Sulome Anderson @ The Atlantic
Mental-health practitioners whose clients kill themselves can face stigma from their colleagues, lawsuits, and a toll on their own psyches—making them less likely to take on suicidal patients who need their help.
I still feel bad when I overdosed on the extra medicine my psychiatrist had entrusted to me as a back up if I ever wanted to stop seeing a pdoc for a while. I think I got him in trouble. all he said when I showed up in his office after the attempt was “that was a surprise”. he later died of leukemia that came back. he had been in remission. he didn’t tell me when he left because of health reasons. I found out later from the clinic when I asked about him they told me he had passed. I guess he was paying me back.
Life’s pretty tragic at times. I am lucky to have not had any unexpected death in my life. I don’t think any of the people I know would take their own life. Well maybe if all the sudden their minds fell apart and they started hearing voices.
I like to think they are safe and immune from this ■■■■.
At a friends funeral who was Bipolar and took her own life close on 4 years ago. Her psychiatrist was at the funeral. Was the first time I’ve ever come across it.
My father committed suicide in 2001. When I called the psychiatrist who was treating him with 10 different meds at once, he got off the phone as fast as he could. To this day I wonder if he was scurrying away from what he thought was a lawsuit.
My doctor has seen it all. I don’t think he’ll be moved if I put a bullet in my brain.