Posted by Racer on March 20, 2004, at 22:45:24
In reply to Re: Know your diagnoses? » Racer, posted by lonelygirl on March 20, 2004, at 20:43:50
I think I'd tell him that you were curious about your records, ask him if he used the DSM IV multiaxial system, and if he'd go over your diagnoses with you.
Why would it be detrimental to a patient to see his or her records? That's also something that you could bring up with your doctor. I have never done it before, and never felt the need to do it before. This was an unusual situation, or I wouldn't have done it in this case, either. I don't even recommend it, because I could see it being devastating to a lot of people, including myself. In this specific set of circumstances, though, it seemed like the right thing for me to do. Only in a situation this bad would I ever have done it. In any other situation, I would not have done it. Is that a strong enough disclaimer for you? ;-) What I'm trying to say is that it's not something I think should be done for curiousity's sake. The information contained in mental health records is sensitive, and it can be quite disturbing to read what someone else has written about you. That's not something to undertake lightly, nor to dismiss as irrelevant. This really is one of those things that, if you are working well with your therapist, you shouldn't ever feel the need to do. In my case, because I do not have a choice of therapist, and because I am getting so much worse with this therapist, I felt that knowing the worst was probably the best. Because my expectations were so low, and because the things she was saying to me about what the pdoc said to her about me were so devastating, I really felt as if I needed to get a reality check. I did, and it helped me. If the situation were less adversarial, or if I were experiencing it as less abusive, I would never have done this.
So, if you're curious about any of this, why not tell your therapist that you've heard of someone requesting access to her mental health records, and wondered what he thought about you looking at yours. He'll probably discourage you from doing so, and I think he will probably be right. If it ain't broke, it don't need fixing, right? He may tell you outright most of the information you're curious about, though, if you discuss it with him, and that really strikes me as the best solution in most situations.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:325724
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040313/msgs/326576.html