Don't Sign That Medical Release

Fantastic neuro-spicy TikTokkers raised my awareness about ADHD in women enough to inspire me to get tested at the age of 58. Unfortunately, nobody warned me about how much leeway a psychiatrist has when passing on your most traumatic, sexual, and personal details, including all of his session notes which he can send to your general practitioner. Now my most personal experiences and thoughts are available to non-medical office staff, an entire hospital/ insurance system and everyone in their offices with access to medical files.

I’m not trying to discourage testing or seeking help. I am here to tell you to not to sign a medical record or assessment release form at any mental health ADHD testing facility or psychiatric practitioner until you tweak it very carefully.

Perception vs. Reality

The Devil’s in the details of the doctor’s definition of “diagnosis” vs. your expectation or perception of what that means.

I expected “diagnosis” to mean the numbers from the computerized and standardized testing, plus the encapsulation of his diagnosis.

Instead, the psychiatrist sent a nine-page, detailed, account of every personal detail of my life, to my GP’s office including my dating activity since my divorce, and multiple quotes of what I said in the session that was deeply personal and in my view a massive overshare.

I wouldn't find out for three more days that not only is it considered "routine" to include this level of intimate detail, but your General Practitioner then has to send that whole document to your pharmacist.

So ANYTHING you said to the psychiatrist in the diagnostic sessions is fair game and many more people than the psychiatrist now has them.

When I called the psychiatrist’s office to point out that not only had this happened but the report itself contained word salad sections due to the use of either transcription or speech-to-text software the receptionist got herself a copy and began to read it OUT LOUD.

Picture that happening to you. You’re asking for the doctor and only the doctor to go over this with you to correct the errors and to discuss the fact that it should not be out in the wild.

Instead, his non-medical office staff member who answers the phone and who you met as the person sitting at the front desk while answering calls got a copy and read it aloud over the phone. She was the Thing That Wouldn't Shut Up!

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to stop a receptionist from reading your life trauma out loud over the phone but it could rattle the sanest among us.

The mind reels. The ADHD mind inside a GenX journalist’s skull takes a few days to process and then puts everything on hold from eating and sleeping to working to find some way, any way, to feel better about this having happened.

Frankly, it has also taken time to work up the courage to write this because my gen was terrified of the stigma and stereotypes we had back in the day.

“What if I come out about this and people call me crazy and dismiss what happened to me,” my neuro-spicy brain is shouting. “What if I don’t and this is happening to others who are too afraid and never complain? What if I could make a difference and spare someone else this disappointing experience of finally seeking help, giving your trust, and being exposed?”

After two days of radio silence from the offending doctor, I’m here writing about it because, while a formal complaint or lawsuit might give some relief, I hate hurting anyone's career. I don't want anyone fired but it would be great to have some mandatory sensitivity training.

I prefer to heal via this teachable trauma moment.

The lesson - which is nearly impossible for anyone with untreated ADHD - is to take the time to question the form you’re about to sign.

Prevention

My insurance company rep, who was properly horrified by what happened, explained that before signing the release I could have asked for adjustments to the form to specifically state exactly what the doctor releases. Nobody told me that.

I was also told that this is a tough legal nugget because psychiatric diagnosis is a gray matter area of the HIPAA Act which prevents medical facilities and personnel from sharing your medical information indiscriminately.

This was not just a document that revealed too much personal and family history, it was also a journalist/editor’s nightmare to read. The doctor confused my history with my ex-husband with that of my father and confused my sons with my brother. While all that might have made Freud chuckle I’m not laughing.

This unedited hot mess of a document was then sent to me and to my GP who had someone “INPUT” it into the “system” which means that anyone looking at my medical information from my dentist to someone in the hospital system my GP belongs to can read that entire report.

Once that report is “in the system” there is no getting it back without going through Human Resources for your healthcare provider and possibly through the legal system. In the case of the latter, good luck because you signed away your rights.

Get the help you deserve while protecting your privacy. Don’t sign anything until you have a written guarantee that only the information you specify is shared with the world.

If you’re afraid that might mean losing the appointment it took you months to get then call ahead for the paperwork.

Unfortunately, for those of us with ADHD paperwork is an Achilles heel that psychiatrists should be keenly aware of and take the time when you’re not under battlefield testing conditions to put in front of you to sign.

If that's what they're doing then maybe that's a red flag and that appointment could hurt you more than waiting for a better experience.