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Personally I would never answer yes to this question even if I was having thoughts, and im sure there are many people with me that would do the exact same thing.
Originally posted by Sway33
Your mental health will be used against you for your entire life. Every background check, every police contact made. The question is not a private one, it will never be between only you and your doctor. That is the problem.
Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by Sway33
I dont know about you guys but that sends off a red flag for me. Answering yes to that one question has deep and lifelong lasting repercutions. And my question is if anyone knows why they are doing this??
This is a standard question used in mental health clinics. People who are service providers like medicine, as well as teachers, are "MANDATED REPORTERS." They are bound by law to report to the authorities if a person is a danger to self or others, or if they suspect abuse or neglect.
This mandate overrides confidentiality, and most providers tell you up front. Most states have their own laws regarding who is a m.r. and who isn't. Lawyers and clergy are presently not mandated. The M.R. can be held liable if you tell them you are suicidal or homicidal and they don't report it - in some cases they'll ask the client to sign a statement that they 'won't do this' in between sessions. In others, after an 'intake interview', the practitioner makes an assessment of risk based on standardized training and criteria.
A person who is clearly a danger to themselves or others is subject to being 'committed to institutional care' against their will. This is usually a 72-hour period for observation and deescalation of crisis-mode thinking.
The mental health in-patient system via emergency service is largely restricted to those who express ideation (thoughts of) suicide or homicide. In other words, the person is to be taken seriously. One can self-report and be committed, where if they try to call the inpatient facility to check themselves in it's handled differently.
In many cases, suicidal clients are telling someone who is a professional their intent in order to get help.
It's to keep people from offing themselves or other people. It's NOT "thought police" or some conspiracy to take your rights away...edit on 31-5-2013 by wildtimes because: (no reason given)
Suicidal is the new "terrorist".
Originally posted by opethPA
Originally posted by Sway33
Your mental health will be used against you for your entire life. Every background check, every police contact made. The question is not a private one, it will never be between only you and your doctor. That is the problem.
In what world?
When I was younger like everyone else I went through bad times and thought mine were the worse so i tried something dumb where my mental and emotional state were questioned and documented.
When I got my DoD clearance that issue never came up.
When I started my current job and needed specific clearance for that plus various background checks, it never came up.
You can live in a world of fear and paranoia if you want but an intake clinician at a ACC or ER asking if you have suicidal thoughts makes total sense to me.
Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
reply to post by Sway33
Suicidal is the new "terrorist".
no its not,
it make perfect sense for anyone giving out drugs to ask patients if they feel suicidal because if they don't then they are going to find that a few hours later the guy they just gave a packet of paracetamol to is coming back after a suicide attempt.
it happens
asking "do you ever have suicidal thoughts" is a perfectly reasonable question to ask someone who you are about to give a load of toxic and dangerous drugs to.
Originally posted by Sway33
So working for the DoD does not mean its not documented. And just because you had a mental health issue say 20 years ago will not prevent you from getting a job, and it would not have been an issue in you getting the job. However if you were required to carry a gun for this job or any other such high risk issue, you would have been looked at more carefully or disregarded altogether. Most questions asked in job applications will ask if you have been diagnosed with a mental health issue within the last 6-12 months. Just because your mental health was questioned does not mean you were diagnosed or deemed a threat. This was not as complicated 20 years ago when this problem may have happened and today more is done with the information obtained.
On the other side of the coin, people occasionally get injured in suicide attempts--they flinch at the last moment--and come into the ER with poorly explained injuries (usually motor-vehicle wreck or modest OD) ---but they usually smilingly deny suicide ideation.
Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
reply to post by MuzzleBreak
On the other side of the coin, people occasionally get injured in suicide attempts--they flinch at the last moment--and come into the ER with poorly explained injuries (usually motor-vehicle wreck or modest OD) ---but they usually smilingly deny suicide ideation.
I spent about a year as a ER nurse, that is not my experience most in fact all (i really can not recall anyone denying they had done it when it was obvious) would admit to it. you ask a patient "why did you take a overdose/hang yourself/cut yourself/stab your self in the throat?" they will all admit to it being a suicide attempt or a form of self harm.