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Fundamentalist Psychiatrist Considering Not Treating Me Due To Religion


wanderinstar

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Hi everyone, I am a new old member from a few years ago. I just wanted to run this issue by a few ex-ers. For four years my psychiatrist has been treating me for Bipolar and PTSD. He knew I was an ex-christian (de-converted June 2012) so several times tried to coax me back into the fold. This infuriated me as I felt he had crossed boundaries so I politely and strongly explained my intellectual reasons for not believing and asked to be left alone in that regard. He respected that and dropped the topic. He was a good doctor by most regards and genuinely cared for my welfare helping me through many severe episodes of illness that led me into hospital.

 

Two weeks ago upon leaving hospital after probably the worst episode of my life he told me he may no longer be able to treat me because he cannot cope with my 'spiritual' beliefs(or lack of) when I am very suicidal. The fact I am not Christian or don't have what he considers a 'solid spiritual grounding' leaves him to feel I am too vulnerable when suicidal and he just can't handle continuing to treat me in these cases. It is too stressful for him. He said if I don't get more stable or find religion then he will have to transfer me to another doctor. This has floored me as I hardly talk of my spiritual beliefs (unless he brings it up and then I tell him I will never be a christian and am a panthers or something close). Sometimes when manic my beliefs go crazy but that is part of the illness so I don't see the problem. When suicidal I don't talk spiritual and being a christian wouldn't  stop me anyway. I am not sure if I am explaining this well. My doctor is basically ditching me due to my beliefs and lack of belief. It makes me so angry that he can't just separate his faith from his job. He is also blaming me rather than taking responsibility. In the past Christian ministers totally screwed me over psychologically when trying to deal with my mental illness by casting out demons. This is a reminder of being hurt by a Christian who is supposed to be helping. I am fragile and still recovering from my illness and now this. It hurts. Is it just me or is this unethical?

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It's not just you. I think he is right in that he shouldn't be treating you. A secular psychiatrist, preferably one who is familiar with what cults and religions can do, would be a better choice.

 

Best of luck finding better help.

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He shouldn't have strung you along for 4 years. Believers often hold out hope of "saving" someone, but then either tire of the process or fear the results when the magic of salvation doesn't work. That especially burns ex-Christians because it is often the faith itself that was the cause of our traumas.

 

I hope you can find someone new who doesn't have a hidden agenda besides your own mental health.

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I think it is unethical, but you are better off without a doctor who believes in magic. I hope you soon find a real professional who doesn't consider his job to be an advocate of religion.

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You will be better off with another treating physician. Perhaps one that you seek out yourself, rather than letting this one choose someone for you.

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Hi everyone, I am a new old member from a few years ago. I just wanted to run this issue by a few ex-ers. For four years my psychiatrist has been treating me for Bipolar and PTSD. He knew I was an ex-christian (de-converted June 2012) so several times tried to coax me back into the fold. This infuriated me as I felt he had crossed boundaries so I politely and strongly explained my intellectual reasons for not believing and asked to be left alone in that regard. He respected that and dropped the topic. He was a good doctor by most regards and genuinely cared for my welfare helping me through many severe episodes of illness that led me into hospital.

 

Two weeks ago upon leaving hospital after probably the worst episode of my life he told me he may no longer be able to treat me because he cannot cope with my 'spiritual' beliefs(or lack of) when I am very suicidal. The fact I am not Christian or don't have what he considers a 'solid spiritual grounding' leaves him to feel I am too vulnerable when suicidal and he just can't handle continuing to treat me in these cases. It is too stressful for him. He said if I don't get more stable or find religion then he will have to transfer me to another doctor. This has floored me as I hardly talk of my spiritual beliefs (unless he brings it up and then I tell him I will never be a christian and am a panthers or something close). Sometimes when manic my beliefs go crazy but that is part of the illness so I don't see the problem. When suicidal I don't talk spiritual and being a christian wouldn't  stop me anyway. I am not sure if I am explaining this well. My doctor is basically ditching me due to my beliefs and lack of belief. It makes me so angry that he can't just separate his faith from his job. He is also blaming me rather than taking responsibility. In the past Christian ministers totally screwed me over psychologically when trying to deal with my mental illness by casting out demons. This is a reminder of being hurt by a Christian who is supposed to be helping. I am fragile and still recovering from my illness and now this. It hurts. Is it just me or is this unethical?

wanderingstar, good to hear from you although I am so sorry you are hurting right now. I would definitely search out a secular professional. Anyone who wants you to depend on a 'higher power' will make you crazy.

 

Maybe for now you could contact Dr. Marlene Winell. She has a phone number and she does consults to help people. I'm not sure what she charges but she helps those who has left the cult and also deals with the emotions and the detrimental effects of leaving the fold. Have a look at her website and see if she might be able to help. But definitely try to find someone who is a non believer. When I was diagnosed 3 years ago with Complex-Ptsd, I was very lucky to have found a councilor who was a non-believer. She made that diagnosis for me and part of that C-Ptsd diagnosis  (along with a list of many other things that have put my body into a 'shock' state was the fact that I discovered that there wasn't a god.) She, along with Ex-c and the gang here, helped me to learn how to deal with real life.

 

Have a look at her website and she what she possibly offers.... and hang in there sweetie. Keep us posted at how it goes. Please go do something really nice for yourself today.

 

 http://www.marlenewinell.net/

 

Big ((hug))

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No, it's not just you. Really, he's doing you a favor. From personal experience, practically all fundamentalists are far more interested in the soul and its destiny than in you and who you are, and it's likely affected the way he's treated you. You've got an opportunity to find someone who can truly help you. Best wishes.

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OP: Have him transfer you to a non-religious doctor. Then complain to the state licensing board or appropriate authority about this Christian doctor's type of therapy if you feel it is unethical. An ultimatum to 'find' religion or get another doctor is absurd.

 

Christians are not immune from taking their own lives. And on the flip-side, non-believers can get past suicidal thought without turning to Jesus. People do live happy productive lives without Jesus or any other religion.

 

Good luck. Hope you get feeling better.

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This is insane. He went far over the line when he tried to convert you, and now he's trying to almost threaten you into re-converting? If he can't treat you while you're non-Christian, he should not be treating you at all. Psychiatrists and counselors sometimes have to make a decision of whether to see someone due to a conflict - say, attraction to a client, but they never, ever, ever should say "Do [thing that has nothing to do with me or my safety] or I'll stop treating you." For all he knows, and especially because you've known him so long, you've built up trust in him and feel that he's the only one whom you can see. And now he's giving you an ultimatum about whether you can continue?! That is absolutely disgusting. You need to report this. The American Psychological Association would be interested to know that someone affiliated with them is intimidating clients into joining his religion. I'm sure the APA wouldn't tell him he has to treat you because therapists should not treat people whose interests they don't have at heart, but since it's true that he's not looking out for you, he should not be a therapist at all.

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Hi everyone, I am a new old member from a few years ago. I just wanted to run this issue by a few ex-ers. For four years my psychiatrist has been treating me for Bipolar and PTSD. He knew I was an ex-christian (de-converted June 2012) so several times tried to coax me back into the fold. This infuriated me as I felt he had crossed boundaries so I politely and strongly explained my intellectual reasons for not believing and asked to be left alone in that regard. He respected that and dropped the topic. He was a good doctor by most regards and genuinely cared for my welfare helping me through many severe episodes of illness that led me into hospital.

 

Two weeks ago upon leaving hospital after probably the worst episode of my life he told me he may no longer be able to treat me because he cannot cope with my 'spiritual' beliefs(or lack of) when I am very suicidal. The fact I am not Christian or don't have what he considers a 'solid spiritual grounding' leaves him to feel I am too vulnerable when suicidal and he just can't handle continuing to treat me in these cases. It is too stressful for him. He said if I don't get more stable or find religion then he will have to transfer me to another doctor. This has floored me as I hardly talk of my spiritual beliefs (unless he brings it up and then I tell him I will never be a christian and am a panthers or something close). Sometimes when manic my beliefs go crazy but that is part of the illness so I don't see the problem. When suicidal I don't talk spiritual and being a christian wouldn't  stop me anyway. I am not sure if I am explaining this well. My doctor is basically ditching me due to my beliefs and lack of belief. It makes me so angry that he can't just separate his faith from his job. He is also blaming me rather than taking responsibility. In the past Christian ministers totally screwed me over psychologically when trying to deal with my mental illness by casting out demons. This is a reminder of being hurt by a Christian who is supposed to be helping. I am fragile and still recovering from my illness and now this. It hurts. Is it just me or is this unethical?

wanderingstar, good to hear from you although I am so sorry you are hurting right now. I would definitely search out a secular professional. Anyone who wants you to depend on a 'higher power' will make you crazy.

 

Maybe for now you could contact Dr. Marlene Winell. She has a phone number and she does consults to help people. I'm not sure what she charges but she helps those who has left the cult and also deals with the emotions and the detrimental effects of leaving the fold. Have a look at her website and see if she might be able to help. But definitely try to find someone who is a non believer. When I was diagnosed 3 years ago with Complex-Ptsd, I was very lucky to have found a councilor who was a non-believer. She made that diagnosis for me and part of that C-Ptsd diagnosis  (along with a list of many other things that have put my body into a 'shock' state was the fact that I discovered that there wasn't a god.) She, along with Ex-c and the gang here, helped me to learn how to deal with real life.

 

Have a look at her website and she what she possibly offers.... and hang in there sweetie. Keep us posted at how it goes. Please go do something really nice for yourself today.

 

 http://www.marlenewinell.net/

 

Big ((hug))

 

 

 

Thanks Margee, As I live in Australia I don't have access to Dr Winell unfortunately. I do however at least have a great non-christian therapist who I can process this with but he is away on holidays and won't be back for a couple of weeks. He will be furious at my psychiatrist as it has re-traumatised me and put me in a difficult position. Until then I will vent and try and get support on forums like this. It is good to be back. I had been taking a break as I wanted a break from religion period but this has brought it back to the forefront. I so ***** hate fundamentalist religion. 

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Thanks for your posts everyone. I really appreciate the support. I live in Australia so if I report it it will be to the relevant boards here. I am kind of stuck as i live in a small city with only two private psychiatric hospitals and I have been affiliated with one for nearly 7 years. If I change doctors it has to be to one who admits to that hospital which really narrows down the field. Basically, I have to trust my current psychiatrist to write on the referral that I want someone who is non-religious or at least able to treat me without mixing their beliefs in the treatment. I don't know what my current doctor will think about this but I think he will be open to it as he has found religion to be the problem when treating me. 

 

This has really crushed me as I thought I had a good relationship with my psychiatrist and that the religious stuff was in the past. He has been a competent doctor and has shown great care for me. Now I see he just wants to save me. Right now I am physically and mentally exhausted after a severe manic break so I am very fragile. To lay this on me now is so unfair. I see him again in a week but don't want to do anything major until I talk with my therapist the following week. I will bring it up though as it has thrown me and he needs to know that. As for reporting him, I will wait until I am stable with a new psychiatrist but then again he/she will probably be from the same practice as mine so it is complicated. 

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I'm so glad you have a non-Christian therapist and that you realize how messed-up it is that the Christian one crossed a professional line.

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No need for lengthy comments on my part here, others have covered everything sufficiently.

 

My only addition here is that when choosing ANY physician, then all other things being equal I'd say an atheist is the best choice. I'd even choose an atheist over a Hindu, despite being Hindu. Your medical care is important enough that religious bullshit should play no part in it.

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Hi WS. So sorry for this difficult time in your life. I find it absolutely exhausting emotionally when I defend my reasons for rejecting evangelicalism to a believer. It also produces a great deal of anxiety in me afterward. Because they are so deeply deluded - and I want them to find their way out - I feel the need to explain as clearly and convincingly as i can, lest they dismiss a strawman version of my argument and build one more layer of rationalization and insulation to their deluded reality. All that to say that it absolutEly sucks that you had to defend your beliefs to a medical professional

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Feeling really down about this and possibly getting depressed. Hard to tell but it is common after a manic episode. Either way I feel awful and this issue with my psychiatrist is really getting to me. I feel mistreated and it hurts. I see him again on the 4th January and I don't know what to say. I am scared. Never been good with confronting people. The idea of changing doctors is stressful too, especially when so fragile. I need a smooth transition and continuous treatment and luck with a great new doctor and my old doctor being gracious in handing me over with all the right information etc. I just want to curl in a ball and hide. This is so difficult. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

How are you doing Wandering star?

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Thanks for asking insightful. I'm calming down. See a prospective new psychiatrist on Feb 22nd. Hoping that will go well and I can move on. Still seeing the Christian psychiatrist until at least then. He has apologised for the distress he caused me and admits he can't separate his faith from his profession. Typical fundamentalist. I am still angry but ready to let it go and move on. Been very anxious due to this but coping well.

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Thanks for the update! Glad he apologized and can admit his biases. I can sense the greater calmness in your overall tone - less distressed and more optimistic. =)

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I work as a Counselor professionally. I can say that ultimately, it is the goals of the client that have to take precedent over my own beliefs. That being said, I am who I am and my beliefs play a part in the way I treat people. As a non-believer, I do find it difficult at times to treat excessively religious (read: Christian) people. I have tried to circumvent my feelings in regards to providing the best care for my clients, however I have found at this point in my life, I cannot do so and provide good therapy to overly Christian clients. I hate that it is that way, however, I have to understand my limits and I choose not to counsel anyone who is overly Christian. You need to have a Doctor who is not clouded by the beliefs that they have and allow those feelings to affect your treatment. Its all about you when it comes to treatment. The beliefs of the therapist should not be relevant.

 

I think that he did the right thing in letting you go as a client (recognizing his own limitations), but I do think that he should not have developed a long term therapeutic relationship with you and then abruptly ended it, especially if he knew that the beliefs that you and he have would be the deciding factor in the termination of services. There needs to be closure and a transition period for you to switch to another therapist.

 

I hope that you can find a new doctor who can provide you good treatment and without all the baggage of beliefs.

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Thanks for your support everyone. This has been a very difficult thing to go through, especially with a history of spiritual abuse. On 7th February I am seeing the same doctor again as he wants to keep an eye on me since he realises this has been very destabilising. He wants my parents to come along ( I am 40) to help them help me. I think he is covering his arse and worried I will take drastic action over it. One thing he has got right is my medication so at least that is in order. I am stressed and angry, and a little scared, but ok. Can't wait to see the new Psychiatrist. Just hope he is a good one and I can transfer to him and move on.

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Thanks for your support everyone. This has been a very difficult thing to go through, especially with a history of spiritual abuse. On 7th February I am seeing the same doctor again as he wants to keep an eye on me since he realises this has been very destabilising. He wants my parents to come along ( I am 40) to help them help me. I think he is covering his arse and worried I will take drastic action over it. One thing he has got right is my medication so at least that is in order. I am stressed and angry, and a little scared, but ok. Can't wait to see the new Psychiatrist. Just hope he is a good one and I can transfer to him and move on.

Glad that good things are in the future for you. Don't be afraid to tell the old therapist how his actions made you feel, but don't attack him. Just express how this all made you feel.  You need to be free to share those emotions and to find closure with him. If he wronged you, you need to make that known to him. If he is worth anything as a counselor, he will learn from this mistake.

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My therapist did the same thing to me, my friend. I know it is a horrible feeling to feel so betrayed. I agree with the others though: you are better off without this therapist. He is unable to separate his job from his beliefs and that is not only unprofessional and unethical, but it is absolutely horrendous therapy. You'll be surprised how much more someone can help you who isn't like this.

 

I personally am seeing a Christian therapist, however, she understands that I am not a Christian and is respectful of that. She has not once mentioned her beliefs to me, is very professional, and is quite liberal in her beliefs anyway. Even therapists like this are alright, but you have to be very very careful.

 

I personally suggest checking this site out. You may find someone in your area who is secular. Some also treat cult victims.

 

https://seculartherapy.org

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Thanks again everyone. I already have a great non-Christian therapist. I just need a good secular psychiatrist. Saw my current Christian psychiatrist today and he was still spewing Christian terms and told me God is working in my life. Sigh...I am seeing a new psychiatrist in two weeks. Can't wait and hope he is the right fit. Apparently he is more medical and scientific which sounds great. Hope he is willing to take me on.

 

My mood is 'up' at the moment so I need to watch out for mania. So much to juggle in my life right now. I have trauma issues coming up and university starting soon. So far I am coping well. Really hoping this change in doctors helps ease the stress.

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