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Justmehere

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I feel like the abused woman who kept going back to her abuser by seeking care at a community mental health center, getting harmed, and continuing to go back to worse and worse levels of harm.

I feel like it is all my fault with no idea how or why it is my fault.

I went to a community clinic 2 hours from my home. I went there because my insurance finally approved coverage for this counseling and I went to get a psychiatrist and some additional treatment. It has been a horrible experience so far. The first time, I was a victim of a hate crime. I was sitting in the waiting room and another patient came up and attempted to physically attack me for being a minority. They were screaming slur words the whole time. It was clear. I did not know the patient and all the witnesses said I was just sitting there, looking at my phone. Staff did nothing. My service dog got in between me and them, other people in the waiting room came to our rescue.

Intake #1 was thus a complete failure. Spent the whole time talking to police, who arrested the client.

The patient who almost assaulted me, they told me will still be client. Staff told me I did nothing wrong and nothing to provoke it. They told me the patient was of course still going to be a client. Of course.

I asked to do a new intake at another location. It took them 3 weeks to approve this. 3 freaking weeks. The counselor who was supposed to do the intake told me
"that kind of thing, the attempted assault, is more likely to happen at the other clinic." They literally didn't want to transfer my care because they said its more likely to be randomly attacked because of being a minority at the other clinic.

They even said, "it happens more often there."

I started throwing up.

They moved my case the other location, also two hours away. I did the intake. I was brutally honest about all my symptoms and trauma history. They assigned me a therapist who didn’t know what dissociation was - they assigned me to the same therapist who did the intake. I became massively suicidal… I called the crisis line and they sent me to voicemail. I went to the ER and they kept me overnight. The hospital called the mental health center and said they needed to be providing better and more appropriate care. They agreed to assign me to a trauma therapist within a few weeks, but said I needed to see that therapist a few trimes.

I paid so much in transportation costs… (over $200) for these horrible intakes. I had to battle insurance to get insurance to cover the 2-3 sessions with this “general” therapist, who never gave me a disclosure statement, but whom I have now been told didn’t even have her license yet, in order to be assigned to a therapist with training in trauma. I then paid for my non-refundable transportation there. Why did I do this?!

My insurance was actually going to provide transportation themselves, but the clinic only completed the paperwork for me to travel to the first location where I was almost assaulted. When they moved the care to the second clinic, they promised to do the paperwork again, but failed. They adamantly insisted my appointment was still scheduled.

So I bought my own ticket.

My appointment is in less than 12 hours.

I just got a call, about 20 minutes ago, a voicemail message. It was from the head of adult services. He called at 8pm at night to tell me they are closing my case. No referrals, no emergency care. They told me to call my insurance for other options, and my isurnace has already said this is the only option.

They canceled my appointment with the psychiatrist and case manager I was supposed to see at the end of the month as well. No time given to find a new therapist or doctor or anything else. No reason given. No follow up. Nothing. No explanation.

This clinic was my plan to finally get a psychiatrist, to finally have other support in addition to my really expensive trauma therapist that I will soon only be able to see two times a month. She was in support of my pursing this care.

I’m freaking out right now. I’m really freaking out. I don’t even know why I am freaking out.

I feel like I need some rational input. The trauma therapist I have seen for the past two months is on an extended vacation. I have no other supports right now. I really… my mind is spinning off the deep end. I am thinking terrible thoughts.

I need to stop this spiral here. This clinic massively and chronically has triggered me to an extreme degree every time I have interacted with them. The second intake therapist seemed ok, just had no idea what dissociation was. And then they kept triggering me so bad I relapsed back into self injury and even sudden and extreme suicidal thoughts at one point.

I invested so much money into this… only to have this happen…

I felt like a donkey (a stupid fool) chasing a carrot (the possibility of seeing providers who knew about trauma and could provide additional support) who just got stabbed (suddenly abandoned, cut off, and penalized) for no known reason.

I’m actually thinking of still going to the appointment tomorrow and at least finally getting a copy of the insurance forms they claim they filled out. They are supposed to provide care for a period of time before leaving me with nothing. But they said the appointment was canceled. I’m not sure it’s worth the 6 hour bus ride (3 hours there and back - 2 hours by car, but I can't drive right now) to be faced with more hell, at best.

What am I even thinking? I’m not sure it was ever rational to go back after the first 47 huge mistakes they made. They even released my health info with no consent to….

I’m not even going to get into it.

I'm not going to go tomorrow to even give them my medical record release forms. I can mail those.

I am triggered. I am shaking and in a sweat. My face is read and I am crying. I don't even quite know why. I am filled with extreme panic. I’m not thinking very rationally. I need some outside input. I feel like I destroyed my life when I freaked out with my old trauma therapist and like I will never recover and I am worthy of death.

Please help me find a more rational way too look at this. This is really triggering me so bad. I am such a fool, why did I ever go there? Because I was desperate, very desperate.

I wanted a safety net. They turned out to be more like a lion's den. And I kept going back until this happened.

I know I can report the hell out of them to a bazillion regulatory agencies, and I might do that later on. Right now, I need to take care of me. Take care of my needs to get support and help. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it is a really good thing. And yet, I keep thinking I must be a horrible human being to be treated this way by "helpers"....

I feel so humiliated and embarrassed. I don't know why. I'm posting this here to try and keep the shame and all these confusing feelings from getting the better of me.

For right now, I am going to go write until these massive self injury urges pass. I am not going to let this mess cause me to relapse again like it did last week.

Thanks for letting me post this rambly mess of a post.
 
I wish that was the case @FridayJones. It was the director of adult clinical care that called and said my appointment has been canceled and my case has been closed. I called the scheduling center and they said all appointments have been canceled and they have been instructed by this director to not schedule any future appointments at either location ever. They said I have to contact my insurance for options for care. They said we have no referrals for you.
 
they have been instructed by this director to not schedule any future appointments at either location ever.
I don't know the best way to get it, but you will need this in writing; it's what you'll need to show the insurance company in order to get cleared for something different.

It sounds so strange, though, it really does. I'm not saying you're lying, just that it makes me wonder if there's possibly some misunderstanding along the way - because if you've got insurance, I think they have to work with you - unless you've done something to break some policy or contract of care. Like, they don't have to work with people who have become violent, or defaulted on payment (maybe a clerical error on the insurance side?), or made threats, or things like that. Community clinic usually means no-one with the means to pay (out of pocket or through insurance) is turned away.

I'm really sorry to read how much you are struggling.
 
On the one hand, it sounds like they weren't a good option. On the other hand, I can't believe they'd just leave you hanging with no options.
why did I ever go there? Because I was desperate, very desperate.
That question is asked and answered, huh? No point in continuing to beat yourself up over it and no point in punishing yourself because things didn't work. You had a good idea and legitimately made the effort. It didn't work. End of story, for now.

Remember, you've come through WAY worse than this in your life and lived to tell the story. You have it in you to find a way through this. You have coping skills you didn't have as a child.

When your T left on vacation, did you have any kind of emergency backup planned? Different people on here have mentioned online therapy, could that work?

It would be great if you had someone who could advocate for you right now. The whole business of unilaterally cancelling your appointments without giving either reasons or recourse is, well......"NUTS", if you'll pardon the expression.

Channeling my inner "evil lawyer", they are continuing to deal with someone who, without provocation, physically attacked a member of a minority and they'll keep working with that person but not YOU? So, maybe they're in a position to be accused of discrimination? Sounds like a great article for the local paper..Not something I think you should take on yourself right now. I really think you need an advocate. (You don't have a friendly relationship with any lawyers, by chance?)

Sorry all this is happening! Take good care of yourself, in spite of them!
 
Please do not beat yourself up over this, I understand how being desperately needy sets me up to become a victim. You are not stupid nor are you a fool. Be kind to yourself so you can stand up for yourself.

I guess you have to contact your insurance and I pray that there will be someone there that sees and hears you, believes you and will go out of their way to really advocate for you and to really help you to be able to figure out a new plan of treatment.

I am sorry you were a victim of a hate crime. That place sounds so highly toxic that it seems it is better that the doors to that place are closed to you, sparing you from further victimized.

Do not give up but please do take a break to gather your wits about you to be strong enough to pursue your search for help because you are so deserving of it.
 
Sending you :hug:'s @Justmehere

I am so sorry this has happened to you. You are in my thoughts and I am hoping this is resolved sooner than later. We all deserve to heal and should have easy access to treatment. You are your best advocate and I wouldn't beat yourself up for reaching out for a bigger/better treatment team. Please don't give up on that end goal, I do believe it is still possible. Don't stop persevering.
 
I just spent 7 hours trying to find other treatment. No options.

I am not violent. No one has ever accused me of being disruptive as a reason why no care. These clinics treat people with known violent histories. I don't know why I keep getting turned down, I don't think I'm getting the full story. I did have one clinic tell me my insurance said I made up being raped. My rapist confessed and went prison. I don't even know how my insurance knows I was raped or why the hell they would say it was made up.

My rapist was a colleague. A co-worker. When I used to be a case manager. They pulled me into their office one night.... He was a psychologist by training. Raped 6 of my clients that I was the case manager for. He was not my therapist. But I think maybe.... I don't know. Somehow, my insurance found out. Maybe this is what is following me.

After that last call saying my insurance says I made up being raped, I broke down in tears. I am in a dissociative fog. My therapist gave me a back up therapist to call, but she costs more money than I have in the bank right now. I called a crisis line and they gave me more referrals. I didn't want them but they gave them to me. I asked for ways to cope with today, and they gave me more places to call and I started to vomit and panic.

None of this makes sense. I don't feel real.

How can this be happening?
 
I'm not educated on the laws in the US however your insurance is a type of contract and therefor you should be able to take legal action for them denying your claim and accusing you of a false claim. I may be a little off here but I am looking in to it a bit more. Just trying to help!!

I did a little research but I wanted to message you back right away. I am here with you now. This sounds very overwhelming and you have every reason to be feeling this way. I know it may feel hard right now, but there is a solution. If you are making a reasonable claim (which it completely sounds like you are) than you are entitled to them covering their end of the deal. Regardless you are also entitled to help. Sending you hugs, I will message more help if I can find anything out.

I so badly want to take this away for you. Hang in there :hug:
 
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