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Why would the parents still talk to the psychiatrist?

posted 15 years ago by jetglass
11 replies | jump to latest

I dont understand why the parents would still talk to Evan's psychiatrist after his suicide. The doctor seemed suprised by the suicide and appeared like a quack to me. Any competent doctor would have told the parents before Evan decided to stop taking the medications the following "DO not even consider for a second stopping his medications, if u do it could be a life and death decision." I mean every doctor knows that there could be devastating effects when someone with depression or bipolar disorder stops taking their medications. Now I understand that Evan and many other people who suffer tremendouly from these kinds of illnesses dont want to be on their medications for the rest of their lives considering all the negative side effects, but how the doctor didnt warn them about the possible consequences, especially considering Evanis in the prime age for a relapse, the teenage years, is beyond me. The parents considering stopping the meds was understandable,as they would have no reason to know about this issue and the potential results. The doctor should have, and in my opinion constitues gross negligence. Whether he could actually be civilly responsible is a completely difference story, and probably would not lose any lawsuit from the family.

[–] jetglass 15 years ago

Forgot to also mention that he quoted in the movie verbatim "We could have only prevented his suicide for so long." This doctor is no worse than someone in Al Queda if you asked me. Cost a young kid's life by telling the parents it was okay to stop his medications, and then tries to make it sound like it wasnt his fault by making a comment that is unfathomable.

[–] anneleew-686-720431 14 years ago

Totally agree. He was more than anything trying to make of Evan "the scariest child he ever knew" as an excuse for himself. If that's what he was, why did he get him off his medicin? But the doctor is just the tip of the iceberg. I believe the parents are totally scary. What kind of person talks to a 5 yr old about suicide???!! The kid seemed perfectly normal, intense, maybe, but normal. The parents are the ones to watch. More than regret they seem intent on proving that Evan was "scary." They seem more than aything upset that their son was not "like any other kids." Every time the kid said something "troubling," they scold him saying that is inappropiate. It seems to me that they perpetuated his image of a troubled child, and they were just (at the very least) trying to prove with the documentary that they were oly victims and that there was nothing they could've done. How about some love and understanding? How about not talking about dead and suicide to a 5 yr old. I believe there is much more that they must have done that, (understandably) was not filmed. They should be held responsible for what happened to their child. Doing a film about it is just one more sample of the kind of persons they really are.

[–] donburgess46 14 years ago

Couldn't agree more. This guy seemed very feeble and unsure of himself. I would have found another doctor after the first visit with this guy.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] jbyrd130 14 years ago

OMFG I'm sitting here watching this right now and EVERYTHING about this film is pissing me off.

It seems like everyone around this kid (parents, psychiatrists, teachers) were projecting their own agenda/issues on him, all the while making the situation worse. It's bizarre to me that his mental health was being treated as a "behavioral" issue. I mean, lithium?! really?!

I was diagnosed as clinically depressed at 20, and have a bipolar uncle whose been in and out of institutions all my life. I'm not a medical expert but I have enough personal experience with mental illness and the like, to know that pharmaceutical and "behavorial" treatment alone can't help someone truly get better. In many circumstances, there are dysfunctional relationships going on that need to be addressed and corrected.

[–] dccntryboy 14 years ago

Couldn't agree more. That psychiatrist gave me the creeps. His blase attitude about the suicide was inappropriate at best, and all those strange gestures (like covering up his face with the folded suicide note) made my skin crawl. Maybe that's just N.Y eggheads for you...

[–] Zonieboy 14 years ago

This psychiatrist is one of the most unprofessional "Professionals" I have ever seen. Telling the parents, "The child was the scariest I have ever seen". Even if you felt that as a personal opinion, "Keep it to Yourself!!!" As a healthcare professional there has to be some distance to keep some mental stability for one's
own mental health. It appeared he had no feeling about Evan as a patient and as a person. This aspect of him would have left me looking for someone else ASAP. He was as they say in New York, " A Putz ". So negative, he was too. Evans' death was inevitable, well everyone's death is inevitable but he could have done more with med control and interaction with others who have fought the fight and are fighting it. It is not an easy road, but this attitude of this Dr. was to give up before putting up a fight that is worth the fight of someone as precious a human being as Evan. The doctor should examen his career choice or at least the way he cares for a patient.

[–] ddmaingot 14 years ago

I never considered the what the psychiatrist had done with taking him off the medications as negligence, but I really see what people mean with this thread. I just don't think I had considered it before. I had an uneasy feeling watching him speak, I just didn't like him at all. As someone whose mother is a therapist and having been to counseling myself, I saw this man as something of a hack. I just felt so angry at his, what seemed to be, ambivalence to the entire situation.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] hihi_hellokitty 10 years ago

When I was Evan's age I was forced to see a psychiatrist for similar reasons.

From the second meeting I knew that the lady was a quack. She had me fill out charts on my emotions from one to ten. What I really wanted was someone to talk to without feeling like I was putting a burden on them. Needless to say it didn't work out and the darkness inside me continued.

Now that I'm older I've found a nice therapist who just sits there and listens. He gives advice on issues if there's a problem, but most importantly he just lets me talk about whatever. I feel 100% comfortable and progress has been made.

In the end I feel like someone should have stepped in and said " Hey what's really going on? "

[–] 10 years ago

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