In reading an article on the front page of The Sun yesterday, I found out that my son’s psychiatrist has had his license suspended for alleged improper conduct with five boys he was treating.
My heart just about stopped.
So many thoughts crashed into my mind. Immediately I went back to the first time we took Adam there two years ago seeking help for anxiety issues and ADHD. He wasn’t with the doctor by himself for long. But was it long enough? For a time, we considered taking Adam to that doctor for therapy but decided on someone closer instead. What if we had made a different choice? I try not to let my mind go there, but I can’t help it.
The psychiatrist in question has mostly been managing Adam’s medication, and I have been the one to meet with him, not Adam. I was just there a few weeks ago and was scheduled to go back in another month. I trusted this man. I poured out our story to him. I’ve gone back to him time and again when there have been issues or when we’ve needed to try something new. He was helping us. I feel totally betrayed and my son wasn’t even one of the alleged victims.
When I read the article, I had just returned home from taking Adam to a therapy session. He was alone with his therapist for 45 minutes. Now I’m wondering if I can trust this man. In the car taking my girls to piano lessons, I started wondering if I could trust the piano teacher. Right now, everyone is looking like a predator. I’m making a mental note of everyone my children have been alone with, and I’m wondering … just wondering. I know it’s an over reaction but I can’t stop myself.
Just like the mothers of those five boys, I thought I was doing what was best for my child. But if the accusations are true, it turns out that instead, I was putting him in harm’s way. Words can’t express how this makes me feel.
So scary. How did you bring up the subject with your son?
Terrifying.
Laura, we did not tell him about it. We felt that at this point in time — there is no need for him to know. He is still so young. I worry that it would scare him and he would be afraid to be left alone with a therapist — which at this point, unfortunately, we have to do. So for now, we are just going to have a generic talk about what is acceptable and not acceptable and hope and pray. I know two other people whose children are older and have seen this doctor more regularly and more recently. I know at least one sat down their child and explained what happened. You just have to weigh what is best for your child, I guess. Another friend was truly worried how this would affect her son’s progress. Trust just shattered.