YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Background info: I'm an 18 year old girl who takes Effexor and hormonal birth control pills
I went to a new psychiatrist last week and she was from the South and had a big bejeweled cross around her neck.
In asking me a bunch of questions, she sounded VERY disproving when I told her I smoke pot and even more so when I said I was sexually active. then at the end of the session she told me that my medication interferes with the effectiveness of birth control pills. I FREAKED OUT and told her no one has EVER told me that before out of all the doctors and nurses i'd ever talked to. And that I had sex for two years without a backup method (in a monogamous relationship) and why had no one told me this?? she said it was "unfortunate" that no one had told me "because I wasn't married." I just looked it up and Effexor does NOT interfere with birth control. this psychiatrist just told me that because she didn't like that I have sex! Can you believe that? I feel like I should report her for unethical conduct or something.
do you guys have any psychiatrist horror stories?

First up, hugs Luna.

You deserve better.

Run like hell from that person.

Second, smoking pot and having sex are very common for 18 year olds.

If she can't handle that, uh..... why is she in that field? Maybe overt ministry would be a better fit for her, but let her worry about her.

I admire you for seeking healing! Sadly, this is part of your journey. Your journey to a professional who will meet you where you are.

Has she specifically marketed herself as a religious counselor? And, even if she has, there is no excuse for that behavior. You can report that... Perhaps to the better business bureau? Is she independently employed?

I second Oak, though. Tell her her behavior was inappropriate, unprofessional, you know she lied, and then run like hell. Who knows what other bullshit she's told other people. Her personal beliefs have no place in that setting.

Is she part of a practice or is it just her? If she works with others, you should absolutely tell the head of the practice. These things will reflect badly upon them, so they will definitely do something about it. And you're well within your rights to ask the doctor why she would give you misinformation and how her demeanor has affected you.

she sounds like a grade A manipulative btch. I would so report her. What she did was really wrong.

No matter how she has billed herself, she has done something terribly unethical. She needs to be reported to the board of ethics before lying to more clients.

So, following up - did you take action of any kind to either tell her or her managing group about her
deliberate presentation of medically invalid information about drug interaction (hint, the inserts with the meds are required to print those too)
and
her moralizing about your sexual behavior
are inappropriate and can do more harm than good
and people need to know this

as for the "religious" I know many people who wear crosses or stars of david because they were gifts or from a loved family member who died, its not a very discreet thing to wear as medical professional but doesn't make her religious and that is neither good nor bad by itself
the judging, religious or not...that is bad, wrong...yeah, i get the irony that I am judging her
but she is paid to be supportive and helpful
and allegedly trained, too