I am the very first so-labeled "mental patient" to ever request formal
ammendments to my medical records at Northern Nevada Mental Health
Services, and my ammendments were 95% denied. I even took this to the
next level, their governmental Licensing agency, who were very nasty
and denied my complaint.

The clinic falsified my records with (1) employees writing down
conversations with me that never, ever occurred  - to make me look
bad, and (2) branding me as a substance abuser because (a) I briefly
experimented with drugs in the '60s at the age of 15 as a hippie, and
(b) I attempted suicide twice with my medications many years ago. I
have never abused any of their pills to "get high" nor do I even drink
alcohol.

They offered me Buspar for an acute panic attack in which my blood
pressure was 178/144 (and I am diabetic with high blood pressure). As
far as I know, Buspar is not a recommended drug for an acute anxiety
attack. They forced me to go outside their clinic to private
psychiatrists and now I cannot afford my expensive psych medications
at all. I have been treated successfully off and on with Klonopin for
anxiety for the past 8 years and this is the drug the clinic denied to
me in a crisis. My family doctor, who knew me infinitely better than
they did, said that Klonopin is a very "safe and effective" med for
me. However, he is from India and he wouldn't stand up for me against
them and he dropped me as a patient when he found out how high I took
this complaint in the government.

I do not want to go to the Medical Examiners Board with this because I
know I will lose. How can a "mental patient" ever win against doctors
who are all-powerful? I can't find a regular M.D. who will help me
stand up to them, either. They are all afraid.

I did make a formal complaint against one of the Social Workers who
fabricated conversations with me, but I'm sure I'll lose on that too,
as it's her word against mine. I would never step foot in this place
again, without a witness.

Who should I go to next with my complaints? I am willing to take this
all the way up so that I can to expose what they are doing to their
patients. I even started a website about them, but I doubt that will
do any good other than get me blacklisted from every psychiatrist in
my state.

Any ideas? Thanks!

From what you have described, it appears that you do not believe that
you will ever be successful representing yourself.

Your only choice is to level the playing field.  I would highly
suggest that you get a lawyer willing to advocate for you.  At this
point, you really don't have much other choice, but to consider
litigation.

Sorry I don't have any better ideas.

I don't know the US system, but is there not an ombusman of some sort,
a public body that represents patients across the country ?

wolvies

Thanks, I forgot to mention that I have tried to get a lawyer, but it
is too small a matter for malpractice attorneys to be interested in,
and I don't have the thousands to retain one, anyway. Although I can
get a free legal aide lawyer if I lose my SSDI due to the 'hx of
substance abuse' in my medical records. It may have to go that
far...losing my SSDI for me to be able to fight them legally.

As for the US system, I know of no type of ombudsman who will
represent me against a government clinic. Private hospitals have
ombudsmen who settle complaints in-house, but there is no one on the
patient's side at all in this corrupt clinic.

Thanks.

Here is a possible communication line for you.  It is the Citizens
Commission for Human Rights.  Perhaps if you submitted your story and
a proposed letter to a proposed person (the Attorney General?) they
would work with you and agree to send the letter in their name. They
do pack some punch.  Or you might be lucky and one of their experts
will work with you.  See their home page...there is a place to click
TO REPORT AN ABUSE.  The site is www.cchr.org. --Best of luck

Thanks, I did try them and an advocate emailed me and said to bring a
complaint with the State Board of Medical Examiners. I have done that
before and in my experience, they always go with the doctor's story on
"minor" stuff like this.

I am cancelling this question now because I feel I have ruffled enough
feathers in my small town. You can't find doctors on what little I
have to go with (my word against theirs) - they are all powerful.

Thanks everybody, for trying.