LogFAQs > #897561964

darkjedilink posted...

But it doesn't always 'balance out,' which is my point. My ex-wife became violent on them, to me and our children. She literally stabbed me numerous times.

There was no 'close monitoring,' either - her family practicioner scripted the Prozac, with no follow-up or therapist visit. She never sought counseling until after MY suicide attempt after she announced her desire for divorce in the midst of another stabbing attack.

I'm not sure how the US does it but just about every single person I know who was prescribed some kind of medication was told to go back to the doctor immediately if they had thoughts of harming themselves or others. Most also had regular therapy, and pills, at least from my doctor, weren't given in a prescription that lasts longer than a month so you'd need to go back to the doctor for regular check-ups anyway. Every time I went back, my doctor would privately ask my parents how I'm doing and if they noticed any negative or positive change in my demeanour.

If your wife had violent thoughts and told no one about it, that's not the doctor's fault for not knowing. Blame the stigma on mental health. I hope you told your doctor immediately when she became violent "numerous times" toward you and your children because, unless the doctor is also living with you, they can't possibly know what goes on outside the office. I can't imagine any doctor going "oh let's just wait and see a couple months and see if there's any change" if someone is stabbing others. The number one biggest issue with mental health is that just about no one other than the one suffering knows exactly what's going on inside their own mind, and they aren't always able or willing to explain it.
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"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."