Commenting On A Comment
Late last week, a reader posted a comment stating that, not only have antidepressants not helped her, but that she was drinking and potentially thinking about suicide. I appreciate her comment, and I’m glad she shared her thoughts. At the same time, I was deeply saddened to think that there might be someone out there who is reaching out for help, and I don’t have any power to actually help her. I responded to her comment, and I included a national suicide hotline she could call if need be (1-800-SUICIDE). Without her e-mail address or any other contact information, that was all I could do.
It raised the issue in my mind of what my responsibility is for people who read and post comments on my blog. If that reader had been a client of mine who I am seeing in therapy, I would be required (both ethically and legally) to make sure she remained safe. But, what is my ethical obligation to people who are not clients of mine who reveal that they might be in danger of harming themselves?
I’m not sure I have a good answer for this question, yet, except to say that I am limited in how I can respond, given the medium. Your thoughts, as always, are appreciated. And, I hope that woman who posted last week has remained safe.
Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com)
