Sexual Abuse by a Psychiatrist

    PHOENIX, AZ, November 07, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Your deepest thoughts, concerns, fears and mental issues are told to a psychiatrist with the greatest trust. That relationship is important for a patient's mental and physical health, and when they abuse that trust, it is often times difficult for a patient to recover. Since psychiatrists conduct all their meetings behind closed doors without any nursing staff, it is easier for them to commit these horrific acts of abuse. In the Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix, and Scottsdale areas many doctors have been found guilty of these types of unlawful acts against their patients. If you or a loved one has been sexually abused by a psychiatrist you may not know the right course of action to take against them, or may fear taking legal action. Simply contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney and talking about your case will help guide you into bringing these psychiatrists to justice.

While each patient is different, there may be many cases of extreme physical and emotional consequences when sexually abused by a psychiatrist. The vulnerable state of patient in a psychiatrists care makes it easy for sexual abuse to occur. Some examples of the types of pain and suffering these patients endure include:

Physical and Emotional Consequences

• Suicidal
• Depression
• Scarring/Bruising
• Swollen genital area
• Shame
• Guilt
• Fear
• Detachment
• Irritability

Suffering these emotional and physical consequences can be traumatic for any individual. In studying these cases, typically there are consistent warning signs previous to the sexual abuse occurring that patients can be aware of. While these warning signs may not help or prevent these cases from occurring, it helps create awareness on what is inappropriate behavior from a psychiatrist.

Warning Signs

• The psychiatrist is asking to meet with the patient outside of the office
• The psychiatrist makes inappropriate gestures and comments unrelated to the medical and emotional issues of the patient
• The doctor touches the patient frequently and does not maintain a professional amount of space between them
• The psychiatrist touches the patient while doing visits

When sexual abuse occurs it can result in thousands of dollars in medical and psychiatric attention. Most victims are afraid of coming forward and reporting the abuse when it occurs, and it results in many cases going unreported with patients having to deal with the pain alone. These types of cases can be very overwhelming to prove, but an Arizona personal injury attorney has the resources and knowledge to help you overcome this traumatic incident.

Contact an Arizona Personal Injury Lawyer

Sexual abuse by a psychiatrist is against the law. If you are a victim of these unlawful practitioners, coming forward as soon as possible will help prevent more patients from being victimized. Most psychiatrists have the means to manipulate and blame you for the incident occurring in the first place. There is no excuse for sexual abuse and psychiatrists who commit this crime can be subject to losing their license. For more information please contact: www.solomonrelihan.com

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