Medical Procedures include a mental health wellness survey, red flag potential?

I move for Red Flag warnings for candidates for congress. Maybe all elected governmental positions.

Ever wonder why 'fat chance' and 'slim chance' mean the same thing?

I refused to answer the mental health questions at the VA once on a routine visit. They had a nurse sitting by me with a clipboard for hours. Now I just answer the yes and no answers appropriately. And guns are scary...

P89DCSS said:

I just underwent a medical procedure with hospitalization. Almost every day I was asked if I was at risk or wanted to die. Several times I was given a paper survey with all sort of intrusive mental health questions. I declined to answer any surveys and replied to the question about wanting die with, "if I wanted to die I wouldn't be undergoing this procedure."

When I declined to answer the surveys the nurse would say it's OK not to answer but it would make her job easier if I did. I figure answering those surveys could subject me to red flag laws. And I figure there's pressure on the nurses to get patients to fill those surveys out.

Am I paranoid or careful?

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I haven't been asked such questions yet, but I'm fixin' to get mighty rude if they do.

"Lady, I'm not here to make YOUR life easier. I'm here to make MY life easier by getting this procedure done. Let's focus on that, shall we?"

This is borderline paranoid/careful in my opinion.

Jamie B said:

It has to start somewhere
These nut bag shooters need to be identified somehow as early as possible
I’m glad to see it. It will weed out morons if done correctly, and make things better for the rest of us

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So, how is berating 55+year old veterans about their “feelings” at their yearly VA clinic for hearing aids stop the next 18 year old school shooter?

Critical thinking isn’t your forte, huh?

Those morons you reference in your post are the veterans that kept you speaking American. You know, humans your own dang age.
The one older than thirty, the Vegas shooter, wasn’t a veteran.

How is treating ex-military like garbage going to find the next nut-bag?
Or does it not matter, as long as “we just do SOMETHING!”?

How is taking any longer while a grandmother sits in pain from an inflamed appendix going to find a psychopath in some other state?
How is screening me when I get stitches in my hand going to help a teenager who won’t need to go to the hospital, stop killing kids to vendetta his pedophile uncle and drug addled mother?

It won’t.

For every tragic shooting there is a GIANT list of humans that sat by and did nothing.
—-Another hour long video of grown men afraid to open a door and save children.—-
—-Kids at school afraid and telling of the danger with no result from adults.—-
—-Years of issues with the kid, and the parents do nothing.—-

Now we want a huge amount more humans to go above and beyond, to the point of personal invasion, and interrogate everyone that may use health care?

How about when humans call up the FBI and the police to report these nut jobs those people actually do something about it?

Nah, let’s irritated everyone else and not really help at all with the shooting thing…

Get government involved with health care, they said. It’ll be fair, they said.

You’ll get to keep your doctor they said…

Heck, you won’t get to keep your own property.

In recent years I've noted surveys that I thought were a bit much - and always declined to answer - period. Only a fool would answer those kinds of surveys in my opinion...

I’d say careful, since just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you

I’ve known doctors who are perfectly wonderful practitioners who give excellent healthcare and are rabidly anti gun. Could I see them throwing a red flag accusation at someone “for their own good”? Yes, I think I could.

Archie said:

I move for Red Flag warnings for candidates for congress. Maybe all elected governmental positions.

Ever wonder why 'fat chance' and 'slim chance' mean the same thing?

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Some of the social media from currently elected ones would warrant it, it seems a lot of days.

FL-NC said:

...that not only did the military ruin any chance of me being interested in firearms in the future, I also lost any desire to SCUBA dive, sky dive, run for exercise, or go camping ever again too.

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THEN the Dr. left the room, and returned with a MRE and you did/didn't recoil in horror.
And all other answers comments were judged based on your facial expression IMO haha


(that's MRE sans pb, or cheese squeeze)

What I see in sorting thru the many responses is a mix of the go-along-to-get-along group and those who do not trust the information gathering. I'm squarely in the DO NOT TRUST group. It doesn't matter that the person handing you the form or asking the questions is trustworthy. This type of information gathering is now commonplace as is it's misuse by unelected government bureaucrats who have their own political agendas. As a retired psychologist with 40 years of experience assessing risk to self and others, I can tell you that these forms have almost zero value for the intended purpose yet the potential for misuse is huge. When I decline to answer the questions, I get a smile and a nod.

How come government gets to know every intimate detail in our minds, but we’re not allowed to know about them?

“Do you have guns at home? Feeling suicidal?”

“No. Did you cheat on your medical exams? Are you sleeping with the pharma rep!”

I guess the health care professionals I go to aren't really up with the times. I have never been asked a question about firearms or my mental health. It's mostly,"Where does it hurt?' and, "Right here'. Once in a while it's, "Is your insurance still the same? I like the sign on the door of my dermatologist's office. It states "We welcome concealed carry. We support the second amendment".

I would only answer questions related to my surgery and current medical condition. I have no problem answering N/A to anything else.

Always remember:

• Any information that is given to a government agency will be misused, sooner or later, and;
• The goal of any governmental program is not intended to actually solve a problem. Instead, it only serves to make it look like they are "doing something" while actually enriching their friends.

I share OP's "paranoia," if you define paranoia as good strategic thinking.

Non-clinical paranoia is a survival trait, to my thinking.

About two years ago my health insurance people distributed that survey, and every question (but name and the like) was labeled as voluntary. I have treated it as such ever since, even though they're been dunning me by mail, e-mail, phone, and in person to fill it out.

In thinking about it as a general subject area*, if I were to off myself, it would not be by firearm as being too messy and inconsiderate of the discoverer and my family and probably destroy my value as a total organ donor. And there are neater ways, as in carbon monoxide, nitrogen, helium, argon...

Yeah, so having thought that out like a strategic and aware person, I would now be obligated to truthfully answer "Have you ever contemplated suicide?" with a yes.

Pisonem. They've set it up so you can't win, and anything you do triggers another health issue and that's good for Medicine as a Business.

Terry, 230RN

* As it happens, a relative of mine recently used a firearm, which stimulated my mind in the subject area.

Hookeye said:

No, we are where we are because of other (social) issues, not because we dont have enough laws.

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That depends upon the law
Additional laws aren’t all bad
Unenforced laws are bad, as are ridiculous laws

Demi-human said:

So, how is berating 55+year old veterans about their “feelings” at their yearly VA clinic for hearing aids stop the next 18 year old school shooter?

Critical thinking isn’t your forte, huh?

Those morons you reference in your post are the veterans that kept you speaking American. You know, humans your own dang age.
The one older than thirty, the Vegas shooter, wasn’t a veteran.

How is treating ex-military like garbage going to find the next nut-bag?
Or does it not matter, as long as “we just do SOMETHING!”?

How is taking any longer while a grandmother sits in pain from an inflamed appendix going to find a psychopath in some other state?
How is screening me when I get stitches in my hand going to help a teenager who won’t need to go to the hospital, stop killing kids to vendetta his pedophile uncle and drug addled mother?

It won’t.

For every tragic shooting there is a GIANT list of humans that sat by and did nothing.
—-Another hour long video of grown men afraid to open a door and save children.—-
—-Kids at school afraid and telling of the danger with no result from adults.—-
—-Years of issues with the kid, and the parents do nothing.—-

Now we want a huge amount more humans to go above and beyond, to the point of personal invasion, and interrogate everyone that may use health care?

How about when humans call up the FBI and the police to report these nut jobs those people actually do something about it?

Nah, let’s irritated everyone else and not really help at all with the shooting thing…

Click to expand...

Don’t like the questions, don’t answer
Learn to think on your own for a change
Your vapid whining about doing anything is why we have a problems now from doing nothing

I had an appointment with a VA counselor who had a reputation for hating guns and asking prying questions.

So I walked into her office and announced: "Before you ask, yes, I have dozens of guns and no, I've never considered suicide. Happy now?" We got along great.

Jamie B said:

It has to start somewhere
These nut bag shooters need to be identified somehow as early as possible
I’m glad to see it. It will weed out morons if done correctly, and make things better for the rest of us

Click to expand...

We need to do something!!!!
No, we need to do the right thing. I had supported the concept of a background check before there were background checks. Then, once they were implemented I saw how broken the system the whole sebang rested on was. I have seen people have to dash around on their own time, paying for certified copies of documents that should have been filed by clerks of courts, lawyers, etc. and seeing them sent to FDLE by the person involved. Then there's the people whose records are so messed up they have to have a UPIN (Unique personal identification number) issued to prove it's the real them.

It all comes down to the ability, training and prejudices of the person doing the weeding.

Jamie B said:

Don’t like the questions, don’t answer
Learn to think on your own for a change
Your vapid whining about doing anything is why we have a problems now from doing nothing

Click to expand...

Done nothing, eh?
Eyes closed this whole time?

I think on my own. You should give it a whirl…
You know, the next time. When it’s made mandatory, because it didn’t work.

Vapid whining: when bad things happen to others.
Oppression: when the same thing happens to me.

And still, the ones doing the mass shooting aren’t the ones being ask the questions.
So it really is like doing nothing.

Why does this not upset you?
Have you though of that with your independent thinking, or has it not come across the news yet?

In Washington state now, since I-1639 passed, when you purchase a pistol or semi-automatic rifle you sign a new "application" form that informs you that, by signing, you waive your HIPAA rights...
from the AG's website:
Do Washington’s background check requirements violate privacy protections for firearms purchasers’ medical information such as HIPAA?
No. Under Washington law, a signed application to purchase a pistol constitutes a waiver of confidentiality and written request that the Health Care Authority, mental health institutions, and other health care facilities release, to an inquiring court or law enforcement agency, information relevant to the applicant's eligibility to purchase a pistol. Effective July 1, 2019, that waiver of confidentiality provision is expanded to include applications to purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle.

So here, the ship has sailed.

I don't go to the VA anymore and I felt the providers had an agenda to diagnose me with certain conditions... When I go to non-military medical providers (the folks at Madigan AMC are generally pretty cool), if there are intrusive questions such as those mentioned, I simply leave blank, if on a form, or verbally state I decline to answer if asked by a provider.

Jamie B said:

Additional laws aren’t all bad

Click to expand...

Yes, yes they are. My state is a great example.

What NEW laws does this country really require? (Other than making stupidity illegal). Assault, rape, homicide, stealing -- all already illegal. Bad driving: illegal. Insider trading: illegal. Fraudulently attempting to get your kids into a good university by misrepresenting minority status or sports participation: illegal. Bringing a 30-round P-Mag into Washington state: illegal.

I'm not a lawyer, but it sure looks to me that all the bad things one might ever do are, in fact, not legal to do. And a lot of things that shouldn't be against the law (or a law) are, in fact... illegal.

All the new laws being foisted upon us are simply further incursions on our privacy, mostly waste of the paper on which they're printed, because mostly, new laws don't do what their writers say they will do and only spawn more unintended consequences that turn law-abiding citizens into law-breakers.

Old Dog said:

Yes, yes they are. My state is a great example.

Click to expand...

We don't need new laws, we need to figure out how to make the system the laws are supposed to use to implement themselves to work properly.

(Other than making stupidity illegal).

Click to expand...

In full support, think we can do that?

Old dog said,

"I'm not a lawyer, but it sure looks to me that all the bad things one might ever do are, in fact, not legal to do. And a lot of things that shouldn't be against the law (or a law) are, in fact... illegal."

Yes, and I keep harping on the fact that these jerks were all possessing a firearm within 1000 feet of a school.

But nobody cites that.

Lotta good that law did.

Terry, 230RN

(Edited for typo,)