Treatment FAQ

how to convince patients who do not want treatment

by Prof. Alena Lind III Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  • Don’t argue or tussle with the client to get them to see they need therapy. When you push a client, they may push back even harder. ...
  • Help make therapy acceptable to your reluctant client by reframing it to fit their interests and understandings. ...
  • Help them see how bad things might get (without change) or how good things could be (with change). This can be done through careful discussion and also hypnotic experience. ...

What if a patient doesn’t want to follow your treatment?

They feel that unless a patient follows their advice then the patient should find another doctor. While this is perfectly understandable it feels more patient-centered and helpful if we are willing to negotiate and compromise. If someone does not want your treatment, do not dismiss them.

What do you do when a patient refuses treatment?

Engage the physician as a support for therapy intervention If after modifications and changes the patient continues to refuse treatment, remember that they do have the right to refuse and manage their own care. In this event, it’s important to respect their decisions and discontinue care.

What can I tell a depressed person to convince them to accept treatment?

About a year ago, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal called me and asked, "What is the one thing I can tell a depressed person to convince that person to accept treatment?" The one thing? I told her that each person is unique. What works for one might be damaging for another, not unlike parenting.

What to do when medication is not right for You?

You'd get a second opinion or try a different approach. The type of therapy or the medication might not be right, but the consumer needs to be proactive and honest. When the consumer takes ownership, s/he can optimize the resources available to reach a state of health.

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How do you deal with a patient refusing treatment?

When Patients Refuse TreatmentPatient Education, Understanding, and Informed Consent. ... Explore Reasons Behind Refusal. ... Involve Family Members and Caregivers. ... Document Your Actions. ... Keep the Door Open.

Should patients be able to refuse treatment?

Every competent adult has the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. This is part of the right of every individual to choose what will be done to their own body, and it applies even when refusing treatment means that the person may die.

What is it called when a patient refuses treatment?

Informed refusal is where a person has refused a recommended medical treatment based upon an understanding of the facts and implications of not following the treatment. Informed refusal is linked to the informed consent process, as a patient has a right to consent, but also may choose to refuse.

How do you tell a patient you can't treat them?

Medscape: 10 ways to tell patients 'no'Explain why. Patients can get frustrated if they don't understand doctors' decisions. ... Get to the root of the request. ... Offer alternatives. ... Engage. ... Be positive. ... Utilize clinical staff. ... Be empathetic. ... Read your patient.More items...•

What should a nurse do if a patient refuses treatment?

If your patient refuses treatment or medication, your first responsibility is to make sure that he's been informed about the possible consequences of his decision in terms he can understand. If he doesn't speak or understand English well, arrange for a translator.

Why is refusal of treatment an ethical dilemma?

In general, ethical tension exists when a physician's obligation to promote a patient's best interests competes with the physician's obligation to respect the patient's autonomy. “When you don't take your medication, you're more likely to get sick.”

How do I force someone to go to the hospital?

A person can be involuntarily committed to a hospital if they are a danger to themselves, a danger to others, or gravely disabled. They are considered a danger to themselves if they have stated that they are planning to harm themselves.

Can mentally ill patients refuse treatment?

Generally a competent adult has the right to refuse treatment, even if that refusal may adversely affect them. An unwise decision must be respected if the patient has capacity. No one else can give consent for an adult, someone over the age of 18 or 16 in some circumstances.

Can you force someone to take medication?

For the most part, adults can decline medical treatment. Doctors and medical professionals require informed consent from patients before any treatment, and without that consent, they are prohibited from forcibly administering medical care.

How do you politely decline a patient?

How to Say No to Unreasonable Patient RequestsSaying no to unreasonable patient requests:Just say no Don't be vague. If you are not going to give in to something a patient is asking, say so. ... Explain why you are saying no. To just refuse a request without explanation is rather cruel. ... Offer alternatives.

How do you deal with a stubborn patient?

From Patience to Conversation, What You Need to Do to Help Move a Stubborn or Defensive Patient AlongWatch Your Body Language. ... Remain Calm. ... See it Through The Patient's Perspective. ... Engage in Conversation. ... Show Empathy. ... Be Gentle and Use Patience. ... Set Boundaries. ... Ground Yourself.

How do you handle an argumentative patient?

7 Tips for Handling an Angry PatientInvest some time. Sometimes a patient's anger is really a cry for help or attention. ... Dial up the empathy. ... Keep your cool. ... Mind your body language. ... Physically protect yourself. ... Legally protect yourself. ... Try to end the conversation on a positive note.

Why do some people not need therapy?

Some people feel they don’t need therapy because they don’t want to think of themselves as ‘crazy’ or ‘weird’. Cassy was “forced” to see me by her mother. Once her mum had left the room, the 19-year-old told me she didn’t want to be here at all. I didn’t take it personally.

What happens when you push a client?

When you push a client, they may push back even harder. No one likes to feel pulled or pushed, no matter how good the intentions behind it. Help make therapy acceptable to your reluctant client by reframing it to fit their interests and understandings.

Who instructed an overweight woman who was reluctant to engage in therapy to put more weight on?

I recall a case history of Dr Milton Erickson in which he instructed an overweight woman who was reluctant to engage in therapy to put more weight on. Eventually she was begging him to be allowed to start losing weight. He had effectively engineered the problem to become so bad that she felt now she really wanted to change. What a crazy example, you might think.

Can you throw a lifeline to someone?

We can throw a lifeline to someone, but they do need to grab it . Sometimes clients say they want therapy or even think they want therapy, but their behaviour shows you otherwise. They may resist your attempts to help them because…. Perhaps there are payoffs to their behaviour. Maybe unconsciously it’s become more comfortable to have ...

Is fast facts medical advice?

This information is not medical advice. Fast Facts are not continually updated, and new safety information may emerge after a Fast Fact is published. Health care providers should always exercise their own independent clinical judgment and consult other relevant and up-to-date experts and resources.

Do you need to consult the prescribing information before using a product?

Some Fast Facts cite the use of a product in a dosage, for an indication, or in a manner other than that recommended in the product labeling. Accordingly, the official prescribing information should be consulted before any such product is used.

Why do dentists hesitate to give root canals?

However he or she hesitates when you mention the treatment plan. The patient gives many reasons for this reluctance— money, time, and maybe even anxiety.

Why is education important in medical?

Education is vital to help your patients understand why the treatment is necessary. Remember to speak in layman’s terms and make clear why the procedure is needed. You may also gently explain the complications that could occur if it is declined.

What to do if medication isn't working?

If the medication isn’t working, it’s time to work with a psychiatrist to find better medication that does work for the patient. In this case a loved onemight want to approach the case logically and say that without treatment, the mentally ill patient can’t get better.

Why do people refuse to take medication?

Why Does a Person Refuse to Take Their Medication? 1 The medication isn’t working and their illness convinces them to go off their medication. 2 Their medication is working but the side effects are intolerable. 3 Their medication is working, they’re experiencing wellness and so they think they no longer need their medication.

What does it mean when a person is well?

Once a person is well, they see the medication as a hindrance, forgetting that it is the medication that madethem well. This is a trick of the mind. No one wants to be on medication and this is a trick the mind playsto provide an excuse for refusing medication.

Why are mental health patients noncompliant?

There are really three reasons mental illness patients are noncompliant. The medication isn’t working and their illness convinces them to go off their medication. Their medication is working but the side effects are intolerable.

Why is stigma important?

Stigma makes (some) doctors more likely to consider terrible side effects part of an acceptable result. Stigma makes (some) doctors less likely to listen to (some) of their patients (some) of the time. Stigma makes people with mental illnesses want to deny (to ourselves as well as others) that we have them.

Can a person with mental illness not take their medication?

And also unfortunate is the fact that when a person with a mental illness refuses to take their medication they almost inexorably get sicker. People with bipolar disorder who won’t take their medication, for example, often become manic and then wind up hurting themselves or someone else and ends up in the hospital.

Can mental illness patients take their medication?

It is an unfortunate truth that many mental illness patients won’t take their medications at one time or another. This is known as treatment noncompliance or treatment nonadherence, if you want to be a bit more politically correct. And also unfortunate is the fact that when a person with a mental illness refuses to take their medication they almost ...

What to do if a patient refuses treatment?

If after modifications and changes the patient continues to refuse treatment, remember that they do have the right to refuse and manage their own care. In this event, it’s important to respect their decisions and discontinue care.

What is the right to refuse treatment in OBRA?

OBRA also includes specific patient rights which state under the Clinical Care and Treatment section that, “A resident has the right to refuse treatment after being fully informed and understanding of the probable consequence of such actions.”. First, attempt to determine the root cause of the refusal. Then follow up with changes in how you are ...

Why do patients and doctors work together?

When patients and doctors work together as a team, health outcomes are enhanced. The future of healthcare will hopefully be more collaborative. Patients will be better taken care of when all the healthcare practitioners who are providing treatment communicate more effectively with each other.

Why do people with AIDS seek alternative treatment?

Patients with AIDS, cancer, and chronic mental-health illness often seek alternative treatments and practitioners because their conditions are not always adequately helped by conventional medicine.

What does it mean when a doctor says "it's either my way or the highway"?

They feel that unless a patient follows their advice then the patient should find another doctor. While this is perfectly understandable it feels more patient-centered and helpful if we are willing to negotiate and compromise.

What is the first and most important point in a medical visit?

The first and the most important point is asking patients if they are using herbs or natural health products or visiting an alternative practitioner. This should be standard as part of the history for any medical visit.

Do physicians take years to accept new treatments?

Even so, physicians often take years to accept new treatments. Physicians' cautious mindset can be a defect, as revealed by history. Take, for example, Ignaz Semmelweis, who, in 1848, introduced the washing of hands and using antiseptic procedures in gynecological wards.

Why don't people start psychotherapy?

Depressed people often don't start psychotherapy because they're afraid they'll spend the rest of their lives on the couch like Woody Allen. This does happen, but it's possible to be a smart consumer of mental health. Set reasonable goals with a therapist or psychiatrist and set a timeframe to accomplish that goal.

Can you learn to chip away at adversity?

Then you can chip away at the adversity in a way that makes sense. But you can learn to stubbornly refuse to be miserable while you chip away at the adversity. Some adversity takes a long time to modify so by changing your beliefs first you can enjoy life until the circumstances of life change. Reply to Anna Vu.

Can you recover from an infection without antibiotics?

Think about this comparison: Some people recover from serious infections without the use of antibiotics. Without antibiotics, however, infections take much longer to heal. Refusing antibiotics can put a person at greater risk for more serious infection, even death.

Why don't teens want to go to therapy?

The problem is, your teen does not want to go to treatment. Your teen could have a number of reasons why they don’t want to get mental health treatment. They could say they don’t need the help. Or that therapy won’t help anyway. Whatever it is, they are either refusing to go, or are physically going but not engaging with ...

What does it mean when a teenager says "I don't need mental health treatment"?

1. “I don’t need mental health/substance abuse treatment.”. Many teens will downplay their mental health symptoms, or simply deny that they are struggling. When this happens, don’t immediately argue with them.

Why do teens need mental health?

Your teen needs mental health treatment for a certain emotional, behavioral, or substance abuse problem. It could be depression, anxiety, trauma, ODD, DMDD, ADHD, prodromal psychosis, addiction, substance use, or any other mental health issue. The problem is, your teen does not want to go to treatment. Your teen could have a number of reasons why ...

Why do people go to therapy?

Additionally, note that many successful professionals and individuals around the world seek therapy, even if they don’t have a diagnosable mental health or substance abuse disorder! These people go to therapy to help them make decisions in their life or to help them solve problems.

Can a teenager with depression go to therapy?

If your teen does realize they might have a mental health or substance abuse problem but doesn’t think therapy will help, which is often the case for teens with depression, there are a few ways you can approach this. First, you can ask them how they know it won’t help if they’ve never tried it. Or, even if they’ve tried therapy in ...

Is stigma against mental health still there?

Unfortunately, the stigma against mental health treatment still exists. On a side note, there are many nonprofits which seek to reduce this stigma against mental health disorders in youth and teens, such as NAMI, the Trevor Project, Ok2Talk, Crisis Text Line, etc. Check out these websites and encourage your teen to check them out as well. Give them the statistics about teens with mental health issues. (According to the NIMH, about 1 in 5 teens is struggling with a mental health condition.)Respond to them that therapy is for anybody who needs it, and that people are not “crazy” for having a mental health issue.

Who is the most famous person to go to therapy?

Many high-profile, successful celebrities freely admit to going to therapy, including Brad Pitt, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez (who is an enthusiastic advocate of DBT teen treatment centers ). Additionally, note that many successful professionals and individuals around the world seek therapy, even if they don’t have a diagnosable mental ...

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