Originally Posted by
MyNameIsTerry
Some points spring to mind:
1) saying something doesn't mean you may do it. Unless what you say breaks a law, no crime has been committed. Whether their is a safeguarding issue outside of this is going to depend on how genuine they think something is. Otherwise they would have been locking mothers of small children up for generations considering how often "I'm going to kill you" can be said.
2) A doctor's oath is to treat you regardless of anything else. If not, they would struggle to treat so many of us. Morality can be subjective and it differs between countries & cultures. Doctoring transcends all of this. Otherwise how would you live with yourself when you found out that person you saved went out and killed others afterwards?
So, why would a doctor refuse or worse botch you treatment when they wouldn't with someone who may have committed any number of heinous crimes? Most of the time they won't even know but it doesn't have any baring on what a doctor does.
Doctors also have to comply with their licences and the law. Botching a surgery due to a disgust of a patient would see them on trial. Why would they risk that?
The same applies to all medical professionals, they just treat people and help. They leave the judgement to the courts.
Medical professionals, including therapists & counsellors, have to comply with the law. There are normally laws to direct such professionals as to when they need to report something. If they fail to report then they will be investigated as their lack of safeguarding actions didn't allow correct preventative measures to be taken, potentially allowing harm to the patient or a 3rd party.
3) Even if something is confessed the police still have to find a crime. No crime, no prosecution. So, even if your mind blurted out something it thinks it has done it won't be taken at face value and if you haven't done it then nothing can come of it.
It's a fear of losing control issue which is a foundation of many anxiety disorders. The "what ifs" start and you decent into catastrophizing thoughts.
Other members have discussed it before. It may have been when drunk or on drugs, when asleep, etc but they feared things like letting slip what their intrusive thoughts contain. This then makes them worry about being judged and the more emotive themes carry the fear of prosecution, social condemnation, losing loved ones, etc and they may start to worry about self harm.