Woman Called for a Psychiatrist’s Appointment, Then Was Asked to Take Online Consultation After Learning About Felony Record: ‘I Was So Taken Aback’
Was it right for a psychiatrist to hold her former convictions against her?
TikToker Taylor Arrington (@taylerarrington) says she was “discriminated” against by a psychiatrist’s office after they learned that she was a felon. In a TikTok video, Arrington explained that her doctor had referred her to a psychiatrist because she was a little “cuckoo.”
Arrington revealed that when she eventually heard from the psychiatrist’s office, they asked her to do an evaluation, so she called them to set up an appointment. She said that the person on the other end asked her some preliminary questions, which included whether she took any medicines for her condition, if she wanted to harm herself, among others.
Arrington then said that the person directly asked if she had a “forcible felony.” She said she was a bit surprised by the question because she had never heard it “worded this way.” She added that when the person explained what they meant, Arrington admitted to being a felon due to her conviction for armed robbery. They then told her to consult online. “You will not be allowed to, like, come in person to our office… You have to do everything Telehealth, or like… on a screen,” Arrington said she was told.
Arrington says she is one of the few people who needs “mental health help more than anyone”
Arrington did not expect to be rejected by a psychiatrist’s office after being identified as a felon. Reflecting on the way she was treated, Arrington, in her TikTok, said that she believed that people like her who were incarcerated deserve “mental health help more than anyone.” She also mentioned that she was so “taken aback” by her experience that she had to “take a moment” to “process the hurt” it had caused her.
Arrington said that she had no intention of seeing this psychiatrist and would instead take a referral for another health care provider from her doctor. “I don’t want anything to do with a place where I already feel judged… before you guys even know anything about me,” she said before adding that she has PTSD from her time in prison.
While Arrington seemed to be losing her cool over what had happened, some people in the comments section of her post shared her sentiments. One user wrote, “This is literally insane. On a different note, the psychiatrist legally has to see you in office one time for year (if you’re using insurance).” Another said, “That’s not okay!!! You need a safe place not a judgmental office.”
A few others on the other hand reported never being asked a felony-related question. One user commented, “Listen I’ve been to several psychiatrist and three psych wards and NEVER been asked if I was a felon that’s absolutely wild!” Another user remarked, “I’ve never once have had a psychiatric place ask me about criminal history. That’s not ok.”
This isn’t the first time someone has had an unexpected experience with a health care professional. While Arrington couldn’t get an appointment to see her psychiatrist, a California woman could and ended up meeting her psychiatrist at what looked like a coffee shop. On the other hand, a New Yorker tricked their AI doctor into thinking they were pregnant despite being born a man.
Arrington’s “armed robbery” sentence has given her a lot of trauma
In a 2021 TikTok video, Arrington explained the circumstances of her arrest for armed robbery and sentencing. She said that on May 11, 2017, when she was 19 years old, she was put in handcuffs “for the very first time” in her life. She revealed that she was sentenced to two years in prison in Florida and four years of probation.
Arrington added that she was sent to Clay County Jail for seven months while fighting her case before ultimately being sentenced to prison. She said she was then sent to Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida.
In a separate TikTok video, Arrington discussed how her “prison bootcamp experience” impacted her mental health, mentioning that she carried a lot of “unresolved trauma” from it.
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