Overton, D

His wife was worried that he was an alcoholic, as her father who had sexually abused her as a child before he had committed suicide, had been.  He’d never had a DUI, there’s no history of mental or physical abuse, He’d never had a drop of alcohol while at work or on-call. 

He went to the NCPHP for a professional opinion at her request.  He had known of his OCD, and seen a psychiatrist over the years for that issue; the psychiatrist did not think he was an alcoholic.  After a 15-minute conversation in April 2009, the NCPHP decided he needed 3 months of rehab.

He declined.

In November 2009 while kidding around with office staff at work over a lunch break he picked up the unloaded handgun that he carries for personal safety when he needs to leave home late at night to see patients.   Laughing, he pointed it at his crotch telling them that “my wife would probably just as soon I lose this”, then at his head saying maybe this would be better with a divorce coming up.  The gun was unloaded, empty, no round in the chamber.  Everybody laughed. He thought nothing of it.

Later that day he needed to get a ride to get his truck from the mechanic.  One of the nurses had her husband, a NCSHP officer give him a ride.  Before arriving at the mechanic’s shop the SWAT team surrounded them and he was taken in handcuffs to a psych ward.  Due to his prior contact with the NCPHP he next ended up in a halfway house.  Then was told that he was a disruptive physician despite no history of the same.

Two years later he was cleared to return to practice.  He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process and ultimately decided to leave North Carolina. 

He’s had no problems in the years since he left NC and hopes to never return there.