Though the resident has never treated or even interacted with the patient, the patient believes he was her physician and prescribed her medications. In her letters the patient expresses romantic feelings for the resident and "describes the resident's refusal to continue treating her as 'abandonment' and states she is contemplating self-harm because of his rejection." She goes on to threaten to strangle the resident, and threatens the resident's female acquaintances and former romantic partners which she has garnered information about from the internet.
Though the resident sends her multiple requests to cease contact, they are not acknowledged, and the patient goes on to call the resident's home over 100 times for another 2 months.
Can you think of how the resident can handle this situation safely and ethically?
"Stalked by a 'patient'" by Jacob Appel & Stuart Kleinman (Current Psychiatry)