Psychiatrist Violated My Privacy, Step Father Involved, And Things Have Gotten Really Dark

Hi everyone. I’m a 21-year-old broke college student and I really need some guidance because I feel like I’m losing my mind trying to figure out what to do. A while back, I went to see a psychiatrist, someone my stepfather also sees. I’m an adult, and I specifically wanted my visit to remain private because of patient confidentiality. This was my first and only visit, just a basic appointment to talk about my anxiety and trauma (including being previously sexually assaulted by a distant family member) and to see if medication might help me.

Here’s the problem: I have reason to believe that this psychiatrist told my stepfather that I visited him and what I discussed. My stepfather later referenced things I never told him, only the psychiatrist. If this actually happened, I’m pretty sure it violates HIPAA and is wildly unprofessional.

Unfortunately, it gets even more complicated. Recently, my mother inherited a significant amount of money. There has been a lot of tension in the household since then. My mom admitted after hours of arguing that she was given an antipsychotic medication that was allegedly prescribed by this same psychiatrist, without an evaluation and without her ever seeing him. She said my stepfather pressured her to take it at night and told her not to tell anyone. I don’t know all the details, but the entire situation feels extremely wrong and possibly illegal.

The thing is, my mom’s insurance is messed up right now but he said he would prescribe her something to take in the meantime to my step father, and is that not predatory practice?

To be clear: I know I can’t “sue” my stepfather for being a terrible human being.

What I want to know is whether I can potentially sue the psychiatrist for malpractice, breach of confidentiality, or any HIPAA-related violations, assuming I can get proof.

I’m scared for my mom, I’m furious about my own privacy possibly being violated, and I’m trying to figure out whether I should report this psychiatrist, hire a lawyer, or both.

What type of lawyer should I contact, and does this sound like something that could realistically be a malpractice or HIPAA complaint?

I’m overwhelmed and just trying to understand my options. . please comment some below. It is EXTREMELY messed up, and from one of the text messages I received, I quote “She told me on thanksgiving dad comes to her room every night and feeds it to her quietly and he tells her don't make noise”

Location: New York