I Told My Doctor the Truth About My Parents Smoking—Now My Mom Is Furious

A 16-year-old shared the truth during a doctor’s visit when asked if their parents smoke inside, revealing that their parents regularly smoke weed with the door open. The teen felt compelled to be honest, believing in providing accurate information to doctors.

However, upon returning home, their mom exploded in anger, accusing them of wanting to cause trouble and giving them the silent treatment. Now, the teen feels torn between their upbringing to be honest and the resulting fallout with their mom. read the original story below…

‘I Told My Doctor the Truth About My Parents Smoking—Now My Mom Is Furious’

I’m 16, and I had a check-up appointment today with a new doctor. It was my first time meeting him, and he was going through the usual list of questions about my health and habits. Everything seemed normal until he asked me a question I wasn’t expecting: “Do your parents smoke inside?”

I hesitated for a second, but then I told him the truth. My parents do smoke weed in their room with the door open—every day. It’s just how things are at home. I didn’t really think much of it because I’ve always been told not to lie to doctors. They need accurate information to help you, right? So, I answered honestly.

The appointment went on, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I didn’t think much of it on the way home. But as soon as I walked through the door, my mom confronted me. She was furious. She yelled at me, asking if I even wanted to live with her anymore. She accused me of not caring about our family and insisted I was trying to make life harder for her.

I was stunned. I didn’t think answering a question truthfully could cause so much drama. I tried to explain that I wasn’t trying to get anyone in trouble—I was just being honest because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. But she wouldn’t listen. Now, she’s refusing to talk to me altogether, and the silent treatment is making me feel even worse.

I keep replaying the moment in my head, wondering if I did the wrong thing. Should I have lied? Should I have avoided the question somehow? On one hand, I feel like I did what I was taught to do—be honest with doctors. On the other hand, I hate the idea of my mom being so upset with me.

So now I’m stuck asking myself: Am I the asshole for telling the truth?

See what others had to share with OP:

Spooky_maid −  NTA You’re correct, you shouldn’t lie to a doctor. They need to know these things in case you have a medical issue later
Sorry about the way your mom spoke to you afterwards

Snurgisdr −  NTA. If your mom does not want people to know she smokes weed, it’s her responsibility to not smoke weed, not yours to lie about it. And it’s your responsibility to yourself for your own health to give your doctor accurate information.

New-Assumption-3836 −  NTA. I had a mom like this. I straight up asked her “do you think you raised a mind reader?! How do you expect me to lie for you 1. When you never told me the lie in the first place and 2.

You’ve already told someone else the lie so even if I guessed you wanted me to lie our stories wouldn’t match up?” She looked pretty surprised lol. But I told her she needed to just stop expecting me to lie because I don’t feel the need to lie about everything like she does.

lemon_charlie −  NTA. Doctors don’t ask these questions to be judgmental, they ask them because these are important health factors. The way your mother responded is very telling, like she’s expecting to be judged for doing weed inside.

QuercusMuehlenbergii −  NTA You were right. Your mom was wrong. She probably yelled at you because she felt embarrassed – which doesn’t make things any better. Sorry you have s**tty parents.

flay_otterz −  NTA . You dont need to tell your parents what was discussed during your medical appointment either. That is confidential, between you & the doctor.

OutcomeMysterious281 −  Haha my teen circled “occasionally ” on the form where it asked about drinking. The nurse came in to clarify and she’s like “my mom lets me drink” to what I said “scuse me?!?” And she said “you have let me try your wine before!”. You’re NTA.

SparkleLight007 −  NTA. Doctors ask these type of questions so they can better understand your risk factors for certain health conditions. Being exposed to second hand smoke puts you at risk for respiratory infections, ear infections, and can worsen diseases such as asthma.

scatteredloops −  NTA always tell medical staff the truth.

Nightangelak −  NTA Lying to a doctor can actually be harmful to your health.

Was the teen right to prioritize honesty, or should they have considered the potential consequences at home? What would you have done in their shoes? Share your perspective below!