Hello SmokeyXXL: Welcome to PsychCentral! PC is a great place to find support as well as to obtain mental health related information. There are many knowledgeable & caring members here. The more you post, & reply to other members' posts, the more you'll gain from the time you spend here.

I don't know where you live. But, as far as people being tied up goes, this really varies, I would guess, particularly from country to country. At least where I live, it is unlikely a person would be tied up in any of the situations you describe, unless it was felt they really were a danger to themselves or others. If a person were to be picked up by law enforcement, they may be handcuffed. But this is often simply because police procedures require it. It is true, however, that the police should really pretty-much always be the option of last resort when trying to get help for a person who is suicidal. The police are trained to deal with criminals, not the mentally ill.

As far as what you can do regarding your obsessive thoughts, my experience has been that trying to force oneself not to have particular thoughts just tends to make them worse. I try to allow unwanted thoughts to come forth. I smile to them & breathe into them, then I allow them to fade away at their own pace. Sometimes I will place my hand over my heart as a sign of compassion for them. Your thoughts have no power over you other than what you give to them. This practice is not a quick fix. But, over time, it does tend to result in unwanted thoughts becoming weaker & less frequent. I wish you well...