Quote:
Originally Posted by tecomsin
I live in Canada where the laws about involuntary hospitalization are completely different than the US. In particular you have no statutory right to see a judge.
All it takes is two psychiatrist to agree to commit you for a month. Then they can go for longer periods of time up to 6 months at a time. You have a right to go to a review board but this is not a legal proceeding and you have very little rights. They are deferrential to the psychiatrists. I have had neighbors making complaints about me for years and have been hauled off many times for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation. I can't count how many times police have been to my house to check on my mental status. Over 100 times.
If you do get before a judge because of delays in the court system it could easily take a year to see one.
I have a regular psychiatrist and I trust him. However I don't trust anyone else. Even with him this fear of being grabbed from my house or my back yard or wherever I am and put in involuntary confinement typically for 3 or 4 weeks is just terrifying. I live in constant fear of this.
Being able to see a judge right away and having a high bar to confine someone is a real treasure in the US system.
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No kidding that is awful. I am terrified to though. There is no high bar here use your advanced directive once you're screwed. I have 2 kids to worry about. My mom has been trying to get my kids since my daughter was born. And in court probate court everyone can talk but you. It follows you to the hospital you have to talk out loud to yourself to get your words out and they diagnose you while they evaluate. They are very biased. My mom and petitioner keeps telling me next time in hospitalized they are going to put me away for good.
And if they make me have a guardian she won't do it. Therefore ill be taken from my kids. It is better than them being able to send you to court actually its an unfair and unconstitutional battle