I've been wondering about your question regarding safeguards, and also why psych hospitals often seem to assign involuntary admission status unnecessarily. No better time like the present (3 a.m.) to contemplate these issues, huh? I'm a lifelong insomniac, BTW...cold winter mornings make me irrepressibly happy, if not delirious.

In terms of admission status, I wonder if this isn't insurance-reimbursement related, justifying longer stays? It must be monetarily driven, wouldn't you think? This isn't my first involuntary admission, sad to say, and the ER drama only serves to agitate me more. This isn't a reality show, folks...just get me a BED, K? Like someone else said, I was desperate for help, so why not just get on with it? It's humiliating to be treated forcefully when you're wearing paper scrubs.

Because some here have spoken of terrible experiences being hospitalized, and this grieves me deeply, let me say that I've never had a BAD experience (I mean other than my intake experience this time, obviously). Being bipolar pretty much guarantees repeat performances, I guess. I've never hesitated to seek treatment because of this. There's an occasional angry/bitter healthcare worker with an agenda, but, by and large, they really care (in my experience). I wonder why this is so? ...and it's not regional, either -- I've been in hospitals from Anchorage to New Orleans and in between and have had uniformly excellent care. Whoever is overseeing these services, if anyone at all, has dropped the proverbial ball for many of you.

Oh! For anyone who's curious, I feel wonderful!! Kinder, gentler, sweeter (yuck, but it's true), less judgmental. I'm happy, tranquil. I like my new self a lot! I've visited this country before, but the meds turned on me after a few months and made me miserable, so we'll hope for a better outcome this time. BTW, the problem drug for me was Trazodone. I switched this back to Ambien, and voila! Even my hair looks good now, and I have a spring in my step! No, I'm not hypomanic at all...my neighbor said she'd never seen me without my typical screaming, annoying intensity.

Have a wonderful day! ❤❤