[BNLsMOM]

I am sorry to be posting so much today with so many questions... It seems that I have been holding my illness at bay for a long time but it is winning out and I am coming to the realization that I need help.

So my question is how much can I reveal to my psychologist before he locks me up?

I have only been seeing him for about a month, but I want to be as honest as I can. He seems to be pretty much by the book and I am afraid that since he doesn't know me well that he will be more likely to send me to a hospital if I say too much. I also know that I won't get the help I need if I am not completely open and honest in my sessions.

[PumpkinPieHead]

Don't fret about posting too much. I wanna hear from you.

Don't be scared to be honest with the psychologist. However, strike a good balance with sharing what you are comfortable with and what you need to share. You need to be honest to get the care you need, but don't overshoot it. Listen to your instinct, the words will come.

[Wander]

It is best to be totally honest with your T otherwise they cannot help you. If you are in danger of harming yourself or others they may suggest hospital but it has to be an imminent danger or it can be managed as an out-patient. The most important thing is that you stay safe.

[Permacultural]

This may differ from state to state but generally it takes 2 MDs to involuntarily commit someone.

I'm glad you wish to be open.

My question is, would being in the hospital be such a bad thing? I have. I realise now it was something I really needed.

The question is: Are you feeling like you are a danger to yourself or others? If so, perhaps hospitalization should be an option. Why not do that voluntarily? If you are just having thoughts but have not intent or plan, if you aren't ruminating over suicide, if you aren't typically impulsive, I doubt a psychologist would involuntarily commit you. So, if those statements apply, you should be pretty safe discussing what it going on. If they DO apply, you still need to be honest about them. Most still wouldn't jump to involuntary commitment. They would be more likely to suggest hospitalization and ask you to do that for yourself.

[Mountainbard]

As others have said the standard is "a danger to yourself or others." What it takes to get committed varies state by state. Where I live one "qualified individual" is enough to get you committed for a 72-hour eval. I think you do need to be as honest as possible, though. The only thing your pdoc has to go on is what you tell them, and to give you the best treatment they need all the pertinent information.

[raspberrytorte]

As stated already, they only would if you're a danger to yourself or others. If you're a danger to yourself you should be in the hospital anyway.

[Moogieotter]

Nothing wrong with a professional sending you to inpatient care. It might be what you need. Many of us have been to IP, so many times it's for the best. Good Luck!

moogs

[CopperStar]

The way you gotta approach is it to make sure you clarify that you don't have plans or intentions.

If you get intrusive thoughts or bad feelings, well that is actually extremely common, and the vast majority of people who get disturbing intrusive thoughts don't act them. The vast majority of psych professionals know this.

But if you talk about plans to harm yourself or others, or if you tell them you think you might do it (intent), then they are naturally obligated to take protective measures.

[BNLsMOM]

Thanks, All.
I don't think I am a danger to myself. I have never been a danger to others. I just have thoughts when I am really down. I have been hospitalized many times, all self check ins at the ER, but now that I am divorced, a hospitalization would prompt my two ex husbands to try to take the kids away. They have threatened many times. They would never win, but I don't have the money or energy to fight two custody battles and have my medical records unsealed and open to the public.

[Septembersrain]

This question is exactly why I've never been able to be honest with a therapist. I always felt like they'd just overdose with medicine or institutionalize me. When I was a teen they put me in a home for troubled youth. I was so messed up on the medication. I never want to feel that way again.

If you feel you can't be honest, like me, it won't help you. You have to bare your soul to truly get everything on the table for them to help you. I think you should follow your intuition and just realize that if you're ready to get help, the road before you might be a bit bumpy. Good luck!

Sent from my iPad Mini 3 using Tapatalk.

[BNLsMOM]

I plan to be completely honest. I am definitely not stable right now but I don't know if I am reacting to stress or having a real episode. I do know that my thoughtsare unbalanced and when I am stressed go straight to the worst. Other times when I feel ok, my thoughts are normal.

I'd say that about twice a month right now I get very down and ready to end it all, but I know that a few days to a week later I will only be mildly depressed and maybe even ok.

I could live with it if it weren't interfering with my life. When I am really bad, i can't even work. I just go to bed for hours after dropping the kids at school.