[JoeRMD77]

My mother suffers from bouts of manic depression. Whenever she's had a loss in her life, which has mostly been caused by the death of a husband, she becomes a different person. Her most recent loss was the one of my step-father in late August. Since then, she's constantly blaming myself, and others in our house that we're stealing her things, re-arranging her room when she's gone, and has even gone as far as to say people have been clipping her nails at night when she's asleep.

I've dealt with this several times over my life with her (I'm 30 now), and every time we've had to hospitalize her. The only way we can get her hospitalized is to basically lie and say she's threatened us or herself - the hospital will not admit her under any other circumstances, period.

At the moment, she doesn't have a therapist or a psychiatrist - she had the latter, but skipped out on the first appointment last week. Everyone in my life is telling me she needs to be hospitalized - social workers, her friends, and of course the rest of the people in my family.

Last night, I tried to get her admitted, hoping maybe they'd realize this woman needs help but after four hours of sitting in the hospital they told us they couldn't admit her.

Every time she has been hospitalized, she comes out FINE until the next loss in her life - then rinse and repeat until she's FINE again.

I don't know if I'm asking for advice or making a statement but the mental health services in this country are lacking. You basically have to be a threat to yourself or others to be admitted nowadays. I'm sorry but not everyone who's mentally ill wants to harm others.

So later on tonight, I'm going to call the police and tell them my mother's threatening to overdose on her sleeping pills... because sadly, it's the only way she'll get help.

[Skeezyks]

Hello JoeRMD77: I'm sorry you find yourselves to be in this most difficult situation. I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

[Misssy2]

Well...yes, the medical field is not very helpful because they only have so many beds and they probably look at what insurance pays the most and take those people and I'm totally serious. I tried to have my son admitted and was devestated to find out he basically had to actually DO something bad to himself or others to be admitted.....after which he flipped out in the hospital and it took every security guard they had to contain him...and THEY still did keep him...sent me home with him.

So...at least you have been able to think of a way to get her in there....by calling the police and lying, I totally get the desperation that is pushing you to do that...and I wish you all the luck and hope you will come back and let us know if you actually got her admitted....

[Shazerac]

Trying to get someone admitted to the hospital is so frustrating. I've tried it for some of my relatives with no success. Maybe telling them she is threatening to harm herself with do the trick. Your are in a difficult situation and my heart goes out to you. Feel free to post here. There many people to listen.