when does a therapist have to send you to hospital?

I've been having a lot of suicidal thoughts lately, it's basically all I think about. Last time I saw my therapist I brought it up and they asked me if I had a plan, and I said yes, then they said I had to tell them everything about it otherwise I couldn't go home and they'd have to take further action. I eventually did and they said I was at moderate risk but thought I was ok to leave.
Over the past week my depression has gotten to a new level. The only time I have ever felt this terrible was when someone extremely important to me died. I feel like I am intensely grieving but nothing has happened. I can barley eat, I'm exhausted, I can find no joy or hope in anything, I am like a zombie at work, all I think about it dying. My plan is more detailed than it was last time I saw my therapist and I have the means to complete it. I still don't think that I actually will. I couldn't do it to my mum. I want to tell my therapist how I am feeling- but I'm scared. I'm scared that they might rate me as a high risk now and I don't know what this 'further action' will be... will they call my mum? (I'm an adult), will they force me to go to hospital? Do they go with you or do they call an ambulance? I just want to know what to expect. If I tell them about my feelings and plans, but say I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go through with it is that high risk or is it only if you say you are definitely going to follow through? Sorry. I'm so confused about how I feel right now. I don't know how people can live like this.

Perhaps you should consider voluntarily admitting yourself to the hospital. I suspect they will consider you high risk and ask you to do so. You don't have to wait to be involuntarily admitted (at least not in the US; Australia may work differently). It really is easier if you do so voluntarily for your own safety.

My T basically had to send me to the hospital after I couldn't promise her that I wouldn't harm myself until the next day in which I had a session with her (on a Sat. Yea, she was a cool T). We had sessions set up 3-4x a week, but even then I just couldn't promise that I would go through with my plan. At that point she told me to go voluntarily or she will make me go.

That's a tricky question, I'm afraid. I believe it really depends on the country where you live.
When I was living in Luxembourg my pdoc suggested I let myself be volutarily admitted in hospital when I talked to her about having suicidal thoughts, though I had nothing planned, just the thought. Here in Italy I sistematically told my pdoc and my T that I wanted to seriously, maybe fatally hurt myself and they didn't raise an objection. I was pretty concerned at that. I thought, what do I have to do to be admitted in the hospital, actually try to kill myself?
So yes, I advice you talk with your pdoc about voluntary admission, and you might want to raise the subject yourself if your pdoc doesn't do so.

Something possibly to find put in your country is what voluntary means. In my U.S. Jurisdiction, voluntary in does not also mean you can leave when you want. So a client goes in voluntarily but is prevented from leaving. I get clients all the time who did not realize it.

I think you meant to say 'does not' mean you can leave when you want? If you go voluntarily, but the hospital thinks you are a danger to yourself, they don't have to let you leave. They can take court action to force you to stay.

This is a good guide for Australia regarding suicide treatment, perhaps it can be a bit more specific and helpful than we can: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalh...n-book2010.pdf

I would definitely tell your therapist how you feel and come up with a plan with her what you would like to do. Is your mum helpful at all, a good support to you?

Yes- I fixed it. I am not great with typing on the ipad.

With my T, she said if I am on the verge of committing suicide to call her. I was worried that she would send me to the hospital but she said that as long as I could promise I would not hurt myself at least for that night then she would just talk to me. I have called her in that state of mind and it was so nice to talk to her. It was after work hours and she just listened to me talk and made sure I was safe. She called the next day to make sure I was ok. Maybe you could call your T and explain how you feel. If you can't promise to keep yourself safe then by law she has to say something. I am pretty sure they would just call an ambulance if they had to. Please stay safe

I don't really talk about my suicide thoughts to my T. Some weeks ago I talked to her about that, because these thoughts were really bothering me. She told me that if I really want to kill myself, I should call her (but that can only during workhours) or my doctor. She also asked if I had plans. If I had, she would have to take some action. So send me to the hospital or some crisis house or whatever.
Your T would probably send you to the hospital when she thinks you're an immediately danger to yourself or others. But I don't know how it works. I think that will depend on the T.

I never have concrete plans. If I'll actually do it, it will probably be an impulse. And I know I won't call anyone. Didn't told her that.

thanks for the replies everyone. i checked out that link but it seemed to be more for once you are at the hospital, not what a therapists responsibility is. Anyway I had an awful day today and I decided I didn't want to wait until next week to see my psychologist so I made a doctors appointment for the day after tomorrow. I'm going to be totally honest. I guess I will see what they say. From reading stuff online it seems like it's pretty unusual to be sent to hospital, more likely they'll just give me medication. anyway i'll see how it goes.

Do you live in regional australia or metropolitan? The Mental Health Act differs from state to state in Australia. I would suggest presenting to yor local a&e if you are feeling unsafe.

I think they are likely to take into account reasons that you would not go through with the plan. If you had no reason to live, no thoughts to stop you, then that would be more risky, but as you said, you would not want to do that to your mum. As long as that remains a protective thing within your thoughts, I do not think they would automatically decide that you need to be an inpatient.

But if you trust your T, I would just be really truthful. Your T is going to have your best interests at heart.

Take care.