[Sometimes psychotic]

German man locked up over HVB bank allegations may have been telling truth | World news | theguardian.com

So this German guys ex-wife was working at a bank and participating in a money laundering operation...apparently this seemed implausible to psychiatrists...to the extent where he's been locked up for the last seven years. Now the bank has published their evidence confirming his story...so yeah 7 years based on the arbitrary decision of a doctor...why...how was he dangerous even if they really believed he was paranoid that shouldn't be enough to be locked away that long. This is why I don't think there should be an ability to commit someone against their will....there have been classic psych experiments that show how people are treated when one of them is labeled a prisoner and as soon as you put locks on the doors and give someone the key then you're going to have prisoners...

To me the key is making treatment desirable...something anyone would want...maybe you'll have a week long retreat instead of a classic inpatient stay...go off into nature to heal but get your meds worked out at the same time. The worst you would get is people faking sick to get in and I'd rather have that than having to fight to stay out of what I consider a toxic environment.

[kaliope]

sounds like a great idea........I am terrified of psychiatrists...I got locked up against my will...I wasn't a danger to myself and perfectly capable of taking care of myself as I worked really hard for two weeks trying to get in to see a pdoc as I knew I desperately needed help. there was no need to lock me up. I just scared her. she shouldn't have had that power. and even though I can look back on it now and know that I was really sick then, I still disagree with her choice.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Yeah I went in voluntary and they told me I could get out whenever I wanted but once I was in there they told me they didn't let anyone out on the weekends....I was going crazy in there...there was nothing to occupy my mind and the other patients were heavily drugged to the point most could not have a conversation. I very strongly considered kicking through the drywall to escape and then running but thought I can only imagine what my bill would be like and insurance didn't cover damage to the hospital so I calmed myself and prepared to lie in any way needed to get out. Luckily pdoc just let me out on Monday despite the fact he was worried.

[junkDNA]

i was committed against my will on xmas eve 2012. i was really psychotic and suicidal and had a plan to kill myself on xmas day and had been not taking my meds and saving them up for an overdose. T was really concerned about me and knew i was suicidal but didnt know about the plan, he just knew i was not well at all and not taking my meds. he called the cops on me and they picked me up on xmas eve .

i told T when i got out that he saved my life becuase i was going to kill myself on xmas day with all my meds. while i was in the hospital they put me on the risperdal injection and the psychosis cleared up. i was there for 7 days. i havent really thought about it much to say whether im for or against forced hospital stays. i know i hated him when he came to see me at the ER before they transferred me to the psych hospital. but i am still thankful to this day that he made that decision to keep me safe from myself.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Thanks JunkDNA but for me I would prefer to be given the choice of whether I want to be protected or not....you know wait until your clear headed and then sign something that dictates what will happen in the future given certain likely scenarios. If I was going to hurt someone else then yes I'd rather be locked up but if I was going to do something to myself I would prefer them to let me go. I understand it's frowned on by society but I consider it just as valid as when terminally I'll patients make that choice. In other countries you can be with your family and say goodbye and doctors will help you...it's open and clear for everyone.

[junkDNA]

i feel like if someone just "let me go" all the times i was suicidal i would have died 100 times by now. i can understand that want to be let go of in the moment. i even said what u said about terminally ill patients. but looking back on all those times, i was not clear headed about the situations, and am very glad to be alive today. i dont feel suicidal all the time anymore. i have healed a lot. im not trying to argue with u just share what its like for me. i respect ur feelings and opinions on the subject

Yeah I've struggled with suicidal thoughts and had plans and I'm happy my family intervened. My mom attempted suicide like 7 times and the last time, she was locked up against her will and it was the best thing that happened to her she said. She was able to finally get the therapy she needed. I think it depends on the situation.

[Sometimes psychotic]

To me it's about whether you can get better or not....if you can take meds and get some level of treatment then yes I can't justify not choosing life. My hallucinations did not stop for even one second while I was psychotic...there was no rest...I could not sleep...even if some were entertaining or postive it was still like the constant uncontrollable drop of water that makes up Chinese water torture. It was just never-ending. It was the sense that it would never get better not in a minute or an hour or even years etc. At this point the meds have been effective for me but if they all even including clozapine ceased to be effective in the future and I became entirely trapped in that world where I could simply kill someone because of some random delusions I can't imagine what my quality if life would be...I would have to be hospitalized or imprisoned and I would have no awareness of reality. Of course this sets up a difficult situation where if I did want to be let go it would have to be while in a state of psychosis and no one will ever respect my decisions even if predetermined...I think a lot of times feeling suicidal is about depression and a false sense that things cannot get better but sometimes they really cannot just like in terminal illness...those are the scenarios I'm talking about where your existence is entirely meaningless and not only that but a threat to others. Those are my concerns and the idea that I could be locked away and prevented from carrying out something that would help me stop suffering and protect the rest of society is in my mind unfair. To clarify I'm not even remotely suicidal and it would take a lot to get me there but I do see scenarios where it's a valid choice.

[DePressMe]

[Bells129]

I don't agree with forced hospital stays unless someone is at risk of killing themselves or someone else. I was almost forced to go into hospital, had to go there...look around...be told I'd be admitted under the mental health act if I didn't come quietly, even though I was no risk to anyone or myself, just very psychotic and unwell. Luckily my family and my T fought my corner and I was allowed to stay at home, but it was a very close call and for me being in a hospital environment would have been detrimental to my recovery.