It’s highly variable in the US, state to state, city to city. Someone with concerned family might get treatment, others might not, even with family trying to intervene.
Believe me though, it doesn’t do the stigma a bit of good to have a 3 day revolving door for seriously ill homeless folks who bounce around from jail, the mental ward, and the street. That is how people think of sz. And the reason is because those are the people who are so visibly suffering. But, they could get better, at least better than they would be in jail or on the street.
Very touchy subject, considering most of us dont realize we are psychotic when its happening i think forced medication isnt bad. It prolly saved my brain from taking needless damage. I might have been psychotic for another year or two after my last relapse if noone stuck that haldol needle in my vein.
The whole thing is convoluted, if they could just come to our house and force us to take meds, maybe a shot, without having to throw us in a psych hospital first i think it would be better; better to be on a med for a week then being commited to psych ward too.
It would be much quicker then taking you to the hospital and giving you meds there.
I wish they reopened asylums but made staying in one 100% voluntary, like you could leave if and whenever you want but have a place with food and a roof over your head if your mental illness is too debilitating for you to get a job and support yourself.
That’s a great idea!
Thanks yeah I’ve been hoping for that for a long time ever since I was diagnosed. It sure beats jail or the streets
I’ve been hospitalized around twenty times. Most of the time I was taken to the hospital in hand cuffs. I fought my commitment in court and lost at least three times. I had a right to a jury trial with six members on the jury. They were probably denying someone who wanted to come in for treatment. A good way to keep from being committed is to act like you want to go to the hospital.
There are some community treatment programs. Some of them a nurse comes to give you a shot. Others they visit daily to give pills. It’s expensive, but cheaper than hospital. For that matter, taking care of mentally ill homeless (or any homeless) in the ER is almost always more expensive than any community treatment.
There’s a new device, like a patch you wear, and it can record whether you took your pills and report to your doc. They’re only using it in clinical trials. (Very important to know if you are testing a med if people are actually taking it.) But maybe someday this will be an option. Only, those nurse visits are probably also very important to a person’s well-being. Not everything can be achieved through technology.