Yesterday at a presentation I was doing for members of a decidedly liberal church about NAMI Sacramento programs—that’s the National Alliance on Mental Illness—and our local crisis continuum, I was peppered with questions I didn’t expect.
So outrageous about not being able to get a person in extreme medical need to emergency department for help. Thanks for making this dilemma clear, factual and human.
Patricia, this is absolutely the best explanation on involuntary treatment (commitment) I've ever read. Among other points, I was struck by "Once they got involuntary treatment, they recovered, and they were angry, very, very angry that no one had forced treatment on them sooner." I just read a book on chronic homeless folks in Boston and the work of Dr. Jim Connell to treat them--Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder. Jim's approach was never to push folks into treatment. But one woman, after finally getting sober, was furious with him. "You left me in the streets" she said. And it was true. Not that there were any simple answers...
Thank you Anara. Yes it's a tricky issue with no real solutions. It relies on people who have the power to be discerning and cautious and compassionate, knowing whatever they do may turn out to have been the "wrong" thing.
So outrageous about not being able to get a person in extreme medical need to emergency department for help. Thanks for making this dilemma clear, factual and human.
You're welcome. It's a tricky subject with no good, solid answers you can apply to all situations.
Patricia, this is absolutely the best explanation on involuntary treatment (commitment) I've ever read. Among other points, I was struck by "Once they got involuntary treatment, they recovered, and they were angry, very, very angry that no one had forced treatment on them sooner." I just read a book on chronic homeless folks in Boston and the work of Dr. Jim Connell to treat them--Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder. Jim's approach was never to push folks into treatment. But one woman, after finally getting sober, was furious with him. "You left me in the streets" she said. And it was true. Not that there were any simple answers...
Thank you Anara. Yes it's a tricky issue with no real solutions. It relies on people who have the power to be discerning and cautious and compassionate, knowing whatever they do may turn out to have been the "wrong" thing.