Forcing Mental Health Patients to Take Medication Is Not the Answer

Where I worked previously (outpatient MH clinic) we had patients who were primarily Paranoid Schizophrenics that from time to time wouldn't come in as scheduled for their shots. Our Crisis Manager would then go to the local Magistrate and have a "Pick Up" order issued for a deputy to find the patient, bring them to the clinic in a squad car, stand by while the patient received their shot (sometimes very unwillingly), and then take the patient home. Sometimes the patient wasn't a Paranoid Schizophrenic and if they were, they weren't always dangerous or on the verge of danger. Sometimes, the family or community would call the clinic and request. Also, by forcing whether legally or by harrassment into a hospital by a provider or Pdoc - thus forcing them to take medication, isn't always so good either. That almost happened to me with threat of removing my child. It didn't but, came too close for my comfort. I didn't appreciate the "pressure" being applied by my therapist and Pdoc and I'm BP II. Marie

Marie, Thanks for your input on this topic. We need to protect the civil rights of mental patients, not treat them as criminals. I'm sorry to hear you almost faced this forced medication yourself. Lynne

I am emotionally torn on the matter. I don't, personally, practice allopathic healthcare and thus would consider being forced to do so against my rights. So on the one hand, I think that we shouldn't be forcing medical treatments on others ..lest my own rights be taken away for healthcare choices. While at the same time, I have 2 bipolar people in my life (an ex and my son) and wish they were doing SOMETHING for their disorders. Natural, conventional.. any treatment really. But their reasoning is always that they love the anger they feel.

 

Great. They love anger. And this is where I tend to WANT them to be forced to do something.   Like I said.. torn.