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
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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
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