can you force someone under the age of 18 to enter a mental hospital?

Swift Serenity

Swift Serenity

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Nov 25, 2008
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question in the title, thanks. she has been to one before for attempted suicide, but she is fine now. she shows no signs of doing it again, and she is doing a lot better. her parents want her back in a hospital but she doesnt want to at all. they cant make her can they?
 
oh and they have no reasoning except, "you have not worked through your problems"..

all she needs is a fucking counselor!!
 
i have heard--more than once--that parents may take their child to a mental hospital, where the child can remain for up to 72 hours.

the thing that would make it worse, is if she (your fiancee?) is screaming and kicking and all that hoopla, the staff will see that and consider her more of a risk.
 
Yeah i think so, since they're still classed as her guardians. Don't see how they'd admit her if there was no current symptoms though, would have to be unstable or following another attempt really to be able to FORCE someone in.
 
the specific law on this varies greatly from region to region. you probably won't be able to get a straight answer here.

where I am from, her parents can probably have her brought in for an examination/observation without her consent. but keeping her there without her consent will be based on whether she can understand the nature and risks of the treatment (or foregoing it), and will have nothing to do with her age or her parents' wishes. if it is found that she cannot, her parents will be entitled to make the decision.
 
thanks for the replies, yes she is my fiancee. and i did read that they can hold her for 72 hours but nothing more, i just dont want her to be forced into a place she doesnt need to go at all.. i guess if she goes to an observation for the 72 hours and shows them nothing is wrong they cant admit her can they? i sure hope not.. its total bullshit
 
Yes, I was almost forced into one after overdosing because the PA of a doctor thought I was going through withdrawal when I actually wasn't physically dependent at the time. Needless to say, the PA nearly lost her job and was told if she did something like that again that she would be fired.
 
good to know, i feel much more secure now, her mom is the one with serious mental health issues, not her.
 
Kids are always a result of their parents. Fuck all you shitty Moms out there.

No they can't make you enter the hospital. But they can and sometimes do work things out with the doctors in order to lock you in. With lies of your use or behaviour.

The best way to avoid it all is to just maintain positivity and always turn the other cheek. Never freak out or overshow emotion, or they'll just selectively interpret something you say and bring in the cart. Crazy parents can do crazy things to make you seem crazier than they.

Oh and dude if they do get her tell her that she can request that her parents not be allowed to speak to the doctors at the hospital. Tell her to cut off her other doc too. Then the place will keep her there the minimal amount of time and when the time comes for them to decide what to do with her, if she's behaved normally and has normal health she should be able to leave with you or a friend. They really won't keep you there if you remove their ability to contact the people you are with on the outside, then they can't get any information on you, you don't freak out and give any to them, and then you calmly and rationally show that you are fine and book the fuck out.
 
^ If she's under 18, can't they force her to be in the hospital?
 
The 72 hour thing is pretty much the standard in the U.S. They admit you and if you're fine after 72hours you can check yourself out, legal age or not. I happened to me when I was 14 because I was mad my great-grandpa(dad basically) had died and they arrested me and I fought the cops and they took me to the ER tazed me when I broke the cuffs, shot me with ativan and i woke up 2 days later in psych ward. Got out the next day fine.
 
ColinGibs said:
Kids are always a result of their parents. Fuck all you shitty Moms out there.

No they can't make you enter the hospital. But they can and sometimes do work things out with the doctors in order to lock you in. With lies of your use or behaviour.

The best way to avoid it all is to just maintain positivity and always turn the other cheek. Never freak out or overshow emotion, or they'll just selectively interpret something you say and bring in the cart. Crazy parents can do crazy things to make you seem crazier than they.

Oh and dude if they do get her tell her that she can request that her parents not be allowed to speak to the doctors at the hospital. Tell her to cut off her other doc too. Then the place will keep her there the minimal amount of time and when the time comes for them to decide what to do with her, if she's behaved normally and has normal health she should be able to leave with you or a friend. They really won't keep you there if you remove their ability to contact the people you are with on the outside, then they can't get any information on you, you don't freak out and give any to them, and then you calmly and rationally show that you are fine and book the fuck out.
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thanks, ill let her know this if they decide to throw her in an observation kind of thing. and yea she said she would just smile the whole time haha. fucking crazy ass mom pisses me off so much........
 
the person's age is not relevant. The issue is whether or not they are perceived to be a threat to themselves or others. It is supposed to be the same standard for everyone, but I suspect that this power is used more liberally with minors.

ColinGibs said:
No they can't make you enter the hospital. But they can and sometimes do work things out with the doctors in order to lock you in. With lies of your use or behaviour.
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this is wrong.

ColinGibs said:
The best way to avoid it all is to just maintain positivity and always turn the other cheek. Never freak out or overshow emotion, or they'll just selectively interpret something you say and bring in the cart. Crazy parents can do crazy things to make you seem crazier than they.
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this, on the other hand, is excellent advice
 
toa$t said:
but I suspect that this power is used more liberally with minors.



this is wrong.
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this is not wrong. If the parent has some kind of "evidence" that you intend to harm yourself, did harm yourself or someone else, or if two doctors are in the room with your parents they can all testify that you are indeed in "danger" and all that bullshit and they can have the police come take you from wherever you are to the hospital/ward/detox where they will then talk to your doctor and parents and no one will listen to the kid.. Of course.

We live in a fascist medical system. They will bend the rules to try to control you. Don't doubt this. They can force you to go into inpatient if they test you and you have whatever amount of drugs that THEY consider to be too much in you. Regardless of when you took them. Avoid this health care system at all fucking costs. It's 100% designed to make you rely on it. Health lies within in the individual. This place sucks the soul
 
agreed. you said that they can't make you enter a hospital. they can.
 
Laws vary by county, at least where I live. It can actually be harder to have a child commited than an adult. If you're really concerned I'd contact your state's mental health coordinator.
 
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