Coercive Psychiatry, Right, Wrong or just dont know?

Kathy,

Talks one thing, action is another. Has this hypothetical person a history of commiting serious violent attacks. If not, I wouldn't be to worried, his chances of meeting a 'ET look a like' are pretty slim.
Delusional people are not violent, angry, violent people are! If theres a history of violence then the trend will probably continue. If there is no history of violence then that trend would probably continue.

Moreover, when I was a young man being treated for SZ, I was well aware of the stigma associated with SZ and I used it. If my folks were giving me a hard time, telling them a story similar your scenario would scare them enough to get them to back off. I was just using my diagnosis and making up symptoms as a form of teenage rebellion I suppose.

Still, it usually back fired because my folks told my shrink, which resulted in more punishment (more meds).

Do you know what I mean?

Shrink resistant,

Yes I know just what you mean. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I feel that Dan could have gone back on meds while being at home rather than in a hospital. It may have been a little risky on my part as he does have a past history of violence...which I won't go into the details of. However what are the odds of running into someone who looked like ET?

I still think I could have done it though. Once the hospital found out that I wanted Dan at home they were not too thrilled that I visited him every chance I got. It was a lousy hospital. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the nicest I would have give this place a 1 or 2.

Another question. Regarding CTO's.....is schizophrenia usually the illness that gets one put onto a CTO? Or does it happen with a great many other diagnosis?

Thanks for your reply,
Kathy

Shrink resistant,

I would not state that people with SZ are violent. However, I would state that in some cases, delusions can lead to violent acts. Often times, "forced lock-ups" are not intended to treat the patient. It is rather to remove him from society, where his (a SZ or a person with another mental illness that has violent tendencies) actions endager others. This is fact, not my opinion. It's better than jail, I suppose.

In regards to other circumstances in which coercive therapy is used, I agree that it does do more harm than good, and I am against it, in general.

You must concede that in rare circumstances, it is necessary. How can you say that there are no violent SZ's? That is simply not true. I agree with you, however, that one should not be locked up involuntarily if he has not demonstrated actual behavior that is endagering to others.

~Mr. Yowler

This is a question to anyone who cares to reply. Is it mainly people who have schizophrenia that are held in psych hospitals against their will? Or are there other diagnosis that pertain to the issue?

Kathy

Kathy,

I will be speaking to a couple of statistics people in the next day or so, I interested on the figures as well.

I wouldn't think CTO's and involutary treatment pertain only to SZ's.

Heres and interesting stat,

In New York State (with a population of 19.3 million) 4044 AOT's (or CTO's same thing) were ordered from 1999 to 2005. Roughly 800 per year.

In the state of Victoria (Australia) 16,000 CTO's are written every year. Victoria has a population of 4.5 million.

Here in Australia you don't go to court to get a CTO applied. Any psychiatrist can just right one, it take 24 hours.

Yowler,

I agree with Szasz. The insanity defense has to go.

Shrink resistant:

In New York State (with a population of 19.3 million) 4044 AOT's (or CTO's same thing) were ordered from 1999 to 2005. Roughly 800 per year.

In the state of Victoria (Australia) 16,000 CTO's are written every year. Victoria has a population of 4.5 million.

Those are some astounding figures! And any p doc can just write them? It's difficult to fathom.

Kathy

Kathy,

In Victoria, the authorised psychiatrist at any approved mental health service can declare any person an involuntary patient within 24 hours of that person's being admitted to hospital at the request of a registered medical practitioner.

We have twice as many CTO's as the state of New South Wales which has a population of 6.7 million.

Seeing a psychiatrist is very dangerous in Victoria.

Shrink resistant,

How long does the CTO last? Months...years? And how does one get off a CTO? Are the people who have been on a CTO plagued for the rest of their life?

Kathy

Kathy,

The mental health review board reviews your case every 12 months. You can lodge an appeal at anytime but your chances of success are extremely limited. I think over 98% fail. I am yet to find out the rate of SZ CTO's compared with diagnoses. I'll keep trying.

We had a great anti coercive psychiatry event last night. May 2nd is an international 'Day of Remembrance and Resistance' and the anniversary of the 'Foucault Tribunal'. It was a great night, we have a bit of momentum now and hopefully we can start putting pressure on the government to investigate why Victoria has such a highly disproportionate level of CTO's compared with other states around the world. Then get this corrected.

If you type 'Day of Remembrance and Resistance' and 'Foucault Tribunal' into google, you will see what the event is about. None of our stuff is on those web site yet, it will be next year.

Anyone else reading this today try to remember the 200,000 psychiatric patients murdered from 1939 to 1948. Their diagnosis was their death warrant. They were murdered because they were viewed as having faulty genes or biology. This is the same rational psychiatrist use to forcefully treat us with dangerous deadly medications today. There is a direct link between the German eugenics policies of the 1900 to how we are treated (coercive psychiatry) in 2005.