I've only dealt with Michigan hospitals where the standard is a week but it very well could be right.

what if you got an independent doctor to evaluate her?

AlBStern wrote:That sucks Marsupialized. There have been some bouts of mental illness in my family. It can be very difficult to deal with.

That being said, if I were you, I would focus your energy on trying to make sure she benefits from her time there. There are professionals there who might be able to help her cope with future episodes, deal with her suicidal tendencies, monitor and adjust her medications etc.

A big part of getting better is learning to understand the illness and allowing people to help you when necessary. If she only sees you fighting the situation, she will fight too. The stress of it all might make her worse, not better.

I'm in absolute agreement. The only thing that's going to get her out of there sooner is if she cooperates and they see her hitting the benchmarks they've established for her. I had the opportunity to go away for an extended period once while I was in the service (I've mentioned the military a lot today), and I gotta say it was great. It was like a two month vacation where I got to just work on myself. Possibly the best part of my military experience.

wes9 wrote: The ONLY way out for her is to co-operate with the doctors as much as possible. Basically, she has to calm down, and tell the doctors whatever they want to hear. It's the only way.

Listen to Wes. I've had 6 separate stays in psych hospitals. Spent about 8 months total in the places. The more she fights it, the longer she'll be there. The best thing for you to do is visit as much as possible and be there for her.

The only way they can hold her against her will is if they determine she is a danger to herself, to others, or unable to care for herself, in which case they can put her on a 5150, which is a 72 hour hold. If she's signed anything, then you'll have to wait until that amount of time has lapsed, at which point she'll see a judge and a doctor will testify as to whether or not she ought to stay. She will be appointed a patient advocate for when she sees a judge unless she has a lawyer she'd prefer. Her lawyer will be better equipped to represent her, but expensive, and if she's lucid enough to be out of the hospital, then a patient advocate should probably be fine. The thing about signing herself in for a five day hold is that she either needs to stick by it because she signed it, or claim she wasn't aware of what she was signing. It's catch-22 because if she wasn't aware enough to know what she got herself into, then she needs to be in there, but if she signed it knowingly, then she's obliged to stay. Her best bet is to be really complicit and wait out the days.

Cheers to you for helping your friend.

Best of luck,
Sebastian

she says she is spossed to get out tommorrow I guess

Good news. Institutions have a way of cranking out 'the institutionalized'...

Yeah they can be hard to get into too. Ever try to get help for yourself or someone else with a drug problem? It's a fucking wonder that anyone ever gets clean.

All I wanted was a Pepsi

Marsupialized wrote:Any info anyone can give me would be awesome as this is some serious bullshit.

serious bullshit? to not respond to a patient that states they are suicidal would be bullshit. psychiatry and psychology have a long way to go in their treatment of mental illness - i have known people who have killed themselves while in the hospital (or immediately after discharge) - it's not some catch all that will prevent or more so ameliorate every condition, but based on what you've stated thus far about the situation, calling it 'bullshit' is short sighted.
to echo the thoughts of others in the thread, if you are truly operating with her best interests at heart, your only agenda should be to support her and the tx she receives. fighting the system is somewhat futile, if not counter-productive. of course, many docs have their heads up there asses, but that's why you should ensure intelligent loved ones are involved in the treatment plan to ensure she receives the best plan possible, and to intervene if needed.

Marsupialized wrote:yeah same thing there were crazy fucks all over, males and females...what's stopping one of those crazy fucks from trying to jump on her at night?

these 'real wackos' and 'crazy fucks' - how quick you are to label those with mental illness in a pejorative fashion, and distance yourself from it. are you operating out of ignorance and anger or informed logic? have you ever looked at the incidence rates of patient to patient attacks?

i sincerely hope her health improves soon.