It depends on the state/county. I’d probably preface this with…
Depending on where you live, your local behavioral health systems may be… negligible.
As luck would have it, I was familiar with my hometown’s resources. I find when people are in crisis, it’s beneficial for them to voluntarily seek help. Make it super easy for them. Know where intake is. Know which places have a better reputation.
It’s usually not the ER. That can take eons.
The one time I did try to help someone involuntarily, it didn’t go well. We were not friends after that.
You go to the department of human health services (dhhs), talk to somebody there regarding the person, then you file a form.
Tl;dr: google “[your county] dhhs behavioral health” and if your area has its shit together you’ll find it
Appreciate you sharing your experience. Unfortunately, the person in my life is so staunchly opposed to getting any kind of care, partially out of stubbornness but mainly because of semi-delusional thoughts (I say “semi-delusional” because it’s no delusion that mental health care in our state is incredibly lacking – but also there’s actual delusional “I’m being targeted” type stuff too). It sucks bc it just feels like we have to wait around for something really bad to happen before they can get the care they very clearly need.
Have you ruled out the possibility of them actually being targeted? Aside from this belief, what is wrong in their life that it warrants violating their right to self determination? Are they hurting people?
That’s entirely possible and, yes, I ultimately fully want to respect their autonomy and do not want to commit them against their will. In the past though, they have talked about plans of ending their life and have seriously harmed themself in an attempt. And I can’t really say that there’s anything ‘wrong’ with their life but they do seem very, very miserable. While don’t wish to make a judgement of the quality of their life or insist on how they should be living, I do want them to feel less torment. Its sometimes hard to be sure of the extent of their anguish, because they’re so unwilling to talk about it.
Have you tried writing to them? This helped my partner and I. Tell them how you feel, your worries, what you want and why. Give them as much time as they need to process it and respond.
It depends on the state/county. I’d probably preface this with… Depending on where you live, your local behavioral health systems may be… negligible. As luck would have it, I was familiar with my hometown’s resources. I find when people are in crisis, it’s beneficial for them to voluntarily seek help. Make it super easy for them. Know where intake is. Know which places have a better reputation. It’s usually not the ER. That can take eons. The one time I did try to help someone involuntarily, it didn’t go well. We were not friends after that. You go to the department of human health services (dhhs), talk to somebody there regarding the person, then you file a form.
Tl;dr: google “[your county] dhhs behavioral health” and if your area has its shit together you’ll find it
Appreciate you sharing your experience. Unfortunately, the person in my life is so staunchly opposed to getting any kind of care, partially out of stubbornness but mainly because of semi-delusional thoughts (I say “semi-delusional” because it’s no delusion that mental health care in our state is incredibly lacking – but also there’s actual delusional “I’m being targeted” type stuff too). It sucks bc it just feels like we have to wait around for something really bad to happen before they can get the care they very clearly need.
Have you ruled out the possibility of them actually being targeted? Aside from this belief, what is wrong in their life that it warrants violating their right to self determination? Are they hurting people?
That’s entirely possible and, yes, I ultimately fully want to respect their autonomy and do not want to commit them against their will. In the past though, they have talked about plans of ending their life and have seriously harmed themself in an attempt. And I can’t really say that there’s anything ‘wrong’ with their life but they do seem very, very miserable. While don’t wish to make a judgement of the quality of their life or insist on how they should be living, I do want them to feel less torment. Its sometimes hard to be sure of the extent of their anguish, because they’re so unwilling to talk about it.
Have you tried writing to them? This helped my partner and I. Tell them how you feel, your worries, what you want and why. Give them as much time as they need to process it and respond.
How recent was the suicide attempt?