Have you ever involuntarily committed someone to the hospital? (Involuntary Commitment) Let's talk about this.

How would you feel if you were committed to a hospital against your will? You would feel unimaginable fear, anger, and helplessness, wouldn't you? Or if something like this happened to one of your own family members or friends? This is a very sensitive topic. We call this ' Involuntary Commitment '. Simply put, it is the act of committing someone to a psychiatric facility against their will, for their own safety. Let's take a look at what this really is, why it's done this way, and how the process works.

What is involuntary commitment?

Simply put, this means that you are legally admitted to a mental health treatment facility, even against your will , due to a serious mental illness.

This is not a punishment for you, nor is it a punishment for you to be imprisoned. The sole purpose of this is to protect you. Sometimes, when we are in a severe mental state, we can lose our true sense of ourselves and the things we do. At such times, if we do not seek treatment, our lives can be at stake. This step is taken to prevent such a situation.

This is not a decision made by an individual. The medical team treating you and the country's legal system (courts) together decide how long you need to stay in the hospital and what kind of treatment you need. You cannot be given medication without your consent until the court approves it.

In what kind of mental states is something like this necessary?

There are several major mental health conditions that may require mandatory hospitalization . But remember, not everyone with these conditions will need this. This is only necessary in an emergency situation where the condition is so severe that there is a risk of harm to themselves or others .

What criteria must be met to admit someone to the hospital like this?

To hospitalize someone against their will, there are certain criteria that must be met by law. This is not something that can be done out of spite because someone thinks "the doctor is crazy." This is a very serious decision.

The main points that are usually considered are:

• You must have a mental illness with severe symptoms . These symptoms must severely affect your outlook, mood , decision-making, and behavior.
• You must be presenting an immediate threat to your health or safety or to others because of your symptoms (for example, if you are attempting suicide or attempting to attack someone else).
• Because of those symptoms, you must be unable to fulfill your basic needs (eating, getting dressed, staying in a safe place) on your own .
• Doctors need to see that you will benefit from staying in a hospital for this mental condition.

How does this process happen?

Although this process varies slightly from person to person, the steps that usually occur are as follows.

1. Someone asks for help: Someone who cares about you (a family member, a friend, a doctor) reports your behavior to the authorities. This could be a doctor, a social worker, a police officer, or the court.

2. Getting to the hospital: In some cases, you may need to get help from police officers to get you safely to the hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU).

3. Medical examination : At the hospital, a doctor will examine you thoroughly and assess your condition. They will check if you meet the criteria mentioned above.

4. Hospitalization: If the doctor decides that you need to be hospitalized for treatment, you will be admitted to the mental health ward.

5. Legal process: After that, a court hearing will be held to decide whether you need to continue to be hospitalized and treated. This will protect your rights.

Sometimes, after you are admitted to the hospital, you may be kept under observation for about 72 hours. If your symptoms improve during this time, you may be given the opportunity to decide whether to voluntarily stay and receive treatment.

What are the good and bad aspects of an experience like this?

There are both good and bad sides to involuntary hospitalization.

The positive side is that this can save your life . You get a second chance. You get the necessary treatment and the road to a healthy life is paved again.

But, there are also negative (bad) sides .

• Your daily life is completely disrupted.
• You may feel betrayed, especially if your family was involved.
• There may be an economic downturn due to hospital fees and not being able to go to work.
• While in the hospital, you lose some of your personal freedom.
• You may lose faith in the healthcare system or law enforcement officials.

This experience may have left some people with psychological trauma, and even lead to conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) .

However, some studies have shown that after receiving treatment and recovering, many people realize that they did it for their own good at the time.

How long will I have to stay in the hospital?

The length of time you stay in the hospital will depend on your needs. It will vary from person to person. Because this is a legal process, the court will review your situation regularly. For example, they will hold hearings every 7 days, 14 days, a month, or two months to review your situation. If you are still at risk of harming yourself or others, you may need to stay in hospital for a while longer.

It's normal to feel a lot of emotions when someone forces you to do something you don't want to do. You may feel like they're treating you like a child, that no one is listening to you. It's very normal to feel these kinds of emotions when you're going through this process.

As difficult and confusing as this may be, remember that every step of this process is designed to keep you and others safe and healthy. Someone who wants you to live is the one who has made this difficult decision and asked for help. Even though it may be hard to see at this time, know that you are surrounded by people who want to help you, not hurt you.