- Category: Crisis Response, Involuntary Commitment Barriers
- Tag(s): Anosognosia / Lack of Insight, Violence or Threat Toward Others
“My son had been in psychosis for a couple of years and would call the police because he thought people were trying to kill him. I called once after such an incident, and asked if they could take him into custody and get him help.
They replied that it’s not against the law to be mentally Ill so they could not do anything and asked that I not bother them again.
I asked if they knew of any other resources to get help and they informed me that they weren’t the bureau of information. Another time he called them because he thought someone was on his land and he thought he shot them in the face.
That time they told him that if he ever called them again there had better be a dead body or he would be arrested for filing a false police report.”
*Each story is shared by someone impacted by untreated SMI, lightly edited for clarity, never for meaning.
THE ASK
The author’s message for legislators:
To implement laws that any relative can ask for someone to have a mental evaluation.If the person is found to have a serious mental illness, they can be court ordered to get help and take medication.
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