this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2024
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In all seriousness, what kind of stuff could actually have you be locked up on a mental facility in the US?
Getting to suicidey I imagine.
If you're poor then you're basically mentally ill.
I couldn't afford anxiety/depression meds and went to a professional. Literally told me, almost verbatim, "I don't think you're a danger to anyone or yourself, but I'm going to put you down as 5150. After a holding period you'll get medicine."
Thought about it, decided no as I didn't want to screw up my background checks just to get medicine.
"Well I already put it down."
I didn't want to fight my way through two guards (though I wish I would have tried) so I had to go through a shitty, depressing, and degrading experience. And I couldn't afford the medicine they prescribed me. The entire point of lying to game the system, the entire point of fucking me while acting like a savior, and I couldn't even get medicine.
So yeah. Tagged as being a danger to myself or others because I didn't have money to buy medicine... and a mental health professional thought she figured out a lifehack and tested it on a real person.
If you're a danger to yourself or others, police can detain you with an APOWW, which stands for Apprehension by a Police Officer Without a Warrant, and hold you until you are deemed safe at an "appropriate" mental health facility. (Most of these places are horrible tbh. Usually filled with the homeless and genuinely mentally ill/unwell people). Back in my EMS days I would dread running calls to these places.
Can confirm. Currently in EMS, we call them Baker Acts in my neck of the woods
Yup. Had to Baker Act my mom once for a suicide attempt actually. It really fuckin sucked.
Ideally, when a medical professional genuinely thinks you are an immediate danger to yourself or others.
Harm to yourself and or others is usually the red line, in most countries.
Dunno if there are many left in the US but if you answer the question they always ask:
“Do you feel like hurting yourself or others?“
With a "yes" they can recommend you get wrapped up "for your protection" for a short while. Then bill you of course
That’s the important part
I am not an expert, but based on TV the general criteria is if you're a harm to yourself or others (or self commit).