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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Noa on January 28, 2000, at 21:24:20
ABC News 20/20 just aired a piece about a guy who was hospitalized involuntarily because he was promoting unionization at his company. The company had the sheriff arrest him, and the company doctor, who never met the guy, suggested to the sheriff's office to commit the guy involuntarily because he was supposedly mentally ill and dangerous, even though he had no history of violent or erratic behavior. He had seen a psychiatrist for depression, and of course, his confidential info was distorted and used against him. He is suing, and some bigwhig attorneys are helping him because of the obvious civil/human rights issues. There will be a live chat about this story at abcnews.com at 11 pm eastern time.
Posted by Abby on January 29, 2000, at 23:30:33
In reply to The Gulag in America?, posted by Noa on January 28, 2000, at 21:24:20
> ABC News 20/20 just aired a piece about a guy who was hospitalized involuntarily because he was promoting unionization at his company. The company had the sheriff arrest him, and the company doctor, who never met the guy, suggested to the sheriff's office to commit the guy involuntarily because he was supposedly mentally ill and dangerous, even though he had no history of violent or erratic behavior. He had seen a psychiatrist for depression, and of course, his confidential info was distorted and used against him. He is suing, and some bigwhig attorneys are helping him because of the obvious civil/human rights issues. There will be a live chat about this story at abcnews.com at 11 pm eastern time.
Where did this happen? In New England, especially in Massachusetts, it's nearly impossible to get people committed. If you succeed, as we did in Maine with my mother, the hospital is likely to let the person go after a day unless they believe that the patient is violent or in imminent danger of committing suicide. This stuff is really tricky in practice. We got my mother to see a psychiatrist briefly, but she wouldn't release her records from the hospital which were closed. The new physician was relying only on her own self reporting. She edited out the hallucinations and delusions and her paronoia. Instead she talked about how she could improve her marriage.
Posted by Elizabeth on January 30, 2000, at 9:24:31
In reply to Re: The Gulag in America? Where? Not in NE, posted by Abby on January 29, 2000, at 23:30:33
> Where did this happen? In New England, especially in Massachusetts, it's nearly impossible to get people committed.
Is it really? I know that, the way the laws are set up, it should be, but I've heard all kinds of horror stories about people getting committed without, umm, due process.
> If you succeed, as we did in Maine with my mother, the hospital is likely to let the person go after a day unless they believe that the patient is violent or in imminent danger of committing suicide.
Again, not IME. In MA, if the person is committed involuntarily, the hospital can keep them for up to 10 days. Whether this happens or not depends on a lot of things, including (unfortunately) whether the person has private insurance.
Posted by Noa on January 30, 2000, at 9:32:59
In reply to Re: The Gulag in America? Where? Not in NE, posted by Elizabeth on January 30, 2000, at 9:24:31
> > Where did this happen?
It was in one of the Carolinas, I think. You can look it up at abcnews.com.
Posted by Noa on January 30, 2000, at 9:34:23
In reply to Re: The Gulag in America? Where? Not in NE, posted by Elizabeth on January 30, 2000, at 9:24:31
I think there are lots of place in America that are essentially owned and run by the owners of one major employer--a factory, processing plant, etc. Lots of room for corruption.
Posted by Eric on January 30, 2000, at 11:15:25
In reply to The Gulag in America?, posted by Noa on January 28, 2000, at 21:24:20
> ABC News 20/20 just aired a piece about a guy who was hospitalized involuntarily because he was promoting unionization at his company. The company had the sheriff arrest him, and the company doctor, who never met the guy, suggested to the sheriff's office to commit the guy involuntarily because he was supposedly mentally ill and dangerous, even though he had no history of violent or erratic behavior. He had seen a psychiatrist for depression, and of course, his confidential info was distorted and used against him. He is suing, and some bigwhig attorneys are helping him because of the obvious civil/human rights issues. There will be a live chat about this story at abcnews.com at 11 pm eastern time.
The asshole psychiatrist who had him committed should promptly be reported to the medicial board of whatever state this occured in. That psychiatrist should lose his license to practice medicine forever...he is morally unfit. Prison would be the place for that psychiatrist. Forget lawsuits...just send him to prison.
Posted by Eric on January 30, 2000, at 11:17:24
In reply to Re: The Gulag in America? Where? Not in NE, posted by Noa on January 30, 2000, at 9:32:59
> > > Where did this happen?
>
> It was in one of the Carolinas, I think. You can look it up at abcnews.com.Im not surprised...psychiatry is heavily unregulated here. They can get away with nearly anything here.
Posted by Abby on January 30, 2000, at 13:55:28
In reply to Re: The Gulag in America? Where? Not in NE, posted by Eric on January 30, 2000, at 11:17:24
My understanding, and I may be wrong, is that when you are commited, at least in Maine, the State pays for everything. The hospital records never make it into your other health records unless you specifically tell them to do so. When my mother was in the hospital, she spent one night. After a thorough evaluation they provided treatment recommendations but said that she could leave. There was a bad storm brewing, and she wouldn't be able to get on the ferry back to her house on an island. The hospital hoped that she would stay but told her she was free to go. SHe ran out very quickly and checked herself into the motel where my father was staying. He mad sure to switch motels.
This is the end of the thread.
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