Green Will Prevail

Mental disorders, etc.

I don't know how, but today I managed to spend over six hours reading about psychiatric hospitals. Not because I think I belong in one, but just because they are fascinating places. Actually, my darling father once told me that he thinks I'm gonna end up in a psych ward, but his opinion doesn't count because he never even went to university, let alone got a psych degree. Fuck, that rhymes slightly. Well anyway, here is the criteria for involuntary commitment (psychiatric 'detention')

DIVISION 2-DETENTION

Orders for admission and detention

12. (1) If, after examining a person, a medical practitioner is satisfied-

(a) that the person has a mental illness that requires immediate

treatment; and

(b) that such treatment is available in an approved treatment centre;

and

(c) that the person should be admitted as a patient and detained in an

approved treatment centre in the interests of his or her own health

and safety or for the protection of other persons,

the medical practitioner may make an order for the immediate admission and

detention of the person in an approved treatment centre.

(2) An order under subsection (1), unless earlier revoked, expires three

days after the day on which it is made.

(3) A person admitted and detained in an approved treatment centre pursuant

to an order under subsection (1) must be examined by a psychiatrist-

(a) if it is practicable for the examination to take place within 24

hours of admission-within that period; or

(b) if it is not practicable for an examination to take place within 24

hours of admission-as soon as practicable after admission.

(4) When the psychiatrist has completed the examination-

(a) he or she must, if not satisfied that the continued detention of the

patient is justified, revoke the order; or

(b) he or she may, if satisfied that the continued detention of the

patient is justified, confirm the order.

(5) If an order for detention has been confirmed under subsection (4), a

psychiatrist may, before the order expires and after examination of the

patient (which should be carried out during the 24 hours prior to that

expiry), make an order for the further detention of the patient for a period

not exceeding 21 days commencing on that expiry.

(6) A further order (but one only) may be made for the detention of the

patient for a period not exceeding 21 days commencing on the expiry of the

order under subsection (5), if two psychiatrists (only one of whom may be one

of the psychiatrists who made the orders under subsections (1) and (5)) think

it is justified after each has separately examined the patient.

(7) An order cannot be made under subsection (1) in relation to a patient

who is being detained pursuant to an order under subsection (5) or (6).

(8) The director of an approved treatment centre in which a patient is

detained pursuant to an order made under subsection (5) or (6) may revoke

that order at any time during the period for which it is effective.

(9) A psychiatrist who makes an order for detention under subsection (5) or

(6) must forthwith furnish the director of the treatment centre with a

written report of the results of his or her examination of the patient and of

the grounds on which the order was made.

(10) On receiving a report under subsection (9) the director must forward a

copy of the report to the Board.

"mental illness" means any illness or disorder of the mind

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder

I read somewhere that 1 in 5 people have a mental illness. Those statistics are only for depression and anxiety, however. They are extremely common. I discovered that I fit the criteria for seven mental disorders in the Big Book of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition. Most people probably do. Everyone's fucked up in their own way. If someone were truly 'perfect', they would not be a human. Humans are not perfect. My rat is perfect.

I said 'fuck' two times - no, three times, in this blog post. Swearing is bad.

Well, goodbye Internet. I think I need a large dose of sleeping pills or something. I hear that if you snort them, they work faster. My ears probably defied me.

posted by Alex @ 6:45 AM