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> I believe the previous solution was to err on the side of allowing 24-hour involuntary psychiatric holds, with observation by a neutral doctor, and taking abu

> I believe the previous solution was to err on the side of allowing 24-hour involuntary psychiatric holds, with observation by a neutral doctor, and taking abuses of that extremely seriously. We have a history of using this policy in multiple countries, and in each one the system was abused to torment and commit minorities, people (including children) who were deemed an inconvenience, and political enemies. I say this as someone with a family member who went through a very similar experience as your friend. I know just how scary and frustrating it is, and the immense burden of care and worrying it puts on people who care about someone going through mental breakdown like that. I wish there was a solution to this problem, but I don't know what it would look like.

fjsolwmv 7y ago
In the US there was an experiment where a bunch of healthy people were sent for a temporary hold and evaluation, and something like half of them were declared insane for refusing to admit they were insane, and trapped until the experimenters intervened.
- ThrowawayR2 7y ago
  That's the Rosenhan experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment Rosenhan's paper itself ("On Being Sane In Insane Places") also makes for fascinating reading and is very readable even for laypeople.
  - droithomme 7y ago
    Yes, it's well established that sane people are routinely labelled as insane when it suits the predispositions of the accusers. Even more interesting is those that are clearly insane who are never institutionalized. For example, not too long ago there was a man who authorized the vaporizing using nuclear bombs of two Japanese cities consisting of almost entirely civilian targets. If that's not pure insanity what is? Along with all his advisors. Yet rather than acknowledge that this man was clearly a deranged madman, the preponderance of the public celebrates him as a hero and call his critics mad. Leaving no possible conclusion other than that most of the public is mad. What treatment is possible for madness? None that has been demonstrated. Is mental health treatment a myth? Yes. Is insanity caused by chemical imbalances in the brain? Perhaps, though there is no evidence whatsoever supporting this claim. Are those that continue to promote this hypothesis as fact insane as well? No doubt some of them are.

fjsolwmv 7y ago

In the US there was an experiment where a bunch of healthy people were sent for a temporary hold and evaluation, and something like half of them were declared insane for refusing to admit they were insane, and trapped until the experimenters intervened.

ThrowawayR2 7y ago
That's the Rosenhan experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment Rosenhan's paper itself ("On Being Sane In Insane Places") also makes for fascinating reading and is very readable even for laypeople.
- droithomme 7y ago
  Yes, it's well established that sane people are routinely labelled as insane when it suits the predispositions of the accusers. Even more interesting is those that are clearly insane who are never institutionalized. For example, not too long ago there was a man who authorized the vaporizing using nuclear bombs of two Japanese cities consisting of almost entirely civilian targets. If that's not pure insanity what is? Along with all his advisors. Yet rather than acknowledge that this man was clearly a deranged madman, the preponderance of the public celebrates him as a hero and call his critics mad. Leaving no possible conclusion other than that most of the public is mad. What treatment is possible for madness? None that has been demonstrated. Is mental health treatment a myth? Yes. Is insanity caused by chemical imbalances in the brain? Perhaps, though there is no evidence whatsoever supporting this claim. Are those that continue to promote this hypothesis as fact insane as well? No doubt some of them are.