How to have someone certified.

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sar!ka

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Hi guys!

Does any one know how to have someone certified insane (or whatever you call it)?

A friend of mine's mom is completely psychotic. No one we've talked to has been able to help. Psychiatrists, social workers... Everyone has the same story, "she can't be put in a home / hospital against her will". Which has to be complete BS! Do people with mental health issues go to a mental hospital by themselves?

She's abusive, threatening to kill us, she tried to attack us with a hacksaw last weekend, she'll burn down the house, she breaks windows, slashes tyres etc, if she doesn't get her way! We have to hide her keys so she can't go outside and break the cars' windscreens etc. She broke down a locked door and trashed his room because she didn't have cigarettes!! She turns off the power and waits by the DB with a knife, just in case we wanna turn it back on! We tried giving her sleeping tabs so we could have some peace over weekends... Yeah right. Like M&M's to her.

If anyone knows the procedure to get her into a home or something, PLEASE pm me. Drugs don't work, doctors are just a waste of money. We need a solution for her ASAP. Things can't go on like this.

Thanks.
 
Phone a helpline, for the life of me i cant remember the one, but its basically child-line for adults.
 
Holy cow... psychotic sounds like an understatement!

You need a Psychiatrist to clinically diagnose her with some sort of mental issue, then you can take it from there.
He/she will be able to tell you what is best for the mother. Hope things work out.
 
Your friend should move out asap. Drugging her against her will is only going to get them in serious hot water if she ODs.
 
1.. See phsyciatrist (police might have to be involved to get this person there.....she aint gonna do it willingly)
2. If person poses a threat to society then court gives order
3. Then person must be certified by 3 independant physciatrists and commited.

That is basically in a nutshell from my mom from when used to work in loony bin. That was yonks ago so might have changed.
 
When I was certified they had to get a court order from a judge, as recommended by a board of psychiatrists. The police then took me to Weskoppies. This was also a long time ago, so might have changed.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

The police don't want to help, they basically just come and talk to her and then leave again. Helpline told us to get a social worker, she didn't even come out, just phoned 2 weeks later and told us to take her to a shrink.

Does anyone know a good psychiatrist that would talk to me over a phone? Because the many I have contacted didn't really want to speak to me. I had to talk to the receptionists and they would tell me what he says. Lame. I know they want to make money, but seriously.
 
I think you would have to take her in. They would have to meet her, and diagnose her after running tests - no easy way out of this. That's what needs to happen, clearly worth it seeing as it's not only her that is at risk to herself, but to you & your friend to.
 
Hey there Sar!ka.

These situations are very tricky. Basically, in a non-interventionist state, individuals have the choice whether to be committed to a mental institution or not. Only in extreme cases may they be forced, i.e. against their will, into a care facility. What this means for your friend's mother is that she is deemed by the state as being incapable of caring for herself, or if she is a danger to herself or family/community/society then she will be placed in a secure care facility.

If your friend is a minor (I assume the two of you are in a relationship) then he could approach child line (don't laugh forumites) and request that they assist him in having the courts recognise that his mother is not able to take care of him, or that she is a threat to his life/wellbeing. This though, would mean that the minor would be removed from the family home, and not the mother.

If your friend is an adult (18+) then he will have to approach the courts to have his mother committed stating that she is a danger to society/herself. Of course, at least three independant psychiatrist's opinions will have to be referenced. His mother will also have the right to put forth her reason why she is not a danger to herself/others. Depending on the outcome of the hearing your friend's mother might be forcibly committed to a care facility for a period of 3-6 months. Anything longer is not a viable option for the health care system.

Remember, this is not the movies. No white van is going to appear after one phone call to haul this lady in a straight-jacket to some soft padded cell. Most likely, the court will rule that this is a family matter and that a period of 'assisted living' be recommended, i.e. where the mother and son relationship will be monitered by a councilour/social worker. If the living conditions degrade during this period due to the mother's behaviour, it will be advised that the son move out and either live with family or in a foster home of some sorts.

If the home is in the mother's name, she can state that while she is in the care facility that her son not ocuppy the property nor that it be rented out. The son and you will therefore not have a house all to yourself. If mother goes, the two of you will most likely go as well.

Hope the mother receives the intervention she requires.
 
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Call a specialised hospital there are a few around jo'burg.

2 are TARA & Crescent Clinic. They can advise you how to have people certified.

I actually know someone who works at the 2nd mentioned place. She has in general talk mentioned that people can be certified if it can be proven that they are a danger to themselves or others around them. This will be done by means of a court ruling so maybe do some home work also on a good attorney or ask the place you call to refer you to one if you do need one.

If I remember correctly if the process is done privately (she said) it can cost between R10k-R15k.

If I remember properly TARA is a government institution so perhaps call them first. I believe there are people that can help you through the process so that all the legal steps are followed correctly to prevent anyone from getting into hot water.
 
You need to see an attorney, who can apply to the High Court to have her declared incompetent. A curator will be appointed who will basically make all decisions on her behalf (usually the attorney who brought the application).

This is not a pleasant or inexpensive excercise. It requires expert opnions by at least 2 doctors, one of whom should be independant. This means that you can't hire your own doctors without being accused of bias, and often results in a state doctor being appointed to asses the patient. This obviously takes time.

If the mother/patient is rational enough to appoint her own attorney and defend the matter, it could take a very long time to resolve, but the shock of possibly being declared incompetent might cause the mother to willingly undergo psychiatric assesment in exchange for the court application being dropped.

I think that there may be a more drastic route in the Mental Health Care Act, but I can't recall what it is, and may be technically unconstitutional.
 
If she is abusing drugs and commits a crime (domestic violence for example) it will be easier for the magistrate to force her to go to rehab than to have her institutionalised. Rehabilitation centers (Private not State run) have qualified staff that can diagnose her and medicate her accordingly. It is VERY expensive though. It is one hell of a tricky situation your friend is in. For her to cooperate he has to catch her at a good moment but even then, there is no telling whether or not she will still be cooperating 15 minutes later.

Good luck.
 
Sounds like serious depression to me. I've watched a monster-raving lunatic of an ex-girlfriend change from being the psycho you describe into a perfectly normal, reasonable person on anti-depressants. Now if only she had stayed on the blooming things we might have still been together.
 
Lure her in to a situation where she will cause an inccident in public, she will be arrested and then they will have to give her a psychological evaluation in jail.

... sounds like the cheapest way.
 
FlatspinZA said:
Sounds like serious depression to me. I've watched a monster-raving lunatic of an ex-girlfriend change from being the psycho you describe into a perfectly normal, reasonable person on anti-depressants. Now if only she had stayed on the blooming things we might have still been together.
Click to expand...

+1

... same situation. In fact, attractive, smart, funny and great fun to be around and as well. Hell, I even handled the psycho part quite well ... it was when she fell into prositute friends, brothyls, lying, conning and drug addiction that I had to call it quits.

On topic though - is there anytime time when she's normal or close to normal where'd you'd be able to speak to her? My exgirlfriend had these moments when she realised who and what she was - and it was easy to speak to her to seek help.
 
Hi Sar!ka,

I feel you. Had the exact same with my mother. She went to the cops had a restraining order put against the family, my step dad, myself etc. She then told the police we were abusive and such, boy was that fun. She also took my car and drove it in to a bus and wrote it off. In the end there was nothing I could do , it took her 30 mins to get a restraining order against us and weeks to try and lift it.

In the end my family and I left her and treated her like a heroin addict who needed to hit rock bottom. She lost all her possessions, all her friends and only had the leeches who used her for money when she had it.

I'm glad to say when she hit rock bottom she accepted help. She's since moved with my step dad to the UK to start a new life (as all the bridges she burnt here weren't helping her with recovery). She's on meds and goes to the NHS regularly for checks. I guess all you can do is let go and just stand around till they hit rock bottom.

God speed. I've been there.

J

sar!ka said:
Hi guys!

Does any one know how to have someone certified insane (or whatever you call it)?

A friend of mine's mom is completely psychotic. No one we've talked to has been able to help. Psychiatrists, social workers... Everyone has the same story, "she can't be put in a home / hospital against her will". Which has to be complete BS! Do people with mental health issues go to a mental hospital by themselves?

She's abusive, threatening to kill us, she tried to attack us with a hacksaw last weekend, she'll burn down the house, she breaks windows, slashes tyres etc, if she doesn't get her way! We have to hide her keys so she can't go outside and break the cars' windscreens etc. She broke down a locked door and trashed his room because she didn't have cigarettes!! She turns off the power and waits by the DB with a knife, just in case we wanna turn it back on! We tried giving her sleeping tabs so we could have some peace over weekends... Yeah right. Like M&M's to her.

If anyone knows the procedure to get her into a home or something, PLEASE pm me. Drugs don't work, doctors are just a waste of money. We need a solution for her ASAP. Things can't go on like this.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
I had my mother certified many years ago. She had been in and out of clinics for treatment (shock and insulin) for many years. The psychiatrist said she could be certified if she was either homicidal or suicidal. (She was both.) He said she had to be examined by 3 psychiatrists but he arranged all that. I collected the reports from him and then handed them in at the Court. An ambulance went to pick her up and take her to Weskoppies where she spent the rest of her life. It didn't cost us anything as the medical aid paid for the psychiatrists. Now my son is in the same situation where he is in the process of having his wife committed. She is a danger to herself (drink, drugs, eating disorders). A psychiatrist is making the arrangements.
 
Lizard said:
Now my son is in the same situation where he is in the process of having his wife committed. She is a danger to herself (drink, drugs, eating disorders). A psychiatrist is making the arrangements.
Click to expand...
Isn't this a little harsh? Surely those things are treatable?
It's a scary thought that people can be committed on such flimsy grounds. Once committed you start to believe yourself insane because you're surrounded by the insane & it becomes very hard to get out of it.

I know someone who got committed because she flipped after a traumatic incident in her life. She got out & is completely fine, but she near went insane in the loon house starting to believe she must be insane.
 
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