“Are they a threat to themselves or others?”

It’s the question you will be asked if you are trying to get help (through involuntary commitment) for a loved one with a mental illness. And in many states, provinces and countries around the world, it’s your answer to that question that will determine whether help will be forthcoming or not.

For a person’s illness to progress to the stage of potentially harming themselves or others is very serious and obviously not desirable, yet the flip side of that coin is that if someone hasn’t reached that stage, and won’t voluntarily accept treatment, there is little a family member can do. It can be an excruciatingly difficult and heart-wrenching position to be in, as I learned some years ago.Continue Reading