How to get somebody sectioned?

[Freshstarts24]

I don’t want to give too much identifying details but would really appreciate some advice. Adult dd, quite serious undiagnosed mh issues, not had any professional support since discharging as a teen. Now quite heavily reliant on drugs which are causing physical health problems and exasperating mh issues.
Outpatient support at this point is not going to help, she needs to be admitted somewhere but I have no idea how to access this? Where do I start? I know the drugs muddy the waters so I don’t even know what type of support to look at but the root cause is obviously mh.

I know lots of mumsnet bingo includes lots of is there asd or adhd and whilst nothing in your post highlights this. One thing I have noticed as a mental health professional is that women who are depressed in teens and often talk around having bpd are either traumatised children or undiagnosed ASD.

this doesn’t help you immediate situation but might give you some broader context to consider

no you can ask to be sectioned

I wonder if they were thinking of mental capacity act, it might have been that the Dr thought they lacked capacity and admitted into hospital as a best interests decision. That fits better then the s136 which as you say is normally used in public place by police

I would agree that being sectioned leaves you with a kind of trauma that most of the world cannot understand. It is bewildering at best and at worst medicalised abuse; I have bipolar disorder for a life time and find it so painful to recollect periods of detention and the ensuing pain

That's my experience of the matter too unfortunately. There are countless people out there in desperate situations and extremely limited resources. The resources surrounding admission/inpatient treatement generally go to 2 places - the extreme most psychotic patients under the MHA, and then when funding allows - voluntarily for those most likely to respond to therapy; which will be those making huge personal effort to stop drug use and 'fix' themselves.

I don't say this to be cruel, but if you're holding out for someone else to step in and whisk her away, preventing drug use and rehabilitate her personality its just not going to happen. The story you describe is very common and just unremarkable really. I've consultated many myself occasionally referring to crisis team in A&E as this was just how the consultation went, often crisis team don't even see them they're just given the phone number and referred back to primary care...

To make it worse I don't have any solutions. There just isn't any simple cure it's all about prevention really. Ultimately you can just be there for her fo support but if she wants to get 'better' she needs to put some serious hard work in.

I made a similar post a year ago about my brother who needed sectioning and everyone seemed to focus on the fact I couldn't personally "section" someone (I didn't think I could) rather than actually offering help (some posters were great tho). I was told by some posters in no uncertain terms that there were no beds, it won't happen, he has to be a danger to himself and others. I repeatedly said I think he is and I'm also worried about him drink driving and killing someone. I was actually made to feel guilty for trying to get someone "imprisoned", rather than I was actually trying to keep him and us (and the public) safe. And made to feel like I was exaggerating, family are never listened to and we KNOW when someone needs help, but people have to see it for themselves to believe you...

It came to a head a few weeks later when he went to the doctors to ask for some medication and flipped the hell out threatening the doctor and scared the SHIT outta him so bad that he tried to get on the phone to arrange getting him sectioned then and there. That's the kinda thing it takes, it never should have to get to that point but they don't do anything until it does. That made my brother even more angry and violent, but I don't think the doctor was physically hurt thankfully. He took off but police and doctors caught up with him next day. He was sectioned for a month. Half-way through they actually let him leave during the day as long as he got back at a certain time, but it depends what ward they're put on whether someone is allowed to do that or not. He had to have a tribunal to see if they could detain him for a month and thankfully they realised he did need it.

You have to keep pushing and don't be fobbed off-YOU know how serious she is and how likely something is to happen to her. Tell them you will hold them personally responsible if she comes to harm as a result of them not taking you seriously. I'm sorry you are in this situation, I know how hard it is-I hope she can get the help she needs.

She definitely has some trauma that needs dealing with

OP, I think what @Bandolina is saying is very accurate. However areas do vary in terms of exactly what they offer. In some areas there are offers of trauma informed services, joined up MH/drug services and those which work more proactively with people who find it hard to engage. Please ring your local drug and alcohol service if you haven't, if you can sit with your DD and do it even better. I wouldn't expect inpatient treatment for her with how you describe her, but I have seen some positive stories of people being supported by community services. The starting point is just to call them (or the GP) and say "we need help". There aren't easy answers, but this is a first step.

I'm so sorry you've endured this too. I would say I have PTSD from it all, but haven't been able to bring myself to discuss it with any professionals for obvious reasons.

You can’t. That’s not how being DETAINED under Sections 2 or 3 of the Mental Health Act works.

Well, I guess technically there’s nothing stopping someone from asking anything (“am I a dog?” “Can I have more cheese?” Etc) but asking to be sectioned is a tortology - it literally makes no sense and is not how the system works.

A person can ask to be admitted as a voluntary patient (although there’s v little point as there’s not enough beds for those who are placed under S2 or S3, let alone those people who just feel like they’d benefit from a stay on an acute mental health ward..

If she is in board with treatment you need to have her call the crisis team who will come out and assess her. Bare in mind though the chance of her being sectioned is very very slim.

I was given a 5 day stay in a crisis house last year. I had ran out in front of traffic. Was orbital down the phone at the crisis team. Very paranoid. Was told to go to a and e and I was literally screaming in a and e very distressed. I was very very sick. They wouldn't admit me to hospital the best they offered was this crisis house. No beds.

Also with the drug use if she admits that to them they will refer her to the deul diagnosis team and unfortunately they won't be of any help while she's using.

Sorry to be pesemistic but there just is not any mental health care in this country at the min even for the most unwell people.