Two cases (continued)

I'll call my client in the second case Johnny.

Johnny was having business problems, and stress at home due to his basement flooding repeatedly. He had also decided to get himself off Ambien, which he worried he had become physically dependant upon.

Johnny's family actually did not know about the Ambien. When he began getting up in the middle of the night to battle mice and bugs which he believed were infesting the furniture, they figured he was having a psychotic break. Finally one morning the police were called and Johnny was packed off to a local emergency room. Although he had no previous psychiatric issues, the behavioral health in-take coordinator (after scouting out the insurance coverage) assured everyone that Johnny was in serious need of treatment whether he wanted any or not. She coerced family members to re-write their initial affidavits and add statements about fears of suicide.

Johnny had never been violent or suicidal in his life. He was not violent that morning, and he had no thoughts of suicide whatsoever. No matter, with just the right words on a piece of paper, the in-take coordinator had her paying involuntary patient. Johnny was committed and drugged into insensibility.

After a few days Johnny got out. But the hospital was paid in full by his insurance provider, even though he called them and specifically ordered them never to pay a single dime. Johnny also had a new label, "bipolar", which would be with him for life. After several days of being constantly asked about suicide and surrounded by people who were suicidal, he had actually become slightly obsessed by the idea.

After a year Johnny was pretty well back to normal. He had stopped all psych meds, stopped seeing "counselors", and pried various records out of the hospital, which convinced him that the in-take coordinator and others had broken the law and committed various torts. It took awhile for him to reconcile with his family, but he finally decided not to make them defendants in the lawsuit he intends to file.

Johnny remains outraged by what was done to him. He was assaulted, insulted, falsely imprisoned, dehumanized. He is determined to get justice. The idea of just forgetting about it is contrary to any sense of legitimate society or self respect.

I met with Johnny and his family. Nobody believes that what happened was OK. They are all horrified by the actions of the so-called "mental health system" and happy to tell anyone who asks to stay as far away from psychiatrists as they possibly can.

(To be continued...)