Sunday, January 29, 2017

What's In Committed? So Glad You Asked....


It's Sunday night, so I'm hopeful that our new president is watching TV and not signing any new executive orders that re-shape our democracy.  Seems like a good time to tell readers a little more about Committed, and what better way then by posting the Table of Contents?  Each chapter focuses on a story, and the tales of the two patients weave their way throughout the discussion of a variety of issues.  Okay, so the topics might be boring to everyone but the most interested of readers, but we hoped that by focusing on people, that it would make this important and controversial topic more approachable.  Psychiatry? Yes, but perhaps more so ethics and patient rights.  

In a review in Psychiatric Times last week, Dr. Mark Komrad wrote:


Drs. Dinah Miller and Annette Hanson, both seasoned clinicians who have worked in a diverse range of settings, have produced one of the most important and readable contributions to this discussion that I have encountered. This is actually a book on psychiatric ethics, but it is presented in a disarming, journalistic style. The ethical tensions with which this issue is loaded are unpacked in a clear, accessible way, articulating not just the questions, but also offering sensible and realistic conclusions.

Ah, but I promised the Table of Contents, so if you'll forgive the funky colors,  pasted below:

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© 2016 The Johns Hopkins University Press

Foreword by Pete Earley
Before We Get Started 

 Part 1 THE PATIENTS 
1 Eleanor and the Case against Involuntary Hospitalization 
2 Lily and the Case for Civil Commitment 
Part 2 THE BATTLEGROUND 
3 In Favor of Involuntary Treatments 
E. Fuller Torrey and the Treatment Advocacy Center ; Ronald Honberg and the National Alliance on Mental Illness; Paul Summergrad and the American Psychiatric Association ;
4 Against Involuntary Treatments 
Citizens Commission on Human Rights; Celia Brown, Janet Foner, and MindFreedom International ; Daniel Fisher and the National Empowerment Center ; Ira Burnim and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law 
Part 3  CIVIL RIGHTS 
5 Eleanor, Lily, and the Process of Civil Commitment 
6 Christina Schumacher and the History of Civil Commitment Laws 
Part 4  THE HOSPITAL 
7 Scott Davis on Law Enforcement and Crisis Intervention Teams
8 Leonard Skivorski and the Emergency Department
9 Eleanor’s Hospital Experience
10 Ray DePaulo and Inpatient Psychiatry at a University Hospital 
11 Steven Sharfstein, Bruce Hershfield, and Free-Standing Psychiatric Hospitals 
12 Annette Hanson and the Use of Seclusion and Restraint 
13 Anthony Kelly and Involuntary Medications
14 Jim and Involuntary Electroconvulsive Therapy
Part 5 INVOLUNTARY OUTPATIENT COMMITMENT 
15 Marsha and Outpatient Civil Commitment
16 Outpatient Commitment on the Books 
17 Jack Lesser and Mental Health Courts
Part 6   A DANGER TO SELF OR OTHERS 
18 Dan, Guns, and Mental Illness
19 Bryan Stanley, Violence, and Psychiatric Illness 
20 Amy and Involuntary Treatment for Suicide Prevention 
21 Will Forcing Treatment on People with Psychiatric Disorders Prevent Mass Murders?
Part 7. FUTURE DIRECTIONS 
22 Transforming the Battleground
 

4 comments:

Don Edmonds said...

Will this information help us in any way to get Donald Trump committed?

In our state, I am more concerned about the people who are not committed and who have no social safety net to keep them from neglecting themselves.

Anonymous said...

May I comment from a formerly hospitalized patient's perspective?

I read this book in its entirety today and found it captivating and disturbing. As a bipolar individual, and not being cognizant of some of the circumstances surrounding prior hospitalizations due to sedation, I now suspect that some admissions were involuntary although I never even considered the possibility until now; I signed whatever they placed in front of me. On two occasions, transport was provided by law enforcement...no handcuffs, thankfully, but I was cooperative and afraid to cause problems. The police were very kind, soft-spoken, and respectful. I thanked them quietly for driving me. And, even though I live in a small town, my right to privacy was never violated to my knowledge.

My experiences in psychiatric hospitals have been largely positive. The facilities to which I was transported were top-notch and the staff professional though not inclined to answer questions. The hospital environment served its purpose in protecting me during unbearable stress; nevertheless, I found the activities utterly meaningless and lacking in any educational content. At one facility, I was privileged to engage in a single 10-minute conversation over a 5-day admission with a psychiatrist in the "day room," with other patients surrounding us within hearing distance and a TV set blaring. The physical exam consisted of vital signs recorded by a PA. This book brought these things into sharp focus.

My above rambling here is somewhat cathartic for me, though probably boring to all you professionals. I'm grateful for all you do in caring for people who are broken and indescribably sad.

Anonymous said...

May I comment from a formerly hospitalized patient's perspective?

I read this book in its entirety today and found it captivating and disturbing. As a bipolar individual, and not being cognizant of some of the circumstances surrounding prior hospitalizations due to sedation, I now suspect that some admissions were involuntary although I never even considered the possibility until now; I signed whatever they placed in front of me. On two occasions, transport was provided by law enforcement...no handcuffs, thankfully, but I was cooperative and afraid to cause problems. The police were very kind, soft-spoken, and respectful. I thanked them quietly for driving me. And, even though I live in a small town, my right to privacy was never violated to my knowledge.

My experiences in psychiatric hospitals have been largely positive. The facilities to which I was transported were top-notch and the staff professional though not inclined to answer questions. The hospital environment served its purpose in protecting me during unbearable stress; nevertheless, I found the activities utterly meaningless and lacking in any educational content. At one facility, I was privileged to engage in a single 10-minute conversation over a 5-day admission with a psychiatrist in the "day room," with other patients surrounding us within hearing distance and a TV set blaring. The physical exam consisted of vital signs recorded by a PA. This book brought these things into sharp focus.

My above rambling here is somewhat cathartic for me, though probably boring to all you professionals. I'm grateful for all you do in caring for people who are broken and indescribably sad.

Dinah said...

Dear Anon --
No your thoughts are not boring! Thank you for sharing them with us. If there was no hearing (I imagine you're remember that) then you were not committed. I'm glad you found the book captivating; "disturbing" well, it's a disturbing topic and when people tell me they've bought the book I've had to stop myself from saying "I hope you enjoy it" because it's meant to be captivating, not enjoyable. If it's not too much trouble, I'd love it if you could copy and paste your comment to Amazon's review section:
https://www.amazon.com/Committed-Battle-over-Involuntary-Psychiatric/dp/1421420783/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.
Dinah