Meth Addiction & Recovery Support Group

I think you can have someone involuntarily committed if they are going to harm themselves or others (but doesn't that what all addicts do?) but it is only for 72 hours and what do you do at hour 73?
If at that point he is willing to go to a treatment or mental hospital then maybe he could be helped.
Maybe check with your local hospital or police department and see what the criteria are.
I am sorry for your troubles. No fun dealing with someone who is so messed up.

Thanks bailbird. That has been my problem all these years. He really doesn't think he has a problem. Unfortunately that is the nature of some mental illnesses. He feels that I have had himn put in jail each time, and says he will kill me if I do that again. He is now in jail and feels I put him there. I am working with some agencies here, but have been for the past 20 years. All the authorities, judges, etc do is give him jail time and anger management. Very frustrating. I appreciate your kind words.

Have you tried getting in touch with a mental health advocate? Try calling your local MHMR in your County. Maybe they can reach him while he is in jail. If he is in jail and has been evaluated then they should be treating him. If not, then a mental health advocate can get MHMR eval while in jail to see where to go from there. We are in this process right now. It is hard to deal with these children. My daughter can be so sweet one minute and just turn into a crazy person within seconds for no real reason. Is he a drug user? You have listed in Meth recovery but did not mention if he has a drug history. Has he ever been seen while in lock up by a psychiatrist? My daughter is in lock up right now. She is clean but her mood swings are driving any one around her nuts. He needs help and probably won't ask for it in jail. Drugs are taking away his ability to rationalize. You can contact me anytime you need to talk. I don't have the answers because I am a work in progress with my own child, but I am here to listen and try and help. www.kci.org had some really great Q&A and I found alot of information there. My daughter has ADD, borderline personality disorder & bipolar II. Plus add on a history of major drug abuse w/meth and anything else (except heroine). Is he a dual diagnosis? God bless and take care.

Thanks Bremcac for your reply. The problem is that my son has never been diagnosed, except when he was 13 with conduct disorder and adhd (then it was hyperactivity). He doesn't think he has a problem, and you can't force an adult to be evaluated and diagnosed or get help! I have tried over many years to support him and encourage him, thinking he was just depressed. When he was little, I was told by my mother and grandmother to "just love him more", and "if I would give him his way, he wouldn't be that way." That just prepetuated the problem, because he learned then to pitch a fit and become abusive to get what he wanted. I am just now realizing the basic problem isn't drugs, or depression, or whatever. They are only symptoms of a problem he has had since a child. Now, him being an adult, I am unable to do anything without his permission. All he wants is for me to let him live with me, me support him financially, allow his drug using friends to come and "flop" here, let him use my car (he hasn't had liscense in 15 yrs). and If I don't allow him to do all this, he starts begging, then nagging, then calling me names and telling me all my faults, then threatening to kill me and the whole family. The only time I (and the family) have had any peace is when he was in jail. When he comes out he is more hardened and angry. No answers. Thanks again for being so kind, please keep us in your prayers.

Bremcac, yes, he has an extensive history with drug use, beginning age 13 and pot. He has never admitted using meth, but many of his "friends" and ex-girlfriends have admitted it. He is cold and hard. His arraignment is Tues, and my daughters and ex have agreed to sign a petition/letter to take requesting he be evaluated and institutionalized. That may push him over the line with his violence when he gets out if they don't help him. I have been preparing myself that he, or I may not come out of this alive. I am a member of a blogging site called Websleuths.com who have great skills at investigating crimes, some attys and law enforcement part of that group. They have also given me some good info I will pass on to you.Quite lengthy, but maybe it will help with your situation. You can contact me anytime to talk and compare notes. thanks again.
involuntary committment is not an easy process anywhere. In GA, as in most states, the probate court has jurisdiction.

"Court" means:

(A) In the case of an individual who is 17 years of age or older, the probate court of the county of residence of the patient or the county in which such patient is found. "

"(13) "Patient" means any mentally ill person who seeks treatment under this chapter or any person for whom such treatment is sought."

Georgia Code O.C.G.A. § 37-3-40

"allows state and private hospitals to be designated as emergency receiving facilities. An involuntary admission to such a center requires either a physician's certificate issued after an examination or a court order based on such a certificate or the affidavits of at least two persons attesting that they observed the irrational behavior of the person to be taken into custody within the preceding forty-eight hours.Ga. Code Ann. § 37-3-41. Once admitted, the patient must be examined within twenty-four hours and released unless she shows signs of mental illness or is under criminal charges. Ga. Code Ann. § 37-3-43. The facility must give the patient notice of her right to petition for a writ of habeas corpus and her right to legal counsel. Ga. Code Ann. § 37-3-44. Court-ordered evaluations are also permitted upon application by any person, but a hearing must be held and notice given to the patient, who has a right to counsel. Ga. Code Ann. §§ 37-3-61, -62.

This is a section of the law which sets out the process using the dr to make a medical determination:

"
TITLE 37. MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 3. EXAMINATION, TREATMENT, ETC., FOR MENTAL ILLNESS
ARTICLE 3. EXAMINATION, HOSPITALIZATION, AND TREATMENT OF INVOLUNTARY PATIENTS
PART 1. EMERGENCY RECEIVING FACILITIES FOR EXAMINATION OF PERSONS APPREHENDED PURSUANT TO PHYSICIAN'S CERTIFICATE, COURT ORDER, ETC.
Go to the Georgia Code Archive Directory

O.C.G.A. § 37-3-41 (2009)

§ 37-3-41. Emergency admission based on physician's certification or court order; report by apprehending officer; entry of treatment order into patient's clinical record; authority of other personnel to act under statute

(a) Any physician within this state may execute a certificate stating that he has personally examined a person within the preceding 48 hours and found that, based upon observations set forth in the certificate, the person appears to be a mentally ill person requiring involuntary treatment. A physician's certificate shall expire seven days after it is executed. Any peace officer, within 72 hours after receiving such certificate, shall make diligent efforts to take into custody the person named in the certificate and to deliver him forthwith to the nearest available emergency receiving facility serving the county in which the patient is found, where he shall be received for examination.
(b) The appropriate court of the county in which a person may be found may issue an order commanding any peace officer to take such person into custody and deliver him forthwith for examination, either to the nearest available emergency receiving facility serving the county in which the patient is found, where such person shall be received for examination, or to a physician who has agreed to examine such patient and who will provide, where appropriate, a certificate pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section to permit delivery of such patient to an emergency receiving facility pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section. Such order may only be issued if based either upon an unexpired physician's certificate, as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section, or upon the affidavits of at least two persons who attest that, within the preceding 48 hours, they have seen the person to be taken into custody and that, based upon observations contained in their affidavit, they have reason to believe such person is a mentally ill person requiring involuntary treatment. The court order shall expire seven days after it is executed.

(c) Any peace officer taking into custody and delivering for examination a person, as authorized by subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, shall execute a written report detailing the circumstances under which such person was taken into custody. The report and either the physician's certificate or court order authorizing such taking into custody shall be made a part of the patient's clinical record.

(d) Any psychologist, clinical social worker, or clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health may perform any act specified by this Code section to be performed by a physician. Any reference in any part of this chapter to a physician acting under this Code section shall be deemed to refer equally to a psychologist , a clinical social worker, or a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health acting under this Code section. For purposes of this subsection, the term "psychologist" means any person authorized under the laws of this state to practice as a licensed psychologist, the term "clinical social worker" means any person authorized under the laws of this state to practice as a licensed clinical social worker, and the term "clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health" means any person authorized under the laws of this state to practice as a registered professional nurse and who is recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing to be engaged in advanced nursing practice as a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health.


You may also wish to contact a mental health organization or provider. I am not sure how helpful they will be as they are often committed to the rights of the mentally ill and are generally not anxious to become involved in committment proceedings. Here is a link to Georgia resources:
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publi.../georgia01.asp

I also noticed that Georgia has something called a Mental Health Court. I don't know the regions where it is active nor what it's jurisdiciton is but you may want to look into it also.

http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/do...neral_info.pdf


"Outpatient Commitment Criteria
§ 37-3-81.1(2)

Court may order IOC for "outpatient" if the court determines that there is such available outpatient treatment which the patient will likely obtain so as to minimize the likelihood of the patient's becoming an inpatient.


"Outpatient" is a person who is mentally ill, and


(A) who is not an inpatient but who, based on the person's treatment history or current mental status, will require outpatient treatment in order to avoid predictably and imminently becoming an inpatient;


(B) who because of the person's current mental status, mental history or nature of the person's mental illness is unable voluntarily to seek or comply with outpatient treatment; and


(C) who is in need of involuntary treatment.


Comparison with Inpatient Criteria

Court may commit a person with mental illness who


(A)(i) presents a substantial risk of imminent harm to self or others as manifested by either recent overt or recent expressed threats of violence or
(ii) is so unable to care for that person's own physical health and safety as to create an imminently life-endangering crisis; and
(B) is in need of involuntary inpatient treatment.

Consequences of Non-Compliance with Outpatient Commitment Order
§ 37-3-82


(b) If the patient fails without good cause or refuses to comply with the outpatient service plan, the physician or psychologist in charge of the outpatient service plan may petition the court originally approving the involuntary treatment of the patient for an order authorizing a peace officer to take the patient and immediately deliver the patient to the community mental health center in charge (for up to 4 hours) or to the nearest emergency receiving facility serving the county in which the patient is found (for up to 48 hours) for examination and treatment.


...

(d) If a person is detained as an inpatient under this section, the outpatient commitment order remains in effect upon their release unless the court orders otherwise.


Other Important Citations

Outpatient treatment, defined.


§ 37-3-93


Court order for outpatient commitment; commitment limited to one year, unless another hearing is held.


§ 37-3-81.1 Disposition of patient upon hearing.


§ 37-3-90


Certification of need for involuntary care."

http://www.bazelon.org/issues/commit...html#statedefs

Wow that was alot to read! :)
Yes I understand it is so hard to get them help. Yes he has to want it. I do feel for you and your family. I hope you can be safe. My daughter started cocaine at age 12. She is a prostitute, stripper, thief. Anything she can do to get her next fix. I will keep you in my prayers. Please don't let him come home. I worry for your safety and his own child. Drugs don't let them make rational choices. Can you get a restraining order? God bless and be safe.

It sounds like you have hour hands full too. I definitely won't let him come back. He will probably do lots of jail time, due to the threats he made to the officer and his family. I talked to the probate office this morning, they said to involuntarily commit him drugs and alcohol cannot be involved. When he gets out, he should be clean, then we can take that route. Thanks for your advice. Good look to you and your daughter. it seems there is an epidemic of problems like our families have. You both will be in my prayers too.

You can get an involentary commitment for up to 90 days all you have to do is show a judge that your son poses a threat to himself or others