Hi. I’m near here but desperately need help. My 43 year old daughter was a drug addict for 10 years from her 20s through her 30s. The last couple of years she used meth and lost her two children to their father. She became pregnant with another daughter who is now six and has been growing increasingly paranoid. My mother had post partum psychosis and later diagnosed with schizophrenia. My granddaughter is showing signs of anxiety. She chewed off a piece of her hair scrunchy because she thought there might be a tracker I. It. My daughter is now nailing shut her windows. And talking about MKultra I think it’s time to do emergency custody and/ or involuntary treatment but my husband is worried she will commit suicide. I’m so alone and don’t know where to go for advice.
I’m sorry that you are in such a stressful position. Would your husband consider meeting with you and a psychiatrist to discuss options? This helped us a good deal when we were at a loss on how to proceed.
I’m so sorry you and your family are experiencing this situation. First, do you know the involuntary commitment law in your state (the state where she is located)? You need to know if your daughter meets that criteria. The Treatment Advocacy Center is a good place for resources and you can drill down to your state to look up the law in your state. Schizophrenia and Psychosis Resource Center - TAC
I’m not sure what you mean when you say emergency custody. Are you talking about emergency guardianship? That could be helpful but it still will be a process to get your daughter into treatment unless she is willing or you are in a state/locality that utilizes a declining condition as reason for involuntary commitment. I am presuming that she is in this current condition because she doesn’t think she is sick or need help? Is that right? If you obtain legal guardian ship, what would you do? Would she come to live with you? Or would you seek involuntary treatment at that point? It can be very complicated with this very challenging illness. But give us some more info so this community can offer ideas and encouragement.
Thank you for your response. I’m sorry it wasn’t very clear. Here in Ohio we cannot arrange for involuntary admission, unless the person has threatened to harm him or herself or someone else. As of now my daughter has not threatened suicide or threaten to harm anyone else. I don’t know if I included in my original message that she sent a text to one of her clients referring to a gun that she had and that she would use it, but my daughter claimed she never sent the text. I checked the website you sent to me and by the way, thank you very much for sending. It did confirm what I had been told that only a police officer, sheriff, mental health professional can submit a court order to admit her for evaluation, but again also according to Ohio law, she would need to have threatened to harm herself or someone else.
In Ohio, we can’t file what’s called an emergency custody with the court in order to have temporary custody of my granddaughter, hopefully to coincide with the time in which my daughter would be taken involuntarily to a mental health facility. But again, I’m in a waiting game. Alternatively, I could file emergency custody based on my daughter, no longer having a job and not being able to support her as well as noting the condition of her home. However, my husband is concerned that she will commit suicide if she is alone. Then it becomes a risk. I spoke to Angie‘s therapist and she suggested that she tell Angie that I contacted her and expressed my concern with her behavior. Angie has never told the therapist about her delusions and her hope is that this will open the door. My concern is that she will not allow me to see my granddaughter after she tells her this. I just can’t figure out what to do. I’m so distraught. I pray every day for an answer. I welcome everyone’s wisdom on this issue. Maybe God will talk through this forum.
This is why I think you and your husband need to sit down with a psychiatrist and weigh out your options and come to a decision that you can both live with going forward. You can save the child, who is clearly being affected by her mother’s issues OR you can continue as you are doing and let the child’s life be ruined for the sake of worrying about what your daughter will do based on your actions. As parents, we rarely have easy decisions to make in this forum. You and your husband need a third party’s input - not your daughter’s therapist or psychiatrist. Right now, it does look as though SOMEONE needs to place your granddaughter’s interest first. Her mother can’t do it, if you can’t do it either, let Child Protective Services do it and take the risk of an unknown home.
involuntary treatment is the way to go. Once you file paper work through a lawyer, she will be picked up by an emerygy Ambulance & takinh to Physciatrist Hospital and treatment will start immediately, she will not have the chance to commit suicide. I have file an order for involuntary treatment 10 year ago to save my son. it has been a long rocky road and very challenging at time, but I am glad I did.
Now my son is taking Clozapine and a monthly Invega shot and doing much better than before. we are still working on getting to a stable dose of Clozapine and I feel he will get there.. Voices hearing are less.
DO not be afraid! do what is needed for your Daughter and ypur grandDaughter. they need help and only you and your husband can help them. Best of luck. praying for you and your family.