The laws have been constructed such that if their psychotic symptomology ends while institionalized, they are released on medications...the patients stops taking the meds and the symptoms reoccur. Hence the descriptive term among staff at those institutions as the patient being a “frequent flyer”...
The psychiatrists and the legal officials and the public has to realize that chronic relapsers are in a different class of disease process and may need to be institutionalized for much longer periods...there need to be safeguards against political oppression using faked mental disease charges, however.
The “frequent flyers” are as much a threat as the 9-11-01 flyer/hijackers.
Declaring that “eloped” patients have determined that their treatment has ended (and therefore are free to do whatever the he# they wish) is literally allowing the inmates to run the asylum.
It’s a cycle. Take the medication, feel pretty good, stop taking it because you think you don’t need it anymore, end up right back at the hospital. Might happen quickly or over some time.
And you just can't throw someone into a mental hospital, they have to exhibit symptoms that they are a danger to others or themselves.
Back in the 80's a close friend's brother was diagnosed as schizophrenic. He was a Vietnam vet, graduate of Univ. of Mich. and a successful executive recruiter. He eventually lost his wife, lost his house and lost his business. Throughout the summer he was living on a beach in northern Michigan while my friend tried to get him institutionalized.
The local judge, who was a friend of the family, couldn't do anything until fall came, threatening winter, that the judge could deem the brother a danger to himself due to the weather.
So he was placed in the state mental hospital for several weeks and put on drugs that stabilized him and he was released.
Those drugs are awful, they turn the patient into a zombie. While under the watchful eye of a social worker, the only j0bs he held was a grocery packer at a local market then a phone receptionist for a friend who had a real estate business. But like you said, if they stop taking their meds, which they are prone to, the cycle is repeated.
I live outside of Detroit as does my friend. one Thursday I received a phone call at work from the brother who said he was driving down to Detroit because he had an appointment with the French embassy the next day and needed a place to spend the night.
I said sure then immediately called my friend who said he would come to my house that evening. Sure enough, the brother showed up and the three of had pizza. The next morning I left work work leaving the brother at my place and when I got home from work, the brother was gone. Headed back up north I suspect.
When he was first developing the disease, which no one was aware of, he had visions of building a manufacturing business up north and was able to convince a couple of friends into investing in it. It never came to pass and he was never able to repay the monies he had borrowed.
Schizophrenia is a horrible disease, not only for the individual but their families and friends they are associated with.
[[The psychiatrists and the legal officials and the public has to realize that chronic relapsers are in a different class of disease process and may need to be institutionalized for much longer periods...]]
Sadly bleeding heart liberals think that Institutionalizing severely disturbed Individuals is “cruel” and “unfair”, and they blame folks who are concerned of stigmatizing” mental patients.
Heck, they are keeping the border open allowing in who knows how many severely sick psychotic people who’s country encourages them to invade America