Bipolar girl's mom needs help

[aunt-b]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

I have an 18 year-old niece that has been dealing with bipolar disorder for years. Up to recently, her mother was kept informed about her state by her daughter's doctor. However, now that she's 18 my sister can't talk to her daughter's doctor without her daughter’s consent, and anything she says to the doctor has to be disclosed to the daughter. This has complicated my sister's ability to understand, cope, and help her daughter, who still lives with her mother.

The latest problem she's seeing is that my niece has been skipping her meds so that she can drink alcohol. (She doesn't like the way mixing meds and alcohol makes her feel.) Right now she's in a manic state and my sister is very concerned with her behavior. It has gotten to the point where she thinks her daughter needs to be hospitalized, but she doesn't know her rights about doing so. She's even wondering about whether she can somehow get guardianship. They live in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

I'm asking on my sister's behalf because she doesn't want to discuss this sensitive topic online on her computer at work. I myself am bipolar, but my onset was as an adult, so I can’t help my sister with many of the issues she’s dealing with. What can she do, or where can she go, to get answers about how, and whether or not, she can get her daughter hospitalized or acquire guardianship?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[ecmst12]

Mom is always free to TELL things to daughter's doc. Doc just can't return the favor unless daughter signs a release. If she doesn't want to sign, that's her right.

Mom can't get guardianship unless a court would rule her incapable of caring for herself. Going off her meds so she can drink is a bad decision, but not nearly as bad as staying ON the meds and drinking.

 

[aunt-b]

Thank you for your response.

Do you think that my sister would be able to get her committed to a hospital if her daughter were arrested for her behavior, considering that it has already happened twice? (Though this happened while she was still under 18.)

 

[ErinGoBragh]

Thank you for your response.

Do you think that my sister would be able to get her committed to a hospital if her daughter were arrested for her behavior, considering that it has already happened twice? (Though this happened while she was still under 18.)

I don't believe this will go over. Daughter would have to be threatening her own life or the life of others.

 

[Hisbabygirl77]

I don't believe this will go over. Daughter would have to be threatening her own life or the life of others.

Actually, it would need to be that she will HARM herself or others.

 

[ErinGoBragh]

Actually, it would need to be that she will HARM herself or others.

The terminology I should have used was "a threat". It was a mere typo.

 

[Ohiogal]

Thank you for your response.

Do you think that my sister would be able to get her committed to a hospital if her daughter were arrested for her behavior, considering that it has already happened twice? (Though this happened while she was still under 18.)

If she is a danger to herself and others, mom needs to call the police and ask that they commit her to the psychiatric wing. They can do so for 72 hours.

 

[Ohiogal]

Actually, it would need to be that she will HARM herself or others.

She doesn't have to harm. She needs to threaten herself or others.

 

[Hisbabygirl77]

She doesn't have to harm. She needs to threaten herself or others.

That is what I meant. Other poster said threaten to kill I said harm. Meaning threaten to harm. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[ErinGoBragh]

That is what I meant. Other poster said threaten to kill I said harm. Meaning threaten to harm. Sorry for the confusion.

Threatening to kill IS generally what is meant. If I threaten to punch someone in the face, I will not be committed. But if I threaten to kill them? You betcha.

ETA: And before I get jumped on by HisBabyGirl again, please note the word "GENERALLY".

 

[Hisbabygirl77]

Threatening to kill IS generally what is meant. If I threaten to punch someone in the face, I will not be committed. But if I threaten to kill them? You betcha.

ETA: And before I get jumped on by HisBabyGirl again, please note the word "GENERALLY".

I wasnt jumping on you at all. Just correcting something that was misstated. Such as Ohiogal did with myself and I wasnt offended in the least.

If we want it worded excact so everyone is happy then here it is

(1) a
substantial risk of physical harm to self, (2) a substantial risk of physical harm to others,
or (3) a substantial and immediate risk of serious physical impairment or injury to self

 

[Ohiogal]

Threatening to kill IS generally what is meant. If I threaten to punch someone in the face, I will not be committed. But if I threaten to kill them? You betcha.

ETA: And before I get jumped on by HisBabyGirl again, please note the word "GENERALLY".

In Ohio threatening to cause harm will result in it due to the fact that the girl is bipolar and off her meds.

 

[aunt-b]

Thanks for the input, all of you. I'll pass the info on to my sister.

 

[slwx]

i'm not a legal expert

my son is 20. he's seen the same psychiatrist since he was 17. my son's doctor gets by this by letting me sit in on his appt's. i would be ok with not doing that if my son had something private he wanted to talk about.

it's very hard to get the commitment you're mentioning -- or guardianship. even if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others, they are usually released after a 72 hour observation period.

i know this because i go to several support sites for parents of mentally ill adults and it's the same story over & over.

personally, i would tell the doctor everything, be honest with my child that i was going to do it for her own good, and let the doctor disclose what he wanted to.

your sister may be able to get some good advice & support from nami.

good luck to your whole family.

 

[aunt-b]

Thanks to you all.

I'm passing a link to this thread on to my sister.

Aunt B.