patyc8ks31
03-27-2006, 10:37 PM
My brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 5 years ago. We have been on a never-ending roller coaster ride since then.
Currently, he is a missing man. He is 26 years-old, and refuses to take meds. This morning, the police called my family asking if we had heard from him. Apparently, he left his roommate's home with his pain medications and left a suicide note. It has now been about 18 hours since anyone has seen or heard from him, we have been told that it is way too early to file a missing person's report. We are very worried.
If he is found, and he is okay, he will be baker-acted. However, the downfall of that is that it's only a 72-hour observation, and then he's back out on the streets, threatening to kill himself again. What can we do to keep him in a facility longer? We know that the right meds will give him a better outlook on his life, but we can't physically force him to take pills. What I need to know is, what CAN we do? What are our options? They have interventions for drug abusers and alcoholics, but I have never heard of an intervention for someone with a mental-health related problem. We would love to put him in a treatment facility that will work with him over a longer period of time and give him the opportunity to find medications that work for him.
Please let me know your thoughts, opinions, concerns, etc. We are new to this new scenario (the runaway side of the disorder) and are feeling helpless and lost.
Thanks!
Currently, he is a missing man. He is 26 years-old, and refuses to take meds. This morning, the police called my family asking if we had heard from him. Apparently, he left his roommate's home with his pain medications and left a suicide note. It has now been about 18 hours since anyone has seen or heard from him, we have been told that it is way too early to file a missing person's report. We are very worried.
If he is found, and he is okay, he will be baker-acted. However, the downfall of that is that it's only a 72-hour observation, and then he's back out on the streets, threatening to kill himself again. What can we do to keep him in a facility longer? We know that the right meds will give him a better outlook on his life, but we can't physically force him to take pills. What I need to know is, what CAN we do? What are our options? They have interventions for drug abusers and alcoholics, but I have never heard of an intervention for someone with a mental-health related problem. We would love to put him in a treatment facility that will work with him over a longer period of time and give him the opportunity to find medications that work for him.
Please let me know your thoughts, opinions, concerns, etc. We are new to this new scenario (the runaway side of the disorder) and are feeling helpless and lost.
Thanks!