Median wrote:Also, despite what you guys are saying, those who are morbidly obese will probably eventually get to the point of having an emergency. Whether it is someone who has a heart attack or needs a heart transplant, or a diabetic who is unconscious, etc. If those who have emergencies from being too skinny have to receive physical and mental treatment, then if you're consistent, the same should apply to those who are morbidly obese.

Just as it happens, my father-in-law is obese, diabetic and has had heart surgery. The thing is, he's lived like that for the past twenty years since he retired. Sure, it's not an ideal state of affairs health-wise but, despite all the medical complications associated with it, he's not even close to being at the same risk as the sort of anorexic who would get sectioned, and that's pretty much the point I'm trying to make.

Now, that's one person and that doesn't constitute a study, but I'd be surprised if there are that many morbidly obese people who are genuinely at the same level of risk as anorexics whose condition is severe enough to be sectioned. Of course, those who are should be given appropriate medical treatment psychiatric or otherwise, but I maintain that the argument as first stated is flawed.

Median wrote:

MoonLit wrote:

Median wrote:

NineOneFour wrote:


Yeah, that doesn't happen.

Premise false.

Thread over.

With as much as I've brought that up, I would think if those who didn't self-harm weren't put in mental hospitals, someone would of said so way before you.

The only way they would be is if they were caught doing it, and even than they may just be sent to a regular hospital, go under a 48 hour evaluation and than sent back home.

Why would they have to get caught in the act? What if they weren't caught, but admit it?

Something tells me cutters don't normally walk up to a hospital and say "Hey, I'm depressed. Please send me to a special ward for treatment!".
And if they admit it, they may still not even go to the hospital. They can be told that they should go see help; but unless they actually try to kill themselves, there's nothing anyone else can do about it. It's done case by case basis; it's not black or white, clear cut.

Either way, it doesn't matter, someone who self-injuries can be put in a mental hospital against their will.

Can, but it doesn't happen all that much. It would have to be pretty damn severe injury. Sometimes just letting them stay home, with friends and family is better medicine than being stuck in a building with white walls and hospital gowns.

Going back to obesity. As others have stated, a person can be obese and yet still damn happy with themselves. Sticking someone like that into a treatment against their will is a great way to not only piss them off, but make them feel like shit. Rather counter productive.

Median wrote:If those who have emergencies from being too skinny have to receive physical and mental treatment, then if you're consistent, the same should apply to those who are morbidly obese.

No one is committed to treatment just being skinny or obese. Actually you are speaking of anorexics and food addicts. Even though you may see "consistency" in their physical appearances, their mental states are essentially different. An anorexic emaciates because she believes that she is too fat. She has a disordered sense of reality; that's her mental problem. And that's not the case with addicts. Have you ever heard of anybody obese who eats because she believes she's too skinny? No, addiction is not like that. Addicts may occasionally lie to themselves or make up some stupid explanations but generally they live in reality; they are not mentally disordered. That's the difference which makes the difference.

The majority of people who cut themselves or self harm in other ways do not have a mental illness and as such cannot be detained in a mental hospital.

Matt_B wrote:
Just as it happens, my father-in-law is obese, diabetic and has had heart surgery. The thing is, he's lived like that for the past twenty years since he retired. Sure, it's not an ideal state of affairs health-wise but, despite all the medical complications associated with it, he's not even close to being at the same risk as the sort of anorexic who would get sectioned, and that's pretty much the point I'm trying to make.

Now, that's one person and that doesn't constitute a study, but I'd be surprised if there are that many morbidly obese people who are genuinely at the same level of risk as anorexics whose condition is severe enough to be sectioned. Of course, those who are should be given appropriate medical treatment psychiatric or otherwise, but I maintain that the argument as first stated is flawed.

Yes, he's lived a long time because he got physical treatment. However, if someone who is starving themselves has a life threatening emergency they can't just go to a regular hospital and get an IV. They are also forced to into getting psych treatment. If someone has a life threatening emergency from eating too much (unconscious or whatever) they can just go to a regular hospital for treatment and psych treatment is not mandatory. They are both in life threatening emergencies, so saying the difference is one of emergency doesn't make sense.

Rilx wrote:

Median wrote:If those who have emergencies from being too skinny have to receive physical and mental treatment, then if you're consistent, the same should apply to those who are morbidly obese.

No one is committed to treatment just being skinny or obese. Actually you are speaking of anorexics and food addicts. Even though you may see "consistency" in their physical appearances, their mental states are essentially different. An anorexic emaciates because she believes that she is too fat. She has a disordered sense of reality; that's her mental problem. And that's not the case with addicts. Have you ever heard of anybody obese who eats because she believes she's too skinny? No, addiction is not like that. Addicts may occasionally lie to themselves or make up some stupid explanations but generally they live in reality; they are not mentally disordered. That's the difference which makes the difference.

Someone here already agreed that mental illness fuels obesity. So while an anorexic may have a disordered sense of reality concerning what is fat, the top morbidly obese have a disordered sense of self-worth (e.g. depression) or some kind of emotional problem that leads to extreme "emotional eating" or BED.

As I said, sex addicts are considered mentally ill, so for the same reason, someone who can't control themselves when it comes to food should be considered mentally ill as well if it is causing significant problems with their life.

Median, I think you're in danger of defining almost anything outside normal behaviour as a mental illness. This isn't good. As well as being a means of social control much used in totalitarian states it belittles the difficulties faced by people with real mental illnesses.

Re your claim that anorexics are forced into "psych treatment" - what form do you think this treatment takes? You can't helpfully compel someone to undergo psychological therapies because they only work if the person buys into the process and makes them work.

Median wrote:Yes, he's lived a long time because he got physical treatment. However, if someone who is starving themselves has a life threatening emergency they can't just go to a regular hospital and get an IV. They are also forced to into getting psych treatment. If someone has a life threatening emergency from eating too much (unconscious or whatever) they can just go to a regular hospital for treatment and psych treatment is not mandatory. They are both in life threatening emergencies, so saying the difference is one of emergency doesn't make sense.

That's simply not the case. If, after receiving emergency medical treatment, an anorexic is fit enough to leave hospital they're free to go. It's only in cases where potentially life-saving treatment is refused that sectioning would be considered; it really is a means of last resort, and often comes too late to save many people as it is.

logical bob wrote:Median, I think you're in danger of defining almost anything outside normal behaviour as a mental illness. This isn't good. As well as being a means of social control much used in totalitarian states it belittles the difficulties faced by people with real mental illnesses.

Re your claim that anorexics are forced into "psych treatment" - what form do you think this treatment takes? You can't helpfully compel someone to undergo psychological therapies because they only work if the person buys into the process and makes them work.

No, I'm just following the current logic of people in psychology. They say toddlers who cry a lot are mentally ill, people who have too much sex are mentally ill, people who eat too little are mentally ill etc. So if you're consistent, those who eat too much should also have a point where they are considered mentally ill. That is not a step forward in considering everyone who is not normal as mentally ill, it's just following the same logic that people in psychology have been using for years.

I don't know what form of treatment anorexics receive. I would think therapy, I don't know, but they and are forced to receive psych treatment or else they wouldn't be forced in a mental hospital.

Matt_B wrote:

Median wrote:Yes, he's lived a long time because he got physical treatment. However, if someone who is starving themselves has a life threatening emergency they can't just go to a regular hospital and get an IV. They are also forced to into getting psych treatment. If someone has a life threatening emergency from eating too much (unconscious or whatever) they can just go to a regular hospital for treatment and psych treatment is not mandatory. They are both in life threatening emergencies, so saying the difference is one of emergency doesn't make sense.

That's simply not the case. If, after receiving emergency medical treatment, an anorexic is fit enough to leave hospital they're free to go. It's only in cases where potentially life-saving treatment is refused that sectioning would be considered; it really is a means of last resort, and often comes too late to save many people as it is.

So anorexics can eat as little as they want until they die, just as long as they follow the doctors advice such as taking a pill or getting an IV? Just like the morbidly obese can eat as much as they want until they die, just as long as they follow the doctors advice to get a heart transplant and take pills?

Median wrote: They say toddlers who cry a lot are mentally ill,

Who are they and what exactly do they say?

people who have too much sex are mentally ill

Who are they and what exactly do they say?

people who eat too little are mentally il

Erm, you've been corrected on this a few times now.

So if you're consistent, those who eat too much should also have a point where they are considered mentally ill. That is not a step forward in considering everyone who is not normal as mentally ill, it's just following the same logic that people in psychology have been using for years.

Only if you simplify, strawman and removal all nuance from what they're actually saying. See above.

Median wrote:So anorexics can eat as little as they want until they die, just as long as they follow the doctors advice such as taking a pill or getting an IV? Just like the morbidly obese can eat as much as they want until they die, just as long as they follow the doctors advice to get a heart transplant and take pills?

That's more or less the case. About the only caveat would be that anorexics who refuse to eat whilst hospitalized could be counted as refusing treatment. Still, so long as they don't mind temporarily putting on a few pounds, they'd be allowed to lose it again when no longer under medical supervision, regardless of the likely consequences. You certainly don't have to look hard to find stories from people who have done precisely that in order to escape psychiatric treatment.

This whole thread dances around one salient point. Medical danger =/= psychiatric danger. People are sent to psych wards psychiatric pathologies, not medical ones, even if the medical pathology is caused by a person's action. The ultimate question is, are the actions being caused by a psychiatric problem? If so, then it's because of the psychiatric problem that they are sent to a mental ward.

TLDR: People are sent to psychiatric wards for psychiatric reasons.