Apparently, he was able to convince the doctor that he was "stable" by acting appropriately. He refused all mental health treatment and meds.

Oh, jesus, Cash. This is exactly what happened with my ex. How does a doctor who KNOWS he has schizophrenia get fooled by him acting stable, to let him leave alone without meds? I am outraged and scared on your behalf. How does a previously hospitalized schizophrenic patient get to refuse meds, anyway? That alone is proof that he isn't thinking straight. I hope you all can get him back into a hospital with no trauma!

This and this is the kind of stuff that happens when violent, paranoid schizophrenics are allowed to go off meds and not supervised.

I hate not being able to help him.

Zen, it was a different doctor in the in-patient unit. The doc in the out-patient unit diagnosed him 20 years ago and knows him. But they didn't bother to ask him.

The social worker admitted they would be seeing him again soon. IF they're lucky.

I'm so sorry Cash. I hope he gets treatment soon.

Cash, I'm SO sorry to hear that.

Ok, Erin's talk of Suzi and Kelly make me feel like I'm in the wrong place. I should be with her sipping wine.

Get in your car right NOW, missy, and you can be here in, um, 7 hours?

I'll save some wine for you!

Must go clean and make brownie now. Have been cleaning on and off for last 4 days, but the pet hair, it is eternal. I JUST MOPPED! Stop SHEDDING, GODDAMMIT.

How often do schizophrenics stop needing medication? I mean, should that even be a common consideration?

They don't really stop needing meds, no. Not entirely.

The problem is that they have the right to refuse medication--until they start acting crazy or hurt someone or themselves. Unless you can get a court order to force medication or hospitalization.

My brother refused his meds in prison. They allowed it. And then he went psychotic, put him in solitary confinement for three days and transferred him to a maximum security prison with a psysh ward. Even then I had to go there, wave medical power of attorney forms in the face of the psychiatrist and demand that they forcibly medicate my brother.

Then the stories should be about patients who decided to go off meds, not patients whose doctors decided to let them be unmedicated. That seems so unlikely, so risky.

Okay, this migraine is overwhelming me. I'm dizzy and nauseous and I'm going to my car. Fuck what I need to get accomplished this morning.

Good god, Cashmere, I'm so sorry. What a nightmare. Keeping all my fingers crossed that he can get treatment soon.