“It is possible to force a hospitalization if your teen reaches a point where they are at risk of harming themselves or someone else.”Sometimes parents turn to the behavioral health hospital if nothing else has worked to get through to their teen. It is possible to force a hospitalization if your teen reaches a point where they are at risk of harming themselves or someone else. The parent calls 911 and states that their teen has threatened to kill themselves or to hurt someone else. The police come, along with an ambulance, and they are taken to the hospital, where they are usually placed on a 72-hour hold.
During a forced hospitalization, the staff can sometimes get through to the teen during those three days.Be prepared for some possible anger from your teen. They may say things like, “You think so little of me that you had me locked up in a mental hospital.” Do not let your teen shift the focus from their problems to your behavior.
To prepare, enlist the aid of a family therapist beforehand and think through what you are expecting and how you plan to handle your teen’s anger. Let your teen know that you sympathize with their resentment but that you are doing this because you love them. During the time that your teen is in the hospital, see if you can negotiate a plan for recovery once your teen comes home. The hospital staff can help with this. Try to make the plan very specific so that there is no room for misinterpretation once you get home. For example, see if your teen will agree to see a therapist once a week for six months. Do not back down. You did not go this far only to let things go back to the way they were.
“Let’s say you have some hard evidence to prove that you’re at least partially the cause of your child’s problems. Where will that get you now?”