I attended a Reise hearing a few days ago. A Reise hearing is a court proceeding to obtain permission to give psych patients medication against their will. Essentially happens is an adult is stripped of the right to control what happens to his or her own body. It's a rather troubling thing to take responsibility for, despite the fact that the pt for this particular Reise hearing really did need treatment.
The ethical dilemma here is, how much of a right do people have to be psychotic. When their psychosis lands them in trouble of the law, then of course they get medicated up the wahzoo, but the subtext there is when they are disorganized enough to be a danger to themselves or other people, then they need medication. The problems lies in the fuzzy middle; which I felt like this patient belonged in.
There was also the issue of her public defender not really putting much effort into the Reise hearing. It was clear that he felt she was crazy, so he didn't try very hard. I take issue with that. I have to treat all patients to the best of my ability regardless of who they are, and so by the same logic, he should have to defend all clients with equal zeal. Of course, I understand that's not how medicine or law works, nevertheless, we don't have to purposely fall short.
3 comments:
Ahh the hearings. Another thing that made me crazy in psych. I lean toward the side of "Let them be crazy!"
Whereas I totally lean towards the side of "Lock them up (somewhere warm and safe) and throw away the key so they don't hassle me on the streets of Philadelphia." Even though, um, I don't live in Philadelphia anymore.
Hey, drop me an email. Davis' FP website says they only have 3 months of Q4...and lots of months no call. I find that extremely hard to believe. (My mom lives in Sac, so I'm looking.) Though I guess applications were due this week lol. Do they consider foreign grads?
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