[brooke2k]

Yes, that did unfortunately happen in the history of psychiatry. I am talking about modern American psychiatric practices (say, the last 10-20 years).

If the proposition here is that mental health disorders are fabricated maliciously in order to sell more medication or enforce some sort of social order, then I don't see how the very rare court-ordered enforcement of short-term stays at psychiatric institutions could be the mechanism for that.

The vast majority of people in the US who receive psychiatric care do so voluntarily, because they experience real symptoms that really affect their life, for which they need real treatment.

[creata]

> The vast majority of people in the US who receive psychiatric care do so voluntarily

That's true, but that's not what the parent comment claimed. They didn't say a majority receive psychiatric care involuntarily, they said it's not hard to find examples who receive it involuntarily, and that's true. Lots of people are forced to take psychiatric medication right now, in developed countries including the US.

[amiga386]

> Lots of people are forced to take psychiatric medication right now, in developed countries including the US.

Just as an example, in the UK the verb "to section" is shorthand for "to commit to involuntary confinement in hospital under the legal authority of one or more sections of the Mental Health Act"

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/sec...

For example, you can be detained for up to 6 months under Section 3, if all four of these conditions are met:

1. you have a mental disorder

2. you need to be detained for your own health or safety or for the protection of other people

3. doctors agree that appropriate treatment is available for you

4. treatment can't be given unless you are detained in hospital