Forced counseling?

Question

My wife is going to kill herself. I am as sure of this, as I am anything. She has suffered depression for her entire life beginning with sexual abuse, and being fueled by control issues and alcoholism. She has become a professional victim and does not feel at ease. Her life is a constant search for happiness that she will never achieve outside of her own mind.
In order to deal with her urges for suicide, she changes personalities from time to time. When changing personalities doesn't get her the change she wants, she leaves her life behind to start another one. This inevitably brings a new man into her life. The last time she went off, she needed a long period of love without expectation to make her comfortable in her own skin again. Now she's preparing to go again, but something is different. Her eyes are telling me that she didn't turn the lights on. She's left herself in the dark, because this isn't the last time she's going to change her life.

The last change is going to be the final one. She has made arrangements to be away from our children for the first time in her life. She, under careful questioning, has divulged that for the first time in her life that she has made no plans for the future following the leaving behind of the kids. I have expressed my concern to her clergy, her family, and a psychologist. The general consensus is that she has to stop herself, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Therefore, I am advised to pray for her sanity and her happiness.
It seems a bit odd to me that in our day of science that we pray for sanity, instead of searching for it with a professional. My question is this. Can I get a government agency to put my wife under lock and key until it can be officially determined that she poses no harm to herself?

Answer 1

Surely you can, well i hope so, my best friend killed himself on Monday night, he took an overdose.He suffered with paranoid schizophrenia for many years and had tried to kill himself many times. Each time his girlfriend felt he was going over the edge a little she would call his doctor and he would be admitted to hospital fer weeks at a time until they felt he was of no harm to himself any longer.
I think you really do need help with your situation , your wife sounds in so much inner torture.
I really feel for you and your family to have to go through such a thing and i think you must be a special kind of person to stand by your wife through all you have.
I urge you , speak to your wife's doctor and if he/she does nothing see the police maybe they can advise or help you.
My thoughts are with you , keep safe and Take care.
*hugs* xxx

Answer 2

You can't force your wife to take counseling or psychiatric treatment, but you can definitely suggest to her that it would be helpful for her to talk with a professional about her difficulties which seem to be overwhelming her. You can love her and care for her with every good intention - and you should - but you're not in a position to give her the objective help she apparently needs because you are emotionally too close to the situation.

Answer 3

You can call the local police and they will respond to your home to conduct an assessment of your wife and her suicidal ideations. If they have any doubt, they will ask her to go to the local hospital for a psychiatric assessment in the emergency room. If she fails to comply, they can forcibly escort her in the police car to a local hospital.

Good Luck and take care!!

Answer 4

Is she on any meds? Sounds like she needs serious medial attention. You may want to have her "unwillingly" committed until she can get herself under control before she does something she can't change.