Man went to hospital for psychological help, was imprisoned against his will

It doesn't matter how you come in. When you are under observation they can upgrade your status to a hold.

 

Well what happens if you end up in the hospital for another reason? Car crash or illness and have to stay in the hospital? Your life is on hold for the emergency. How does anyone survive?

 

I imagine they might often make things up to justify that hold.
And do so in such a way that it is impossible to prove they were lying. (Twisting or misrepresentation of words, a psychiatrist's opinion who only talked to the patient for one minute)

 

I see this as more of a problem inherent within a bureaucratic approach to medicine. Which, it should be noted, is the approach that goes along with socialized medicine. It appear this guy was diagnosed according to a check-box form and prescribed a treatment according to same- 'checkbox of suicidal thoughts = detain for safety'. No checkbox form is ever going to be able account for all the applicable diversities that exist from one individual patient to the next.

And ya, going to the ER where their primary, secondary and tertiary focusses are all 'just keep him alive' wasn't a smart move.

 

During those group therapy sessions they are watching the patients to see how they behave, and how the medicine is affecting them, and they talk to the doctor about it. They are up to date on the patients even though the doctor may only have a minute or two of face time with the patient.