Letter: A Foolish Mental Health Policy

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Sir: The Government's proposals to forcibly detain mental health patients who do not wish to take their medication are not just grossly illiberal but entirely counterproductive. I should know, having been through that very experience. Nearly two years ago, subsequent to a suicide attempt, I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and locked in a secure unit, the major justification for this being that I was not taking my medication. This was a conscious decision on my part, based on the fact that I had already taken a number of different medications, which I believed had contributed to my suicide attempt, and no longer trusted them or considered them effective. I considered …