will I be forced to go to a facility if I tell someone

[DeCreate]

At my university I can get counseling for free as a student, so I've been going to someone. She's not someone that I feel a really GREAT connection with as a therapist, but she's better than nothing, and I don't have money to "shop around." I've been seeing her for a few months, and have mentioned some depression and anxiety, but mostly I just talk about what's going on with my life. For whatever reason, I just don't feel like she's the type of person who could understand the thoughts I have. I don't say that in a condescending way, just recognition that different people are on different wavelengths sometimes.

Anyway, the depression has flared up really badly again the past few weeks. I feel awful. I can't kill myself because I have kids. But it is torture dragging myself through my days, and I think about escaping every single day.

So tomorrow is my appointment with the counselor, and I'm wondering... if I tell her I feel suicidal, will she call the police and force me to go to a mental health facility to get shot up with drugs? My best friend's husband had that happen to him--he was taken against his will, I can't remember how long. It was a surprise--he just went in to talk with someone about his situational stress around finishing his PhD dissertation, and ended up being forced into a facility. It was, of course, traumatizing and frightening. Thankfully they let him go home eventually. But I can't have that happen to me... Is that the kind of thing that counselors are required to do?

[oak]

I cant speak to the laws in your area, but consider that everyone at work is above all trying to cya.

Now if you are considering suicide, i hope you do seek help. How you do it is up to you. Around here we have 211, which could a good first step for you.

[walklikeanegyptian]

Hey, Oak!

Why don't you ask your therapist, like: "I want to talk about my feelings here, but I need your solemn promise that you are going to respect that these are just feelings, and I have no intention of acting on them. I am here because I am committed to helping myself, and not acting on my feelings. I need your promise, or I will go somewhere else (even if you know you won't)." Make her promise.

My guess is that you definitely need meds to take the edge off. Believe me, they will help A LOT! You don't have to do a big cocktail of something, just something that will help you through this time.

[Cinnamon]

It sounds lame but call a suicide hotline and tell them - they have actual training in how to answer this question and I would just be guessing AND they can talk to the real issue - that you need someone to talk to about this and right now.
It is such a stupid part of life that the time you are most in need of therapy is when you feel too overwhelmed to do the work of finding a good one who is available, and takes your insurance, etc
As to being hospitalized - my very good friend threatened suicide I think...well, when his mom died, and we got the calls she was pronounced dead literally as we walked in the ER door after hearing she was taken, the Dr took him back to see the body and whatever he said, the doctor wanted to hold him on a suicide watch overnight. Was pretty adamant and I don't know what he said, mind you, but finally we persuaded the doctor I would stay for 24 hours and call if at all concerned or scared he would act on 911 AND of course, be totally vigilant. I loved the guy so I did because being hospitalized the night his mom died? trauma. And yet I totally was panicking inside that I couldn't be able to stop him if he was serious and what would I do? how would I live with myself?

It is a damned awful conundrum to help without doing harm when confronted by the reality that hospitalization might occur.
that years later, I felt when he again was suicidal and I almost called and almost called over the span of a few days...and wouldn't because I remembered he had fought being forced to treatment then and I was afraid they would do that to him....It is a damned awful spot you are in but a damned burden to place on someone else to have to live with that potential of being wrong.
I don't know your friends story with the PhD but I do know you hear people say, if so and so hadn't hospitalized me...
some is cya and some is required - its not all lazy people passing the buck. in some states, it is the law and they can lose their license if they don't report AND if they take you seriously, then of course, they would prefer to overreact. Don't penalize them....what would you do if you were them?

[ColemanSilk]

I'm also in the "want to killself but can't for various reasons" boat. I hope you get the help you need.

[karmacomatic]

So long as they're not concerned that you'll act upon the feeling (make that very clear), they won't send you to a hospital or anything. I've discussed with my therapist that kind of thing in the past. Hell, I even attempted and wasn't sent to the hospital because I made it apparent that I wasn't going to attempt again or self-harm.

As long as you're not a danger to yourself or others, they will not call police or hospitalize.