Posted: 12/30/2007 6:37:16 AM EDT
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Just interested in ARFCOM's opiniions. There is a 34 year old guy that lives in your city. His name is Mr. X. Mr. X has been diagnosed as a delusional schizophrenic for the last 6 years and institutionalized twice. Mr. X lives in an apartment by himself in a bad area of town because that is all that his disability checks allow him to afford. There are times that X stays with his parents across town because he doesn't always take his meds as prescribed and has 'relapses'. Mr. X has never been violent. Mr. X went to his psychiatrist yesterday and told him that the voices in X's head told him to buy an assault rifle for protection from the evil people so he had bought an AK 47 from a neighbor. The Dr. called X's parents because they are his guardians. X's father said that he didn't know much about guns but that it should be okay because X does live in a bad neighborhood. Should the Doctor: A. Notify a judge so that the gun can be removed from X's apartment. B. Strongly recommend to X's parents that they should remove the rifle and sell or hide it. C. Nothing and monitor X's behavior for more signs of trouble. D. Commit X to a mental facility. E. Other. Explain your answer. |
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Based on some of th info I read below, Sorry he should not own a gun. I don't want his innocent neighbor or mailman killed because his voices told him to kill them. Also if his area in town is that bad, and since he does have a bad mental disorder. I would guess he needs to move in with his parents. Schizophrenia- A group of disorders characterized by loss of contact with reality, marked disturbances of thought and perception, and bizarre behavior. At some phase delusions or hallucinations almost always occur. Delusions - false beliefs strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness: for example, Paranoid delusions, or delusions of persecution, for example believing that people are "out to get" you, or the thought that people are doing things when there is no external evidence that such things are taking place. Delusions of reference - when things in the environment seem to be directly related to you even though they are not. For example it may seem as if people are talking about you or special personal messages are being communicated to you through the TV, radio, or other media. Somatic Delusions are false beliefs about your body - for example that a terrible physical illness exists or that something foreign is inside or passing through your body. Delusions of grandeur - for example when you believe that you are very special or have special powers or abilities. An example of a grandiouse delusion is thinking you are a famous rock star. |
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If he bought the rifle because of a psychotic episode in which voice told him to buy it then it should be removed from his possession. The basis of ownership is due to a delusion. If the voices tell him to buy a gun and he does, how do those voice determine who is evil and who is not? What if the voices told him that children in public school have been brainwashed and are now evil? In your story, the guy has already shown that he is prone to delusion, and does what voices tell him to do. He lacks rational thought, and in such cases people can be involuntarily committed into mental institutions, ie their rights are suspended. |
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I would start with B, just to save myself aggrevation. Keep in mind here the scenario stated the guy was mentally ill and had been institutionalized twice. Legally he cannot possess a firearm. If I got not satisfaction from the parents I would then go to A and seize the firearm and request a hearing to declare the person not able to possess a firearm. The doctor would be subpoenad and Mr. X would most likely have to be evaluated by a doctor appointed by the courts also. I would then request the judge to declare him incompetent. If he's nuts and hears voices then he does not need firearms, it is a recipe for disaster. |
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Doctor probably does not have a choice. Likely, he is required by law to notify police and potential victims (an exception from patient confidentiality) when a reasonable doctor would believe that the patient presented a danger to himself or others. See, for example, the Tarasoff case, 1976). The rights to own and carry a gun are just that -- rights. They can't be taken away except by "due process of law." The rights to drive a car, vote, be secure from searches, etc., etc., etc., can't be taken away except "by law." A doctor or parent or friend should not be able to deprive you of your rights. That means Mr. X is entitled to a hearing or trial to determine if he is mentally incompetent. In an "emergency," (again defined under the law) a judge can issue a temporary order, pending the hearing. Does Mr. X have the rights to own and carry guns? Absolutely, along with many other rights (like the right not to be kept in a cage wearing a straitjacket). However, those rights can be taken away, but only by "due process." Any doctor would be on the phone and writing letters immediately, to prevent being criminally charged and civilly sued for "failure to warn." Even if Mr. X killed only himself, Mr. X's loving family would come crawling out of their holes suing the doctor for millions of dollars. |
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EDP's with guns= Media frezy following a "senseless shooting of innocents"/"Deadly stand off with Law Enforcement". The guy needs a big Dog, a Can of OC, and therapy. I don't get why these folks "stop taking their med's", as is often quoted following some rampage. Folks of this nature need supervison period. S-28 |
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I think the bigger question is why he doesnt take his medicine. If he acts or makes it known that he intends to use any weapon in an offensive manner, than the guy should be in jail right now. If he minds his own business, then leave him alone. I know of one case where a guy walked out of his house towards deputies with a knife yelling that he was the antichrist so he could collect SSI. One of the deputies shot him in the leg when he refused to stop and now the guy has a permanent limp. Some people will do anything for money. Darwin candidate right there. |
to me this is a horrible situation all the way around, if mr.x is bad off why does he live alone? if the guy is proven dangerous then his family should get his guns, not our nanny government playing daddy and taking his firearms. if there is no family to help him i guess local authorities should step in. maybe brinks could give him a discount because he is unarmed and mentally fubar
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