The NAMI Maryland publication, “Connections,” published this question awhile back. It is one I am often asked, so I thought it would be helpful to share it with you:

I was recently faced with the dilemma of whether or not my wife was a danger to herself and others, and whether or not to take her to the emergency room as a psychiatric emergency.

Are there any guidelines or suggestions as to when its best to take a loved one to the hospital?

Dr. Mark Komrad, M.D. responded:

This is one of the challenging issues in all of psychiatry — both practically and ethically. So I can only attempt to address it in a most preliminary fashion.

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