Hi , Has Anyone Baker Active Their Teenager?

Have you broken with your boyfriend and moved into a place of your own?

What happened with his psych evaluation? What did the doctors who treated him this weekend state?

Have you gone into you counseling WITH your son?

No. I've not had this experience. I had to look it up. You have a mess on your hands. How long has his troubles been going on? After you started dating your boyfriend - who you have stated doesn't treat your son right...but you're still with him? What does that tell your son where he rates on your totem pole?

The staff at those facilities usually know what they are doing. It's probably better that your son is there than at home. Even though it hurts your heart, your son needs to be there, for now.

Who initiated the hold?

So you are saying things got so bad with him that the mental health professionals felt the only way to help him was to contain him from others?

What are the professionals telling you? What are they advising?

It seems to me that you've heard a lot of advice, but have not listened to any of it.

I guess this is your wake up call. Sorry to be so blunt.

Please listen and follow through with what the professionals tell you. Please ask any questions, make sure you understand the recommendations thoroughly, and ask for all resources you are eligible for.

This is a huge cry for help. Do not let your son manipulate you into thinking that this is not a call for help and that you just need to 'get him out'.

If and when you get him home, is the boyfriend still going to be there?
If yes, then maybe it's best he doesn't come home.
That boyfriend has been toxic to your son since he was 8 yrs old.
I hope your boy gets the help he needs.

To answer your question, no - our child has never been on a psychiatric lock down.

Of course, you want him home. Of course, you feel terribly sad. I can only imagine how painful this time is, and has been, for you and for him. However, as his parent, you must understand that coming home now would be disastrous for him and for you. He NEEDS HELP which you can't give him, and he needs real changes in the home.

If he was committed for a psychological evaluation, it's because his behavior showed he was a threat to himself and/or others. You need to listen to the psychiatrists who are evaluating him and not yank him out of the place before they have figured out what he needs. But there IS something you can do: re-read what Rosemud, Elayne J., and Elena B. wrote, and ACT on their wise suggestions. You also need to get intense psychological help so you can start to build a new family dynamic with your son. That family probably will not include your boyfriend, since he hasn't really been interested in your son's well-being from the get-go. Maybe he'll surprise you and do a 180 degree turn-around, but you shouldn't count on it. Anyway, good luck with it.

G., if you have put a boyfriend ahead of your son, then this is your doing. Will you ever put him ahead of this boyfriend? Ask yourself the hard questions. So far, you don't seem to have been able to do that, and now look where your son is.

It's time to look at your own behavior and do the right thing.

Can you clarify - are you referring to putting someone into a 72 hour psych hold due to their being a threat to themselves or others? (Florida Mental Health Act, commonly referred to as the Baker Act)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Mental_Health_Act

Not sure what "baker active" means???

From looking it up, it appears that the Baker Act is a Florida-specific involuntary institutionalization in a psychiatric hospital.

So I think that it can safely be said that many of us on this site have had their child committed to a stay in a psychiatric hospital or other psych setting. Some families have had to make the difficult decision to put their child in a hospital, and some have had those decisions made for them by law enforcement officers or doctors. Some of the stays were very brief, and some were long.

During a couple of really serious medical crises in my daughter's life, we experienced this. Once she was placed in a locked down ward in a psych hospital.

But regardless of what's it's called - Baker Act, 5150, committed - there are some things in common that have to happen. Maybe it's medication, or a medication change, or stopping a certain medication. Maybe it's help for the patient, or maybe it's help for the family. Maybe it's tools that are given (not actual tools, but skills and methods) so that the home situation improves. Maybe it's outpatient counseling, for everyone. But it's obvious that the current situation needs to change. And it's not always the patient. Sometimes it's the parents or family members that are causing the child harm or pain.

There's a reason that your son is so hurting. You've written about school difficulties, neglect from your boyfriend, and a difficult situation at home. Most psych hospitals will have a family meeting. Figure out why he hurts. Make sure you listen and take notes when the doctors talk to you. And if there are suggestions, follow through on them.

I'm sure you love him and want him back at home, but please make sure he doesn't come home to the exact same circumstances that caused this situation. Make the brave changes. Get him (and you) continued counseling.

I saw your second question - just in future, you can add clarification or extra info by just editing your question - just write Added or ETA or add to the So what Happened section so everyone sees it.

I have not, but my friend had to do something similar with her daughter who went missing.

I have no idea what you are asking.

G.,

How long have you put your boyfriend ahead of your son? You wonder how he got here? You've shown him that YOUR life and YOUR boyfriend is more important to you than your flesh and blood.

Get rid of the boyfriend. Your son needs you.

You need to leave your son in this facility so they can get to the bottom of what's going on. My oldest son wasn't at this point, but close. He was acting out because he was furious with our move from California to Georgia. We have done family counseling and all is good. NOW. It took work. Tyler and I thought things were good. But they weren't. He was hurting and upset. Your son is too. Unlike you? We didn't bend when our son said he wanted to change back to California. We didn't switch schools because he whined, like you did. YOU MUST PARENT your son. you MUST show your son HE is your priority. Until then? Your son will only get worse.

You've posted a few questions about difficulties with your son. Are you saying that you had him professionally evaluated last weekend? That sounds good - do you think it helped?