It was time. I did not care about getting “things” in order or writing the perfect apology note. I just knew I wanted to be gone. To speed things forward, someone at my school had called a 5150 on me. Section 5150 is a section of the California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) which authorizes a qualified officer or clinician to involuntary confine a person suspected to have a mental disorder that makes him or her a danger to themselves, a danger to others, and/or gravely disabled. I did not have time to make it to my car when the police arrived and the administration was rushing me to the office. The whole thing was surreal as if I was watching a movie play before my eyes. I was confused. I was scared. The principle told me she had called the police officer because she cared and wanted to save my life. The officer was rude; he made me feel so ashamed and worthless. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I wanted to scream as loud as I could and punch a wall. Neither of those things happened. I was taken by a government worker to a psychiatric hospital and involuntarily admitted. The stay was gruesome and another story in and of itself.
- Anonymous