Hi everyone,

I have posted on here before, and as some of you know, my (now ex) fiancé and I completed a Large Group Awareness Training about eight weeks ago.

I work at a web magazine and my boss gave me permission to write an expose/personal story about the Large Group Awareness Training, even though it isn't really our usual topic.

I thought some of you guys might be interested in seeing it. I'd love your feedback.

Here it is: [www.madinamerica.com]

-Emily

Emily,

I read your article, and personally I think it's great!

There was one thing I saw that was not true of my LGAT, and you might want to recheck this on the one that you did: it is my understanding that most LGATs are NOT run by mental health professionals of any type. If this is also true of the one you attended, that woman screaming in your face may have had no more training than what was provided by the LGAT organization itself.

I think it's great that you have arrived at the place where you are at with this! It sounds as if your past experiences might have helped you put it into perspective more quickly than most people can.

The article was informative for me. I do believe that I will re-read it. I was not aware that hospitals could force you to take medications, these days, without a court order. I knew someone who was hospitalized in the 80's, and one of the guys in there with him was refusing medication.

Congratulations,
kdag

Hi Kdag,

Thank you so much for reading my piece :) I'm so glad you liked it.

Thanks also for the feedback about mental health professionals. I will definitely check on that. I know the woman who led our training was a marriage and family therapist, and a lot of people involved in this particular training have psychology or therapy degrees.

In most states, hospitals can force medication without a court order. In some states (like California actually), there needs to be a court order to technically force medication, but medication compliance is a major criterion for whether or not someone gets out, so if you don't take medication, you are pretty much guaranteeing that you will be locked up for longer.

Basically, if you take medication, and they mark you down as med compliant, and you also attend all the group therapy sessions and talk about how grateful you are to be there, they will let you out within a couple days. If you refuse medication or resist any of it, they will keep you longer, using it as evidence that you are mentally ill. So, while it's not force technically, it might as well be.

Thanks again for reading the essay :)

Emily