Are Psychiatric Assessments Mandatory?

[AmberCouture]

I was recently released from hospital a day after a failed suicide attempt (I chose to go home), but did speak to a Psychiatrist for a while. He only asked about my 'situation', but nothing about my personality or feelings and he only really seemed to be assessing whether or not I was at high risk of suicide. He told my parents that it was "a family matter and not one of metal health", however I feel that it is something more than just an environmental issue and have heard that they are required to do a formal Psychiatric Assessment.

Is this true? Should I ask at my next appointment with the doctor in four days time? Is it even necessary?

I recognize that my impulsive and self-destructive behavior is ruining my life and feel that I still one day might commit suicide, so should I ask?

[Symora]

Hi Amber, My feeling is that you should, simply because you do not seem to know or understand the dynamics at play for you to want to commit suicide - this is critical to your getting better in my opinion... There are probably a number of contibuting factors, such as the ones you mentionned in your other thread, but you are still young and do not know yourself and your triggers well enough to be able to make sense of it all and to know what to do about it.

I personally think that anyone who attemps suicide should have a mental health assessment done, to help understand what the underlying factors may be and to help determine what the next steps should be. I'm no doctor, but that just seems like common sense to me ...