Originally Posted by
redbud 
Thank you....I have read that you should not take methadone if you have a head injury. We go to court Thursday for his involuntary outpt. committment, and perhaps I will ask that he be court ordered to a consult with a neuropsychiatrist. I don't know how these proceedings work, and I did not file for the hearing, but rather the "crisis team" did. Will I be able to talk? My son will have a court appointed lawyer, but do I need a lawyer at this hearing?
My son is actually at an NA meeting right now....voluntarily! He gave me (repeatedly) instructions to keep my phone on me so I can come right away if he calls. I dropped him off and he looked as scared as a child on his first day of school. This is not like my son, who was always self-assured and confident. I just hope he can stay awake, so they don't think he is "using" if he nods off! (he fell asleep in the car on the way there!).
Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me, offering suggestions and support through my numerous postings. You will never know how much it has meant to me.
You absolutely have the right to talk if their decisions impact your rights. If you and your husband were not there for your son, how would the government, which harmed your son, take care of your son? It seems like the outpatient plan they have in place now requires you to give up your fundamental rights in a way. You have a fundamental right to privacy which includes the right to control your family. The state is interfering in this right by imposing on you the burden of caring for your disabled adult son. (If the case was that his disability began before he hit the age of majority, that would be a different story.) The state should not be assuming anything about how much you are willing to do to be the caregiver.
If you had an attorney there for you, and you were not committed to being the guardian of your son (as we've discussed earlier), then he would be there as your zealous advocate and not an advocate for your son. That's important to keep in mind. Good luck on Thursday.