Navigating And:Or Avoiding the Inpatient Mental Health System

This is in response to questions I get about how to interact (or not interact) with the inpatient mental health system and involuntary commitment. The table of contents is:

1. How can I get outpatient mental health care without much risk of being involuntarily committed to a hospital? 2: How can I get mental health care at a hospital ER without much risk of being involuntarily committed? 3. I would like to get voluntarily committed to a hospital. How can I do that? 4. I am seeking inpatient treatment. How can I make sure that everyone knows I am there voluntarily, and that I don’t get shifted to involuntary status? 5. How can I decide which psychiatric hospital to go to? 6. I am in a psychiatric hospital. How can I make this experience as comfortable as possible? 7. I am in a psychiatric hospital and not happy about it and I want to get out as quickly as possible. What should I do? 8. I am in the psychiatric hospital and I think I am being mistreated. What can I do? 9. I think my friend/family member is in the psychiatric hospital, but nobody will tell me anything. 10. My friend/family member is in the psychiatric hospital and wants to get out as quickly as possible. How can I help them? 11. How will I pay for all of this? 12. I have a friend/family member who really needs psychiatric treatment, but refuses to get it. What can I do?