Persuading A Spouse

• 1). Talk to your spouse and use rational words to explain why you want them to seek help. It is best done in the first person such as "I feel" so as to try and get them to see how their behavior is affecting you. The spouse may have a phobia, may be depressed or afraid. Letting them know how much you care is an important first step.
  
  
• 2). Ascertain if they qualify for an exception to autonomy over their decisions. There are certain situations where involuntary commitment to treatment can be obtained. These almost always fall under certain categories such as mental health, when they are not competent to make their own decisions, if they are an imminent danger to themselves or those around them (suicidal ideations or dangers to the safety of others), or they are mentally incompetent due to dementia or another condition making their ability for self determination limited.
  
  
• 3). Call the police. If someone is not an imminent danger to themselves but has gone off medications you usually can simply call the police but may need to go to court. Usually you can just call the police in most states, and many countries and they can either issue the involuntary hold, which is usually 72 hours but can be extended at the advice of the treating physician or by the courts once admitted. This act is almost solely used for situations where someone falls into one of the categories in step two.
  
  
• 4). Go to court to get a person declared incompetent. This is reserved for those who suffer from dementia or who have come off their medications in the case of mental illness. An exception, which is at times misused, famously against Britney Spears, is when a parent or spouse or any person with interest gets "conservatorship". The reality of this special type of control given to an individual by the courts usually pertains to cult victims or people being brain-washed. In the now infamous Britney Spears case she was first admitted under a 72 hour medical hold and conservatorship came later.
  
  
• 5). Do a group intervention. If you have many family members who are worried about a person's well being then the best thing to do is to pick a time an a place and come together and simply confront the person with the feelings of their loved ones. Often this will convince a person, especially if consequences are presented, such as, "If you do not get help I will leave you." The power of alienation by those closest to someone seems to work better than one person nagging, particularly if the words are heartfelt and refer to the feelings of those around the person and how their inaction is making them feel.