In six states (Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin) the "make your home a loony bin" law is backed up with a NAMI-inspired double whammy, the Program of Assertive Community Treatment. PACT, they call it. It calls for Nurse Nasty to knock at your door twice a day. You must answer the door with a beverage and swallow your dose on the spot. Otherwise, this "hospital without walls" can get a court order to stick you in a psych ward.

Your treatment team--police, professionals, loved ones -- will gather to

strategize on returning you to normalcy. Their strategy might be a quick trip to a lockup, or round-the-clock peer pressure to take your medicine.

The "medicine" might be Prolixin, Haldol, Clozapine or any of a hundred

heavy-duty neuroleptics. Your dose might even be what the industry calls a "depot injection," a subcutaneous implant that lasts for days.

See much more on this topic, including links about how you can help protect yourself or someone you care about at the link provided. Knowledge is power!