NOTICE TO POLICE, CLINICIANS, AND PSYCHIATRISTS IN CASE OF BAKER ACT
by Scott Hoge
(Click here to download this essay)


If you are reading this, then a consideration is being made or might be made to place me into a hospital against my will, and a likely reason is that I have chosen to discuss euthanasia or suicide. It is even possible that the caller exaggerated my statements to make them sound more dangerous than they are.

As a philosophy student, I have been active in debating the ethical merits of voluntary euthanasia. I wish to help humanity forward in this endeavor and to infringe upon my freedom of speech could damage the reputation of both the government and the hospital responsible for the Baker Act.

Psychiatrists at * and ** are guilty of having written false statements in their reports, including statements that I have 'bizarre delusions' and thought disorders, which I do not. I've written this notice to assure you that I view the problem of suicide from a rational perspective and to provide you with relevant information about my mental condition.

Why I'm Not Delusional

Having a delusion isn't the same as acknowledging a possibility. If I say, "Terrorists might be plotting against me," I have made no delusional statement, even if from their point of view such a state of affairs would be impossible -- because from my point of view, it could still be possible. A preoccupation with possibilities of persecution can arise even in a rational person who, based on his or her life experiences, determines these possibilities to have a higher likelihood or more emotional significance than usual.

Although psychiatrists at * have repeatedly stated that I have delusions, they have refused to name any of them. After I had brought an analysis of their reports into the emergency room on the day of my 6/21/09 Baker Act, they billed me $2,465.90 for eight hours of sitting in a hallway before I was released. Such bills can do financial harm and predispose one to suicide even further.

Why I Strongly Dislike Psychotropics

Psychotropics are what we call 'dopamine antagonists.' Dopamine is sometimes called the 'pleasure chemical,' but psychotropics inhibit its function. Besides numerous and long-standing side-effects that I have experienced myself, some of which impair work performance, psychotropics are also known to cause both loss of gray matter in the brain and the permanent movement disorder Tardive Dyskinesia.

Due to the ethical problem of genetic inheritance, I prefer not to conform to any medication regimen. I would like to briefly state my reasons for this: If the success of my marriage became dependent on medication, then my children could inherit illness. After that, my children's children could inherit illness, and so on. The result, for me and my descendants, would be an obligation to slave for the psychiatric community, and to place ourselves in what are, in my opinion, the untrustworthy hands of psychiatric care, a form of care that is, in my opinion, dominating and oppressive, simply in order to live normal, healthy lives.

I have written more on the ethical problem of genetic inheritance in my one-page letter, Why I Choose Not to Take Medication.

Why I Don't Want to Be Hospitalized

First and foremost, if I am hospitalized involuntarily and given these outrageous bills or medicated by force, it could leave me unable to apply my long-developed intellectual talents and contribute to society in the ways that I have, including by charity donations, litter cleanup, online tutoring, volunteer work, animal rescue, emotional support. Second, after a revolting experience at **, I feel that involuntary confinement would do more harm than good.

From your point of view, you may feel that I pose more of a danger than I feel that I do from my point of view. Even so, I hope you will at least avoid billing or medicating me.

Why I Won't Pay Hospital Bills

I did not request service. To perform a few easy tests without my consent and then charge in excess of two thousand dollars is, in my opinion, ludicrous, and borders on hospital and government theft. I have also come to suspect, based on false reports and the size of my previous bill that * has attempted to land me into a position of powerlessness in an effort to cover up their maltreatment. If so, then * should be aware that in response to such attempts, I will accumulate even more negative information about them, and therefore, it may be in their best interests to release me once and for all.

I am also aware that the Baker Act criteria rest on vague terms and that it is ultimately on the whim of authority whether I am hospitalized.

If You Release Me

I have a lot of knowledge that I can share with the medical community as someone who has been ill, and I will treat the medical community more kindly if my liberty is not deprived.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will be considerate of my feelings.


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