And then had their life shattered as a result?

I was, and did. For un-godly reasons. Whether they know it or not, mental health institutions are about making money first and foremost. I was not a physical danger to myself or others, as the psychiatric hospital evaluator legally declared - despite providing my account of the facts which normally would have quelled those allegations. During my stay, I was labeled as a paranoid schizophrenic for my views about holistic health, conspiracy, and time travel - and of course for seeming "anti-social". All these reasons having nothing to do with my alleged risk of physical harm to myself or others, which was the official reason for my commitment.

After being held for more than the ruled limit of stay for my peaceful non-compliance in attending group discussions, I was then released on the condition that I get a depot injection of the antipsychotic called "Invega Sustenna", while me being completely in the dark and unaware of the length and effects of this drug. Invega Sustenna, and drugs like it, is a very medieval drug which, in a sense, chemically lobotomizes the person treated, causing them to go into a zombie-like, torpid state - along with causing severe anhedonia; taking away every aspect of the person's ability to function as a human being. One can not feel pleasure, or any other emotion for that matter, rendering them more or less incapable of thought. The drug does this by blocking the brain's dopamine and serotonin receptors. One finds no motivation in anything - having not a single care or thought about anything, except perhaps the yearning to care or think about something. With the halt of mental functions also comes the halt of physical functions, like being extremely tired and lethargic. For example, not being able to walk for more than 15 feet at one time. But... at the same time, the drug causes restlessness, the uncontrollable feeling of the need to perform body movements; related to tardive dyskinesia (a condition that causes repetitive, involuntary movements of the body), a result of long-term use of neuroleptic drugs such as antipyschotics. These "side effects", though just a portion of the side effects, are the cause of much suffering for people who are given these drugs.

So, that said, I was feeling the torturous effects of this drug for several months, given that the dosage was a very large, long-term depot injection, with no ability to stop the drug from affecting my mind and body during the length of this time period. My life was ground to complete halt, more or less.

During my stay at the psychiatric ward, I had the option to fight for my release in court but I regrettably thought that I was going to be released quickly, knowing the absurdity of my commitment into the hospital, so I didn't fight for it. Although, it probably would have resulted in me losing anyway, given the circumstances I found myself with.


*Edit/Addendum: When I said that I was "render[ed] more or less incapable of thought" or that I had "not a single care or thought about anything", that is what I meant, but more in a way that I could not formulate any kind of thought requiring any effort. I simply didn't have the motivation, nor energy. I could be in a state of despair, or maybe decide to attend to a basic need, or take part in a very basic conversation, but I was very much in a state of non-thought - that is, not being able to formulate a thought - or contemplate. For instance, I could not ponder an idea or solve a problem. While not being able to "think", my brain could still operate somewhat on auto-pilot in a sense. Perhaps I used the expression a little bluntly, though it largely explains the effects pretty accurately in a sense.