Hi if a person. Has mental health problems and is drinking but veranable and unwell can they be refused help? What are the laws in safeguard ? If anyone can help thanks in advance
Can you tell us a bit more. Age? Behaviour? State of the home? Personal hygiene issues? Aggressive?
Sadly, it’s very common for those with mental health problems to be substance abusers, whether that’s alcohol or drugs.
It’s unclear whether the addiction exacerbates the mental illness, or even causes is in the first place, or whether someone with mental illness attempts to ‘self-medicate’ with drink or drugs to ‘let them cope’ with the problems inside their head.
I can’t think that help would be refused for someone with MH who was also an alcoholic for that reason - because it is so common.
What help would you like them to get?
Thanks for replys she in her 60s personal appreance fine its her mind iv asked for help but not getting anywhere ?
Iv even asked can she go in Hospital to be assessed
Are you concerned that it may be a form of dementia? In what way is she vulnerable?
Lesley, can you tell us a little more about your relationship with this person? Is she family, or friend? I ask because who she is may affect how much help you can get for her.
What do you think her problems are? You say ‘mental health’ but do you know what kind? Has she been mentally ill for long? Is this ‘sudden’? Is she having any kind of treatment for it?
You say you’ve ‘asked if she can go into hospital to be assessed’ - who have you asked? Her GP? Other members of her family?
If she hasn’t been to her GP, then the GP is really the first port of call for her. But if she has already been to the GP, I would think it is the GP who should have referred her to a psychiatrist for assessement, or simply sent her for counselling or therapy (or put her on pills).
However, it is all too often the case that someone who is mentally ill does not acknowledge they are mentally ill, and/or refuses either to seek help, or to accept any kind of treatment at all. (As I said, she may be ‘self-medicating’ on alcohol anyway??)
What is it you would like for her? Do you think she should be in a psychiatric hospital? Do you think she needs counselling or therapy? Do you think she should take medication?
Do you simply think she should stop abusing alcohol? If so ,that may be the hardest of all to achieve! Most substance abusers find it VERY hard, if not impossible, to give up.
Do you think she is ‘so bad’ that actually she needs to be sectioned, and placed in a psychiatric hospital without her consent, if it comes to it?
Mental health is ALWAYS very difficult to deal with, and if alcoholism is added in, that’s even more difficult.
You sound a concerned friend or family (whichever you are), and it’s good she has you ‘looking out for her’…but it may not be what she wants alas. She may not cooperate?
What does she say she wants? Does she say she wants help? Or just to be left on her own to get on with her drinking???
All VERY difficult alas.
Early dementia might indeed be a possibility!
If she has been a long-term alcoholic, that can in itself cause, or at least worsen, dementia.
Alternatively, if she is getting dementia, it may be frightening for her, so she has turned to drink to comfort herself?
Or, of course, she may have mental illness AND dementia - and be alcoholic as well…
She on mediaction been tested for dementia she passed ask psychiatrist for her to go in hospital her .medication might need changing but while drinking medication does always work she got bi-biolar
Lesley, I’m afraid they will be very reluctant to let ANYONE into hospital at all, because it costs so much money. You have to be seriously violent just about to be sectioned, it seems, these days. They just do not have the places in the psych wards.
You say she ‘asked’ to go into hospital. What help does SHE think she needs?
Hi Lesley.
I think this depends where you live and how good your services are.
Two years ago my husbands mental health deteriorated dramatically and he used vodka to support his depression. Mental health services referred him to alcohol services but neither service would take ownership of him as a patient saying he needed to address the other problem so he fell between the services. Shocking.
He was referred two weeks ago to Mental Health Services and they also referred him to Substance Misuse Services and they are now working alongside each other. 
Hi,
She is entitled to help, but firstly she has to want the help. My Husband has severe anxiety and depression, he also self medicates with alcohol.
The GP referered him to the local alcohol and drug therapy service, which he was reluctant to go as was not ready to give up. She also reffered him for group sessions and CBT, do you think she would go?they are very helpful if the individual acknowlege’s there is a problem and wants to fix it.
All the best and Good luck! 
__sounds like She is a bit lonely to me nothing wrong with the mind She needs a vocation maybe an outdoor pursuit
__stand up be strong fight for your life being a carer does not need You to stop being a human being every one craves attention you need Your own space