Actually, what we need to assess and what we need to avoid is therapeutic overkill, on the one hand. On the other, when we offer mental health care, we want free and informed consent, just as we would for any treatment. For consent to be free and informed, the person must be advised of the nature of the proposed treatment. The person must be informed of the benefits, potential consequences and possible harms that come with the treatment, and alternative treatments must be offered. The person's informed choice should be respected.
In other words, as long as the person has the cognitive autonomy to make a decision, fully understand the information and make a judgment, we will respect their choice. For example, a person may refuse—