Some states use the term "adjudicated." This leaves far less in the hands of unaccountable people and more in the hands of the courts. It is not simply enough to be found to be mentally ill. It requires that a court declare it.
In some of those states, you're free to own a firearm again after the court decides that you're no longer a threat to yourself or others. It seems like a reasonable compromise. There are still some issues, but it's better than letting a simple doctor deny your rights.
There's also an issue of Due Process under the 14th Amendment, i.e. that the person wasn't given "Fair Warning" that they would be deprived of this privilege when subjecting themselves to such a diagnosis.
However someone like me, who receives Social Security Income for disability from PTSD, can't really escape such a diagnosis, and still get medication-prescription for it.
Perhaps I should have just said I felt fine, but that I was just "always extremely tired for no reason," and the reason would have been attributed to Chronic Fatigue-- a "physical" problem; then I could get the medication some other way.
Most people are just like "McMurphy" from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next," i.e. they think that when they have an encounter with the Mental Health field, that it's all about caring and compassion etc. and so they seek it out too readily and too trustingly.
Then too late, they find out the REALITY that there's NO getting out of it-- NO way to escape the stigma; and that authories can get away with doing anything to you on the grounds that you're "crazy," and so society will condone it. People will treat you like an outcast or inferior, and assume that you're delusional and irrational, a complete "lunatic."
In short, liberal politically-correct society REFUSES to acknowledge the medieval attitudes and hysterical perceptions that society attaches to "mental illness," and the stereotypical bigotry and prejudice that society attaches to it.
If you're an alcoholic-- well, that's "DIFFERENT, EVERYONE" drinks.
But if you have PTSD because you were attacked by criminals, or in a war, or abused as a child-- well then "we can't take any chances with your crazy little self, by letting you loonies play with guns or sharp objects!" It doesn't matter if there's no evidence that you're a danger to yourself or others-- the simple term "mental illness" throws all your rights out the nearest window-- just like they used to do with mandatory shock-treatments and frontal lobotomy.
Again, NO ONE WILL CARE-- in fact they'll APPROVE of "society disarming crazies."
This is why we see that there's NOTHING more dangerous than a fool with power-- or admitting that you have "mental illness" of ANY kind. Even if your whole family was crushed by a steam-roller right in front of you.
In fact, we don't even hear that mental patients were the FIRST victims of the Holocaust, because they're not considered "legitimate victims;" 28 mental patients were subjected by German doctors to something called "Carbon Monoxide Therapy--" i.e. forced to breathe nothing but carbon monoxide;" after this, they were "cured" by no longer being mental patients.
From this, they decided to try it on Jews.
The moral:
Do NOT EVER admit that you have a "mental illness," or even subject yourself to such a diagnosis, by saying that you have symptoms of ANY problems with mood, anxiety, etc.
Just say that you are just "extremely tired for no reason," and that if you have any anxiety, it's simply over "HOW YOU'LL PAY YOUR BILLS WHEN YOU'RE TOO TIRED TO WORK."
Other than that, YOU FEEL FINE.
Then, you'll get a diagnosis of "unexplained Chronic Fatigue."
If you DO subject yourself to a true diagnosis, use a FAKE NAME, and PAY CASH. Then you can get a prescription and treatment plan-- PAY CASH for that too, or at least set up a fake checking-account for it.
ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION-- WITH YOUR LIFE; it could MEAN your life.