Kim Richards appears to be in need of an intervention.

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For the last several months, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has been in and out of rehab and arrested twice, and now, her family is said to be considering a 5150 hold. But what is it?

"A 5150 is basically when someone is hospitalized on an involuntary basis," psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig told Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday. 'Which simply means that they did not sign themselves into the hospital and they cannot sign themselves out. They're basically there involuntarily and why this can help certain people is because it keeps them in the hospital longer and helps them to get treated longer."

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Although Richards recently completed a 30-day treatment program in a Malibu, California rehab center, her family reportedly feels she is in desperate needs of a more intense treatment method. However, according to Dr. Ludwig, placing her on a 5150 may not be the best way to proceed.

"Very often the person who is involuntarily committed to a hospital, they get very angry with their family members," Ludwig admitted. "They almost feel like they're being put in prison, that their will and their freedom is being robbed from them. So it can create a lot of chaos and sometimes family members aren't always in agreement about whether the person needs to be in the hospital involuntarily or not. But, it basically creates some bad feelings for a period of time until the person gets well."

Tags: Kim Richards The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Bravo Reality TV