Sister's deterioration in mental health under current times
Discussion
My sister is in her 60s, lives on her own and is getting obsessed with joining the dots between recent events and believes what we are seeing is a carefully planned change to world order.
Every move is planned in detail.
She lives on her own and spends far too much time trawling online sources of dubious origin to find "proof" which supports the stories which have developed in her mind. The result is she's increasingly frightened and my brother and I fear for her safety. She refuses to accept information which proves her theoris wrong.
We've left this too late, I realise that but dont know what we should have done. She has beliefs over vaccines, 5G, smart meters, Brexit being a choreographed undermining of the nation (although she's staunch anti-Europe), population control. She even refused to get her dog chipped.
In the past, our belief was that these thoughts were just curious idiosyncrasies. She now believes every move in reacting to the current crisis has been predicted by her online "sources" but when I go through them, I can prove they didn't. I thought this would help but all I'm achieving is stressing her.
She is saying that the virus has been invented to justify a mass vaccination of the world to depopulate it.
The problem is she is now saying that once testing for C- 19 is available, she won't take it and will not have a vaccine.
The new isolation rules has left her in a more vulnerable position.
We asked her to come live with us before the current restrictions came in but she won't.
Even if we weren't in the current situation, I don't know where I'd begin to get help for her. She's an adult and outside of home is a lucid, intelligent sociable women.
How do I get help for her?
Every move is planned in detail.
She lives on her own and spends far too much time trawling online sources of dubious origin to find "proof" which supports the stories which have developed in her mind. The result is she's increasingly frightened and my brother and I fear for her safety. She refuses to accept information which proves her theoris wrong.
We've left this too late, I realise that but dont know what we should have done. She has beliefs over vaccines, 5G, smart meters, Brexit being a choreographed undermining of the nation (although she's staunch anti-Europe), population control. She even refused to get her dog chipped.
In the past, our belief was that these thoughts were just curious idiosyncrasies. She now believes every move in reacting to the current crisis has been predicted by her online "sources" but when I go through them, I can prove they didn't. I thought this would help but all I'm achieving is stressing her.
She is saying that the virus has been invented to justify a mass vaccination of the world to depopulate it.
The problem is she is now saying that once testing for C- 19 is available, she won't take it and will not have a vaccine.
The new isolation rules has left her in a more vulnerable position.
We asked her to come live with us before the current restrictions came in but she won't.
Even if we weren't in the current situation, I don't know where I'd begin to get help for her. She's an adult and outside of home is a lucid, intelligent sociable women.
How do I get help for her?
Could speak to the gp about a referral to older persons mental health team. Im not sure if it's 60 or 65 for them to qualify. With the current covid issues they may be taking referrals without gp assessments but they may also be inundated with similar issues related to isolation. Your sister would also need to consent to this.
I don't the exact details of how systems work from the patient side, but certainly mental health teams are still at work.
Normal first entry for much of this is a GP, although obviously is if develops more quickly their are other options which can move quickly, some areas have a 'crisis team' which work in the community to provide support and avoid anything more extreme such has an admission, which can often be a traumatic as helpful, if sometime the only option.
Daniel
Normal first entry for much of this is a GP, although obviously is if develops more quickly their are other options which can move quickly, some areas have a 'crisis team' which work in the community to provide support and avoid anything more extreme such has an admission, which can often be a traumatic as helpful, if sometime the only option.
Daniel
Eagleye said:
Thank you, she won't consent and is very untrusting of the health service.
It's going to be very difficult if she won't consent to any intervention but I'm sure that's a situation that has arisen many times before. One of these organisations may be able to assist:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depre...
For all we know she’s right.
So what is her plan of action? To be scared? Or build a bunker? Or assassinate someone?
It’s mentally healthy to be paranoid about certain things if you want to be.
I’m terrified of spiders and it’s a bad thing really, but it’s otherwise harmless because I don’t intend to flood the house to kill them all.
I think it’s important to worry about her, but mental help won’t work unless she accepts she has a problem and is receptive to the help.
And the first thing a counsellor will want to determine is if this is genuinely harmful or not.
Is it?
So what is her plan of action? To be scared? Or build a bunker? Or assassinate someone?
It’s mentally healthy to be paranoid about certain things if you want to be.
I’m terrified of spiders and it’s a bad thing really, but it’s otherwise harmless because I don’t intend to flood the house to kill them all.
I think it’s important to worry about her, but mental help won’t work unless she accepts she has a problem and is receptive to the help.
And the first thing a counsellor will want to determine is if this is genuinely harmful or not.
Is it?
My mum is similar age/way at times.
Spends a lot of time alone.
Maybe reads into conspiracies a bit much.
I’ll often indulge for fun and because there is merit in looking at things from many angles.
But it can get a bit off the rails and I have to just call it a day.
But to be fair what is the alternative?
We all sit somewhere on a scale.
You have bat s
t crazy tin foil at one end, and similarly bat st crazy Mrs Bucket at the other.
You assume someone needs to sit in the middle to be ‘ok’ or ‘normal’ but maybe to your sister you’re Mrs Bucket.
I’ll admit it’s a hard time right now due to isolation.
I’d avoid the NHS though. Go private and go with your sister and let them understand both your sisters condition, *and* yours for thinking your sister has a condition to begin with.
Spends a lot of time alone.
Maybe reads into conspiracies a bit much.
I’ll often indulge for fun and because there is merit in looking at things from many angles.
But it can get a bit off the rails and I have to just call it a day.
But to be fair what is the alternative?
We all sit somewhere on a scale.
You have bat s
t crazy tin foil at one end, and similarly bat st crazy Mrs Bucket at the other.You assume someone needs to sit in the middle to be ‘ok’ or ‘normal’ but maybe to your sister you’re Mrs Bucket.
I’ll admit it’s a hard time right now due to isolation.
I’d avoid the NHS though. Go private and go with your sister and let them understand both your sisters condition, *and* yours for thinking your sister has a condition to begin with.
Unless she is a danger to herself or others, or unless she consents to help, then I’m afraid there is very little you can do OP, other than try and support her as and when she lets you.
There has been an influx into mental health hospitals and clinics in the past few weeks due to COVID-19 conspiracy theories.
There has been an influx into mental health hospitals and clinics in the past few weeks due to COVID-19 conspiracy theories.
Eagleye said:
All really good points, thank you.
The fear of causing harm to herself is based on the following;
She is very determined over not taking part in C- 19 testing when it comes in, not accepting any vaccine, she has topped taking medication for hypertension and a heart murmur.
Not taking part in C-19 testing isn’t really an issue in my eyes. Some people refuse flu jabs. It’s no different and her right.
Stopping medication is a different story.
Best of luck.
The fear of causing harm to herself is based on the following;
She is very determined over not taking part in C- 19 testing when it comes in, not accepting any vaccine, she has topped taking medication for hypertension and a heart murmur.
Not taking part in C-19 testing isn’t really an issue in my eyes. Some people refuse flu jabs. It’s no different and her right.
Stopping medication is a different story.
Best of luck.
She called me tonight, very very stressed in her isolation.
Even under normal circumstances, I couldn't have gone around as I'd had a couple of drinks with dinner but I'm not sure if going to see her and meeting her in her garden would be permitted under current rules. She's 25 miles away and the journey is difficult to justify as essential.
It's obviously not the meeting but the travel which is the concern for me.
I saw her just before the current restrictions kicked in and it's amazing how calm she is when I can talk through her concerns in person. Talking on the phone, I can't get a word in edgeways!
Not sure what impact it's having on me to be honest.
Even under normal circumstances, I couldn't have gone around as I'd had a couple of drinks with dinner but I'm not sure if going to see her and meeting her in her garden would be permitted under current rules. She's 25 miles away and the journey is difficult to justify as essential.
It's obviously not the meeting but the travel which is the concern for me.
I saw her just before the current restrictions kicked in and it's amazing how calm she is when I can talk through her concerns in person. Talking on the phone, I can't get a word in edgeways!
Not sure what impact it's having on me to be honest.
IANAC
You can’t get a word I’m edge ways.
If she has something to say then you can just listen.
Have her come live with you by all means, when it’s her choice to do so.
It’s easier said than done when really you both need support from a professional counsellor.
But since you don’t have one, the difficult job comes down to you.
You can’t get a word I’m edge ways.
If she has something to say then you can just listen.
Have her come live with you by all means, when it’s her choice to do so.
It’s easier said than done when really you both need support from a professional counsellor.
But since you don’t have one, the difficult job comes down to you.
Edited by Mr Whippy on Sunday 29th March 10:51
Eagleye said:
She called me tonight, very very stressed in her isolation.
Even under normal circumstances, I couldn't have gone around as I'd had a couple of drinks with dinner but I'm not sure if going to see her and meeting her in her garden would be permitted under current rules. She's 25 miles away and the journey is difficult to justify as essential.
It's obviously not the meeting but the travel which is the concern for me.
I saw her just before the current restrictions kicked in and it's amazing how calm she is when I can talk through her concerns in person. Talking on the phone, I can't get a word in edgeways!
Not sure what impact it's having on me to be honest.
Travel to provide care to a vulnerable person is permitted and based on your comments I would say she is vulnerable.Even under normal circumstances, I couldn't have gone around as I'd had a couple of drinks with dinner but I'm not sure if going to see her and meeting her in her garden would be permitted under current rules. She's 25 miles away and the journey is difficult to justify as essential.
It's obviously not the meeting but the travel which is the concern for me.
I saw her just before the current restrictions kicked in and it's amazing how calm she is when I can talk through her concerns in person. Talking on the phone, I can't get a word in edgeways!
Not sure what impact it's having on me to be honest.
My bat st crazy father in law has had exactly the same type of delusions over the years about:
Each obsession has a grain of truth in it, only turned up to 11 on the dial so that it alienates "normal" people as they try to extricate themselves from the conversation.
I've found that these obsessions only blow over once the news becomes less interested in reporting about it. Trying to argue, indulge or engage doesn't seem to help. Better to ask to speak about something else after allowing them a few minutes to talk about it.
t crazy father in law has had exactly the same type of delusions over the years about:- Asteroids
- Bunkers
- Sonics
- Brexit
- shipman-ism
- prepping for society's breakdown.
Each obsession has a grain of truth in it, only turned up to 11 on the dial so that it alienates "normal" people as they try to extricate themselves from the conversation.
I've found that these obsessions only blow over once the news becomes less interested in reporting about it. Trying to argue, indulge or engage doesn't seem to help. Better to ask to speak about something else after allowing them a few minutes to talk about it.
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