Leolo
06-14-2009, 09:46 PM
My best friend, whom I have known since childhood, is showing signs of extreme paranoia and delusional thinking. I moved very far away about 5 years ago, but we still talk on the phone semi-regularly. He's had some strange ideas and beliefs for about 20 years now, It seemed he always had an 'enemy' at work who was trying to sabotage him, or that events like house fires or deaths in the news were aimed at him as warnings. (This behavior seemed to show up after he tried LSD in his late teens) but he always remained functional in society.
Just before I moved away, he had several extremely stressful events occur. His mother died in an unpleasant way, he had his first child and married the mother (they had and continue to have a difficult relationship), and he had a nasty financial disagreement with his father which eventually resulted in my friend being forced to declare bankruptcy.
Over the last couple of years, his phone conversations with me have gotten stranger and stranger. He thinks certain ideas and theories he has come up with have filtered up to the leaders of the government, renowned scientists and other public figures, who 'used his ideas' without acknowledging him. He seems to think he is being watched and monitored. He thinks the wife of a famous politician was present at his wedding, and that his wife is an agent sent by the government to observe him. At work, he says he does nothing but sit and surf the net all day. He has said strange things to people at his workplace.
His employers have noticed his behavior, of course, and even contacted his wife about it. His wife has said she wants to take the children (they have 4) and leave. Of course, all this aggravates his paranoid feelings. He thinks hsi wife is leaving him for another man now.
I used to find his strange thoughts harmless and even intriguing. Now, they are downright scary. I did not want to come out and tell him he was mentally ill, so I told him to see a psychiatrist just to get his wife and employers off his back, in the hopes that perhaps the psychiatrist could help him acknowledge he has a problem.
I don't know what to do. I live thousands of miles away with a family of my own. I can't travel back to my home town to try to help him, as finances do not permit it. I'm afraid he will either lose his family, job and home and wind up on the street, or worse, harm himself or his family.
What can I do? I already had to deal with the mental illnesses of both my parents. Mental illness scares and saddens me. Part of me wants to just say "Too bad. Better him than me." and stay out of it, but it hurts me so much to see my best friend, who is like a brother to me, in such a state.
Any ideas?
Just before I moved away, he had several extremely stressful events occur. His mother died in an unpleasant way, he had his first child and married the mother (they had and continue to have a difficult relationship), and he had a nasty financial disagreement with his father which eventually resulted in my friend being forced to declare bankruptcy.
Over the last couple of years, his phone conversations with me have gotten stranger and stranger. He thinks certain ideas and theories he has come up with have filtered up to the leaders of the government, renowned scientists and other public figures, who 'used his ideas' without acknowledging him. He seems to think he is being watched and monitored. He thinks the wife of a famous politician was present at his wedding, and that his wife is an agent sent by the government to observe him. At work, he says he does nothing but sit and surf the net all day. He has said strange things to people at his workplace.
His employers have noticed his behavior, of course, and even contacted his wife about it. His wife has said she wants to take the children (they have 4) and leave. Of course, all this aggravates his paranoid feelings. He thinks hsi wife is leaving him for another man now.
I used to find his strange thoughts harmless and even intriguing. Now, they are downright scary. I did not want to come out and tell him he was mentally ill, so I told him to see a psychiatrist just to get his wife and employers off his back, in the hopes that perhaps the psychiatrist could help him acknowledge he has a problem.
I don't know what to do. I live thousands of miles away with a family of my own. I can't travel back to my home town to try to help him, as finances do not permit it. I'm afraid he will either lose his family, job and home and wind up on the street, or worse, harm himself or his family.
What can I do? I already had to deal with the mental illnesses of both my parents. Mental illness scares and saddens me. Part of me wants to just say "Too bad. Better him than me." and stay out of it, but it hurts me so much to see my best friend, who is like a brother to me, in such a state.
Any ideas?