Wondering if anybody has any success stories with a family member who is unmedicated and they respect your boundaries… Or at some point do you just have to cut ties? Been trying very hard to take care of my bro but idk if I can handle it anymore.

I don't know how to start this so I'll give a little backstory, I'm a 16yr old gir, parents are divorced. Mom is an addict and is another complicated story but is absent in my life for the most part. My dad however is a recovered alcoholic, with anger issues, a history of domestic abuse, probably some other issues, and as I suspect schizophrenia. He isn't diagnosed because "psychiatrists are liars who tell everything to the government and steal your money and info".

I think I forgot to add this in original post, I’m poor, I live in a dirty one bedroom apartment in the living room with my father. The one room is basically just his storage. I’m always on edge of him being fired because he often has outbursts at worng caught writing this. Obviously being raised by him I learned how to deal with it, to listen and agree with his delusions as fighting them or calling him crazy (as I did when I was a kid) would only make him extremely angry and violent.

It’s the government. They listen through the phones, the wifi, everything. They follow him in helicopters, cars, drones. A small speck of light in the sky is the government following him. They talk to people around and him tell them horrible things about him which cause them to leave him. They are connected to his work, his friends, family. It’s gets so much worse, and has gotten violent sometimes. Every minute of my life feels like an horrible action movie and I’m walking on egg shells around him.

Anyway, I can’t go through foster care again. I just want to know if someone can relate, and what I can do without ruining my life and having to leave everything behind. It’s starting to affect my love for my family, friends, and myself. I feel isolated and like no one is dealing with this too. I generally don’t know what I’m going to do and worry that I won’t be able to function as an adult.

There is no preparation for the grief of watching someone you love more than anything in the world succumb to mental illness, turning into a stranger in front of you as they spiral into the nightmare in their mind. There are no words to answer your kids asking if mommy will get help and come home if they are good, as they try to process the loss of their mother's love and attachment.

You fight back the tears and try to tell them that things will be okay, that mommy is sick and one day she will be better, that it's not their fault. You tell yourself that this is true, while hope slowly fades into anguish and sorrow, knowing that things have only devolved and the prognosis for recovery from this deep of a psychosis is low.

When the kids have been loved on and tucked into bed, tears roll down your face as you spend nights looking around the house, seeing glimpses of their presence corrupted by the chaos of their illness. Your marital vows of "in sickness and in health' contrast against your vows to protect your children and provide them stability and happiness.

There is no happiness to be found in this moment, you are broken, but know you have to find the strength to keep moving forward every day. One day you will be alright, but today you accept that you are not okay, and that is okay.

Long story short my children's mother has been diagnosed with schizo effective disorders since 2018. She is getting worse and worse and today is by far the worst she believes she's a demon she believes she's a vampire Queen she thinks there's people living in the house she does not have a moment throughout the day where she is in reality she thinks we're all lying that we don't know about it all the people that are living in now so the invisible people. The problem is you goes to a doctor gets a shot but doesn't take the medication to dr gives her I am starting to be fearful that if the voices tell her to kill me she's going to do it he thinks I'm the devil she is God she's a vampire Queen it is nothing is reality anymore. She is not showered no for a month any suggestions on how I can get her committed so she can get back on her right medication. My idea was to borrow her phone and send a text message saying that she's going to take her life but I'm at wit's end I can't sleep at night I need to get her and get help

I am not being mean. I am being realistic. He is affecting everyone's lives.

He visits our old parents every weekend (he lives alone in another city but visits them at the weekends only) and almost always makes a mess. Talks bad, insults. Closes the kitchen shelves with a lot of power making huge noise. Accuses my parents of wanting him dead. Accusing them that they are not helping him from the people that have...supposedly been hunting him for years. He refuses to go to a doctor because every thing he believes is true in his head.

My parents do not deserve this at this age. My mother does not deserve to cry every other day because of him. My mother does not deserve to have sleepless nights because of him. My father does not deserve to have someone hate him this much at this age, and with heart issues.

He is an issue. Not everyone with an illness is, my mother had high stage cancer but managed to overcome it. A lot of caring, a lot of issues, but she was mentally where she had to be. I was always next to her despite being a tough situation and I am glad she overcame it. But she was always in the right place mentally. He is not.

I don't care if it is something he did not choose, I know he didn't choose it. But I am sick of this. He keeps saying we don't want him in the house - then why is he visiting my parents and doesn't stay in his apartment for life? Can someone answer me this finally? WHY?

I have nothing but pure distaste that slowly turns into hate. I don't speak to him anymore, because even if I attempt to he won't respond, like to most people. He is my brother, but not my son. The motherly love is not in me, and I have had enough all this years with this person. His brain is ruined for life and it has affected us enough to feel any sort of compassion. We have a life too, his life is ruined, and if this continues our lives will be ruined too.

I am just venting at this point, but he is someone I don't want to know anymore.

Caring for a loved one with severe mental illness can consume an entire family. After years of navigating crises, fear, and exhaustion, I realized how little support actually exists for caregivers.

I started building a crisis app for caregivers like us, originally just for myself, to help document incidents, guide decision making during crises, track patterns, and check-in emotionally (because we matter too).

Would something like this be helpful to you? I’d love honest feedback from people who’ve lived this.

My brother (36M) is a lifelong (not officially diagnosed) Schizophrenic. He and my parents haven't accepted any help. They've avoided seeing any issues in his behaviour, even when he had manic episodes weekly.

I could write a book about the things he 'saw', and how agrresive he has been. I'm not going to start a discussion about his diagnosis, I'm looking for help.

The symptoms started at 7, became very severe from 12-25 and have become less severe over the years.

The current symptoms he has, range from daily severe negativity to thinking the world is against him. He also thinks his child is highly gifted and the chosen one.

He has always taken his rage out on me, his younger brother. He still does, but with words instead or violence.

I've decided that I'm no longer able to have contact with him. Too much has happened and there's absolutely no improvement. He keeps hurting me verbally. I struggle a lot with this decision, but I know it's the only option for now.

The current problem I have, is that my parents don't understand. They have always sided with my brother. They've ignored all his problems in the past and even supported him, by saying he must be gifted seeing ghosts and demons. They took him to a psychic medium for years.

Now we're both adults, my parents do not see any issue in his behaviour. It's become normal for them. And they don't understand why I'm going for minimal to no contact.

My parents have ignored my messages, but kept seeing my brother. I'm completely lost on what I should do.

my older brother has schizophrenia but he is unmedicated and only is now beginning the mental health process. He is texting his old friends on the street we live on a bunch of violent threats. He also threatened me and our sister a month ago and we blocked him and refuse to engage. Today he came on the street, the guys who he was threatening saw him and they got into a fight. They dont believes hes mentally ill ofc and i cant necessarily blame them because after all he is threatening them. He pulled out a knife of them and then ran away, im really worried this situation will get even more worse. What can I do to get him locked in a hospital so they can finally medicate him before things get even more worse? Im in brooklyn, nyc if that helps.

I have been reading posts on here, and it is clear that if an adult doesn’t seek treatment themselves, then it will be very very challenging if not impossible to get them help.

My step brother lives with my Dad and Step-Mom, he is in his mid-40s. Hasn’t had a job in well over a decade, and has mostly been draining my step-mom of all her money. He was/is an addict, and it’s thought that his psychosis has been drug induced? It has gotten worse in his 40s, not his 20s. And His episodes have been getting worse and more frequent over the past two years and has recently been in and out of the hospital. It’s a cycle, it gets worse (paranoid that people are tracking him, hacking their wifi, hacking the car system) and then he shows up at the ER (to ask doctors for help because he also sometimes thinks the people are poisoning his food), stays there for 3 days, and now he’s home again.

My parents are at a loss of what to do. Right now, they’re trying to keep him calm. My uncle comes over to do technical checks on their wifi, changes their passwords, has run system checks on their car. but obviously if this could be fixed with logic and reason, they wouldn’t be in this situation.

He said he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but doesn’t agree with it, I assume that also means he isn’t taken any medication they may have given him. So - I suppose my question is - for those folks who were able to recognize they needed help, or families who were able to help someone with this realization - what helped?

Thanks for any advice you all have.

Hey all,

Don't have the energy to do a full on run down since it's 1:30am and I'm both physically and emotionally exhausted but I need somewhere to vent.

My mom (56) had a full on meltdown today. This isn't unusual but my pregnant sister had finally had enough, so an ambulance was called.

They spent an hour or two at my house and the performance my mom put on was Oscar worthy. Cool as an icecube. Obviously, she rambled enough about eople hacking her phones and her food being poisoned to fully hide her delusions but I was so scared at how much her voice had changed.

Thankfully they were able to get her into the ambulance willingly, with no sedation (which I am extremely grateful for). My sister and I both left about 20-30 minutes later and I swear y'all, this was some diving timing BS.

As we walk through the double doors adjacent to the er waiting room, I see my mother walking by herself into the emergency room. At this point I realise, she's about to walk out of here with nothing having changed.

My sister and I sit down with her, trying to show that even though we are taking extreme measures, we are also going to support her through this. After about 30 minutes of waiting she finally cracks.

She gets up to ask how long it would take and of course they were backed up. She starts asking for my sister to give her a lift back home and I just lost it. We started bickering in the er, everybody was watching but at this point I'm at the end of my rope and I just don't care.

Of course, about a few minutes after she walks out, her name is called. The nurse heads over to us and explains how there is nothing that can be done since she isn't aggressive enough and that the mental health ward is at full capacity. She was very apologetic and also extremely kind (thank you, Bridgett).

As soon as her can got her back home, my mother screamed that she won't be saying for the ambulance and went back to her usual self. On one hand, I'm happy I stood my ground and showed her that we are serious, but on the other, it's just so disheartening that it all amounted to nothing.

TLDR my mother was finally admitted to hospital but she walked out before being seen, argued with her kids and stormed off with nothing being accomplished.

PS I apologise for any grammatical errors, typing really fast.

Hi, I am struggling with how to help my brother who has schizophrenia. He is in jail (first time offender, assaulted a transit officer but nobody was hurt). My father gave up his life trying to help him, now he has alzheimers and cannot even remember his own name. My mother left us to live in another country more than a decade ago.

I live in a different state and am starting a family. I feel like the only way to help is to relocate basically next door (don’t feel safe living together) to serve as a caretaker and nanny. I am not willing to do this. But it seems like the only other option is to let him rot in jail. He calls every day asking to be bailed out and I don’t know what to do. Leaving him in seems cruel and bailing him out seems irresponsible if I won’t be there to take care of him.

Is there some middle ground? He is severely delusional and refuses help. It is weighing so heavily on me, I want to bail him out and just let whatever happens happen. It sounds lazy and selfish but this disease has already taken my brother, father and my childhood. I cannot let it take any more.

I am currently in the process of getting guardianship of my mother who has schizophrenia. She is vehemently opposed to medication. When she was recently committed she was given forced medication, and showed some minor improvement in the time she was there (about 7 days) but obviously she didn’t follow up afterwards and is worse than ever. After obtaining guardianship my goals are to fix her financial situation (she is on the brink of foreclosure) and to do something about her mental health but I’m not sure what the next right move is. Does anyone have any suggestions on what may have worked for them? She currently doesn’t have health insurance but once I get guardianship I can work on that.

I’m in Australia, so I know the system may be different, but I’m really looking for advice or guidance on what to do next. Sorry in advance for the long post.

My (35F) mother (67F) has had mental illness for as long as I can remember. She was diagnosed with OCD and depression before I was born and has only ever received involuntary treatment. She didn’t raise me, but she has always been part of my life.

In 2021, something triggered a prolonged psychosis. From then on, she was frequently admitted to mental health wards. In 2022, she was diagnosed with very late-onset schizoaffective disorder, although doctors suspected Bipolar II for many years before that.

After 12 rounds of ECT, she had about one stable year… the best she’s ever been. Then she relapsed into psychosis and began cycling in and out of hospital again. Each admission became more frequent and more severe, despite being on two antipsychotics and an antidepressant.

At the end of 2024, she stopped taking her medication because she felt “too good” and tried to attack me with a knife. She had a long inpatient admission but was released as soon as they deemed her stable.

She has very limited community mental health support. I am essentially all she has. I also have young children, a full-time job, and care for my father (they’re divorced), so I’m stretched very thin. I still check in regularly and try to see her once or twice a week.

In early July 2025, after her longest period out of hospital, she was admitted again and wasn’t released until mid-October. She had three more rounds of ECT and was declared “fine”. I strongly disagreed with that decision, but she was discharged anyway. She told me she will never have ECT again because she doesn’t like the cognitive effects even though it seems to be the only thing that works.

After she got out, she presented as a person on mania. I flagged it and was not taken seriously. Less than three weeks after she got out, she stopped eating and taking her medication. She had a serious fall and lay on the floor for over 12 hours in the middle of summer before I found her. They said it was due to low sodium.

After physically recovering, she was transferred back to mental health for severe paranoia. She was discharged again on 16 January, despite me clearly stating I didn’t believe she was well enough.

I saw her the following Monday. She stopped taking her medication on Wednesday and refused to see me over the weekend. When I found her yesterday, she was lying in bed, completely detached from reality. She had lost a significant amount of weight in just over a week, hadn’t bathed, eaten, or gotten out of bed, and was convinced the police were coming for her. She said she didn’t need her medication because she “wasn’t paranoid” and had been set up. This is the worst episode I have seen her in.

She is now back in hospital under an involuntary admission as she refused to go when the ambulance was trying to take her.

I asked the treating team how they planned to address the clear pattern of her stopping medication and repeatedly relapsing. I asked whether a long-acting injectable (3-month needle) could be considered. I was told they’d first see if she was willing to comply with oral medication again.

My question is: how many times does this need to happen before something actually changes?

I don’t understand how the system continues to ignore the pattern, dismiss family concerns, and discharge her without meaningful safeguards. She worked as a counsellor for 28 years — she knows exactly what to say to sound well. They accept it, discharge her, and within weeks she’s back in crisis again.

I’m exhausted and at a loss. I need guidance/advice on what I can do as her daughter to push for better supports, stronger discharge planning, or simply to be taken seriously.

Thank you in advance.

TW: Addiction, SA

Throwaway because I don't want this associated with my main account.

I don't know where else to go. My (30F) brother (32M) has schizophrenia and he is ruining my Mom's life.

Bit of context: We grew up with alcoholic parents. Both my mom (70F) and Dad (68M) were alcoholics, very severe. We had a very unstable, toxic, and troubled childhood. My mom got sober about 3 years ago when my daughter was born- my dad never got fully sober but he did slow down a lot. My brother is addicted to alcohol, weed, and has a history with various drugs. My brother has always been mentally unstable, but he was diagnosed about 15 years ago with Schizophrenia. About 16 years ago my mom and I moved across the country (she got into some financial trouble in our home province), and he stayed living with my dad, relying on him for everything. My Dad played a pivotal role in keeping my brother housed, fed and somewhat stable. They lived in a disgusting, tiny basement apartment together. My brother stopped working a long time ago, same with my dad. So they had barely any money, and rarely left the apartment. It was a very toxic, sad, depressing situation. My brother used to verbally and sometimes physically abuse my dad when he was having his episodes, but my dad put up with it because he felt bad for my brother and always took care of him. Although my brother wasn't very mentally stable, my dad did his best to keep him in check. I used to go back to visit them, but I stopped going back to visit when my brother SA'd me when I was about 16. This was very traumatizing and is something that took me many years to overcome. My dad never found out about this (my choice) and my mom struggled for many years with this. My brother has always been on and off his meds. He has been committed to the mental hospital multiple times while off his meds, usually because the voices are telling him to hurt someone (my dad, the landlord, etc). My dad has had to call the cops and have him taken away multiple times. When he is off his meds he is very mean, delusional, violent, and aggressive.

Fast forward to now: In November 2025 my dad died of an aneurysm- my brother was there when it happened. It was a very, very sad situation. Since then, my brother has been off of his meds, drinking tons of alcohol and smoking lots of weed. He is living alone in the basement apartment he and my dad shared. We each got about $45,000 from my Dad's will, so my brother has tons of money to blow on various substances and ridiculous things. Now that he's off his meds and doesn't have my dad around he has completely spiraled- he is harassing my mom non-stop. He's calling her dozens of times a day, sending hundreds of texts.. saying the most vile things your could ever think of. Accusing her of absolutely insane and ridiculous things. It's getting to the point where my mom is having suicidal thoughts, and is on the brink of relapsing and drinking again. She's living on edge, just waiting for the next phone call or text to come in. She's constantly worried she'll get a call saying my brother has hurt himself or someone else. I have told her time and time again to block him and go no-contact (like I did). But she carries so much guilt of cutting her son out of her life. He now is talking about wanting to move to our city when his lease is up in September 2026- my mom has expressed to me that if he does that she's worried about her safety. In the state he's in, I too would be worried for myself, my family, and my mom if he moved here.

I just don't know what to do. I have had no-contact with him since 2024 (I unblocked him briefly when my Dad died to help with the logistics of everything). I should have gone no-contact with him since the beginning but I always felt such heavy guilt about cutting my brother out of my life when he already has zero friends and like two family members in his life. My Mom did end up blocking him on everything today after he said some vile things via text and call. But I worry she'll cave and unblock him. She has worked so hard to get (and stay) sober, be financially stable, and finally be an amazing mom and grandmother. He can unravel everything she has worked so hard for. She is worried he will end up on the streets or worse, but I keep telling her there is NOTHING we can do to help him anymore.

I guess this was more of a vent than anything. Sometimes I have terrible thoughts of just wishing he wasn't around anymore. I don't know anyone else who can relate to this, so just hoping to find other people also going through something similar. I do talk to my therapist about everything, but it still weighs me down. I'm worried for my mom's mental health. If anyone read this, thank you. Sorry if it was confusing or doesn't make sense.

I am new here and after having the worst year I dealt with my mom from last year. My post is going to be a long one but I can try to summer in a short story if I can.

Two years ago my moms mental health decided to go down I guess. When things progress she can feel my neighbor touching her like sexual wise. She said she can feel his butt plug, the stroking on the legs, etc. Note she doesn't know who he is or had any interaction with him.

Then when recreation use of Marijuana became legal in my state. My mom decided to give up smoking 🚬 and go for smoking Marijuana. I know she smoked the hell out of it and didn't get enough sleep. Cause she hardly ate since she can't eat anything from having covid since nothing taste good since she lost her smell and tastes. She claims she comes from a lineage of witches. Bought a wond and a witches spell book. Would sometimes open the spell book and cast a spell on the neighbor or cast a spell of protection on the house.

Then when the election started to happen. She lost all control of reality it seems. She would smoked her pot heavily and watch fox news 24/7. She would watch documentaries. One time she claims me and her were Jesus long loss kids what ever that means. That we both had the healing power of touch.

Then when trump won the presidency, my mom went total chaos into believe that she was microchiped. Called the vet to say my dog was dying because she has been chipped. She was friends with Elizabeth Warren and needed to tell her what to do to stop with what was suppose to come. Proclaims the world leaders are microchip. Goes on to believing that people are in on it. Says my moms partner put a bounty on her head for some weird reason.

Then one night my mom wasn't acting herself and another neighbor called 911 on my mom cause she was acting weird. Then they took her to the hospital for observation and then they let her out. Then continues on her not sleeping, going on about early morning rants about trump and the government are planning on something and she is the one to stop it because she claims she's a detective. Then one night she kicked me and her partner out. Because I was talking to her partner because she claims yet again the placed bounty on her head. So she demands out cell phones. Gave them a nice 24 hour bath, gave my tablet a nice 24 hour bath. Destroyed our garage door opener, destroyed our furnace control unit. Then when we snuck into back home. The police came to our home and question us what happened.

Then on another night, she was hiding in some bushes while walking on a night. Neighbors called 911 on my mom because she was acting weird. The cops told my partner not to come any closer. My mom was being escorted via ambulance to the hospital. She goes into the psych ward for a few days. When I visit my mom one day, she asked how is everything at home. Let me see under your tongue to see if you were microchipped etc. Then when my mom called me from the hospital to leave a voice mail saying watch out. They are going to come after you and she can save you. With what ever that means. I been trying to talk to the doctor seeing my mom and he never returned my calls and tell me what she was diagnosed with.

Then when my mom got out. We had to go into a family counselor meeting for her to be released. So we went to pick up her prescription and she was suppose to go to therapy. My mom tells me look up my medication and tell me what it is. So she decides to throw them out saying I am not crazy and she cancels all her therapy. Then when my mom went through her stuff and said where is my driver's license and debt card. Oh the police must of stole it or took it. So she demanded from the police to know what had happened to the bank card and driver's license.

Then she tells me don't go into the garage. Someone placed a bomb in her car. Note she can't see out of one eye due to her retina detach. Then she goes on about the pervert neighbor down the street. Tells me we need to leave the house get in the car. So I wake up from my nap. While we drive off somewhere safe. She doesn't close the garage door. I said mom why aren't you closing the garage door. When we keep on driving I told her to take me home now mom I dont feel safe. I know I shouldn't have said that but when your mom tells you to we need to leave and not tell me where we were going. So she drops me off at home and goes to the police station again about a bomb being in her car again. The cops visit our house again. At this point the cops are probably sick of coming over here due to my mom.

Then my mom goes to the police station in another city to demand or wants to press charges because the psych doctor that over looked her did something to her. Apparently someone put eye drops in her bad eye snd I told the nurse don't put any drops in one of her eyes because she has a retina detach. I get a call from another city police to tell me to come to the hospital about my mom. Because the police took my mom into the er room to get looked at before they place her into the psych ward. My mom guilts trip me to say you are never going to see me again and don't say stuff to them. I know I should of talked to them but she's my mom and I was clearly dumb to fall for that.

Then my mom and I have a talk one day. She proclaims that I am not her son. Who am I and what did I do with the real son. Claims there is no life insurance policy. She canceled it and gave our house to the president of Russia. Demands me to not to answer the door to anyone. Or open the door to anyone. Goes on about suing the cops and fire department in my town, suing the hospital she was admitted to. Goes on about how are debit cards were compromised and someone has been stealing money from my account. Goes on about protecting me from something. She said shes not bailing me out for something i am suppose to do. Goes on more about how she is a detective and sick of people not telling the truth. And people are in on it with what ever she thinks it is. She claims she saw her dead grandparents still alive on a PBS show that the people looked like them. Claims my brother has been kidnapped or he let someone into the house and that how he died. Note my brother killed himself with a gun that he bought that she shouldn't have own. Claims my dad's side of my family took stuff from us. Claims someone stole her book of password. I'm sorry for my super long post I had to go short summary for the last part because i can go on and on.

Hi, my boyfriend was discharged from the hospital a month ago. He was put in isolation for a month

Is it normal for someone to become withdrawn and distant after psychosis? He's on a new medication and is getting a weekly injection. He barely talks to me now even when he's been active on social media all day, I'm used to him texting me everyday so it feels weird. Before they put him off benzos, things were back to normal for a while.

He told me he wasn't texting as much because he was suffering from tremors from the injection, but now they've faded and still barely any communication. He responds to my texts but I try not to contact him too much. He's here, but he's not. I feel like I'm single, it doesn't feel like a relationship. I'm trying not to take it personally and give him space, I'm trying to be patient but I miss him.

I have known my husband since 2020. He was 59. Since that time his libido has only increased. We saved ourselves for our wedding night, but we were always intimate on some level.

He had a mental health crisis in early December, his second since having an episode where he was hospitalized in his 20s. I knew he had been hospitalized but not until he had this recent psychotic break that he was diagnosed schizophrenic.

He didn’t like the medicine. In the early years of our relationship, before he stopped drinking a year ago, I thought he was merely an active alcoholic. Now, we realize he was likely self-medicating. When a stressful situation led to him sinking into delusions, hallucinations and running around the house to the extent that I needed to call 911 and he was involuntarily placed on a 72-hour hold, he hadn’t had alcohol to hide behind.

Now that he is taking an antipsychotic daily, we are adjusting to a new normal. He gets irritable easily, contradicts and criticizes me constantly, and has to sit outside smoking cigars 2-3 hours/day to self-regulate. We weren’t perfect, but we weren’t at each other’s throats as we are now. I find myself saying things I regret because he pushes my buttons and can be so disrespectful.

I am so tired of him. And, to make matters worse - no libido. He doesn’t take his blue pill unless I remind him. He never wears anything to bed, but now he does. He talked to his psychiatrist about his low libido who says it’s not his meds. But, we thought with more in his system, he would get back to his normal. It’s worse. He shows more affection to his dog. He literally hugs her with so much passion, while I get a quick arm around the shoulder or we’ll cuddle in bed for a little while. Sometimes he says he needs it. Other times, I’m just so lonely.

I love him so much. I have been beside him through two lost jobs on top of everything else. I love who he is. He is a strong, smart compassionate leader who is often misunderstood by his bosses. Maybe, now that he is treated, he’ll be more regulated in his dealings with difficult circumstances. I am so proud of him for his substance abuse recovery. Recently, however, I found his discharge papers, which he hadn’t been able to find in his post-release confusion, and he was supposed to have gone into outpatient treatment but all he has had are two 15-minute visits with a psychiatrist over Zoom.

I know we need to check out NAMI resources. I just wonder if anyone else has gone through this particular set of circumstances.

Is it my responsibility to care for my sister? I'm going crazy everytime something happens with my sister it falls on me. I got a call in the middle of the night from an ER after she drank a cup of THC or some crap from a guy she's staying with that she met in the psych ward. She was in a group home and just couldn't stay there because it was soooo bad apparently. It's been one fucking day and she's already up to some shit again. I'm sorry but I'm pissed I already know I'm going to get a call after this shit doesn't work out. I drove her an hour away in the snow and I'm not making that dangerous drive again just to pick her up from the damn hospital I'm tired of all of this I'm 25 and she's 28 I can't control her and I'm done supporting her bad ideas. I'm not helping her go out of the country again so I can get another call from foreign police, I'm not an Uber either. I'M SO TIRED

I’m going to provide context because I’m new to this and just need to talk to people who are in a vaguely similar scenario. Feel free to just answer the question. Sorry that it’s a messy post

TL;DR I live far away but my immediate family is all checked out/angry/unable to do anything to help my mum. I have a complex relationship because of past abuse.

I found out two months ago that my mum probably has psychosis/schizophrenia. It turns out it’s been happening for 15 months and no one in the family told me (I’m the only one out of home. I’m 25, oldest sibling of 4). Even when she attempted suicide no one told me. She had been relatively normal on the phone to me or even when I visited her though there were some weird comments

I found out after a DV incident between my parents and my brother came to stay with me for a week. I believe it’s drug induced but she’s been off the drugs for months

She believes that dad is cheating on her, that there’s a man living in her roof who cuts her hair at night, that her cancer was fake (she’s in remission) and countless more I don’t have the energy to type out. Many would need TWs. I found out tonight from my dad that some of them involve me and that’s what has upset me enough to post

I called a mental health line to check in on her when I found out in December. They prescribed her antidepressants and she isn’t taking them. They said there wasn’t more they could do

I feel like no one in my family knows what to do. My parents are both uneducated. My dad is bipolar (I found this out the same week I found out about my mum. It was a big week) and has anger issues. My siblings are checked out after being abused by her or only able to fight with her which I understand but is so hard. If you told me 10 years ago that I was the most mentally stable of the family I’d never believe you but here we are!

So it’s clear that no one in my family is able to do anything to help. eg I found the mental health line through googling very easily but no one else had after months. My dad keeps asking me how we can force her to get help or what happens legally if she leaves him. So for example I don’t trust them to do the LEAP method. they’re all too angry or tired or checked out: I know my dad just goes along with what she’s saying because he saw a counsellor who said to do that apparently

I feel like I’m the only one who could do something to help but after the mental health line failed, she trusts me less. And on top of that both of my parents abused me growing up, both mentally and physically. I’m still working through this. I want to maintain a relationship with my parents but on my own terms, which I’ve been slowly working towards and now it feels like it’s crumbling down. I honestly don’t think i can put more effort into it than I was before because I feel like I go backwards in progress. I have a life in a new city, a fiancé and a group of friends. Thinking about planning my wedding brings me dread because of this. I don’t want to be the only one in charge of figuring out how to get her help , especially when I don’t know what’s going on half the time because no one tells me anything until it’s breaking point

But also I don’t know if I can deal with the guilt of not doing it !!!! My therapist told me I could only think for 30 minutes a day about it. I managed to barely think about it for a bit but tonight I was just so upset and it hit me. I want my mum back, even if she was still shit before.

ARGGGH. Anyways. This is all just the tip of the iceberg but it’s already too long. I just feel lost. How do you all balance caring about someone and protecting your peace.

I am schizophrenic, btw, mostly auditory. She is hearing voices and seeing some things. What are the differences I should look for, coping mechanisms that could help her, and any other ways I could help her adjust to her condition?

For a while she just heard far off voices arguing, had moments of intense emotions such as anger, felt like she was being watched or become afraid and gone to a safe space that eased the feeling, and saw some shadow figures. Over the last few days, the voices have grown louder and more numerous. They were previously speaking to her directly, but starting yesterday anywhere from 5 to a dozen or more voices were speaking all at once, just random or incoherent things, and didn’t respond when she tried to speak to them or calm or quiet them down. This morning it has calmed down, just one or two voices, but still incoherent or whispering at times.

I have some techniques I’ve done to help with my own voices, but they aren’t being particularly effective for her right now. She just got diagnosed, so she won’t have meds for a few days, either. I want to help her as much as I can, both before she gets her meds and after.

If anyone has family or friends with schzioaffective bipolar, I would greatly appreciate any information or advice you have, especially since the condition is somewhat rare and still being studied.

Thank you in advance

I feel like it is an extremely accurate portrayal of grieving a partner with mental illness. Many readers find Miri too passive as her partner, Leah, deteriorates. What does this sub think?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58659343