iPom

Need some help ... Anyone here work in mental health in Aus?

A long term friend of hub's is seriously delusional, and has been saying for years that the Masons have been invading his life. He's been followed, drugged, had things stolen by them, that they've recruited and then turned his family against him, that they've been following him across the globe and infiltrating every job he's had and made them turn against him... He's had his coffee drugged, he's had papers stolen etc etc etc. I can't begin to tell you the list of really crazy stuff he's claimed has happened. It beats any Bond movie hands down.
His dad was diagnosed as schizophrenic years back and now his son (hub's friend) is showing all the same signs.
The pattern is that he gets a new job, then he is ok for a few weeks, then starts to go a bit off track as he believes he's having his stuff searched through, and that others are out to get him and that he's being followed etc. The boss then realises he's got someone a bit odd on the staff and he gets sacked. Now he says his rent receipts have been stolen, yet on ringing his mum, she tells us he was 5 weeks behind on the rent and hadn't paid so the rental company rang her and she paid it. Things are getting much much worse and his situation is dire.

She's trying to get help for him, but because he's in his 30's, can't seem to do anything. We are worried he's going to become a danger to someone, and imo, he has an unhealthy interest in child anime porn which also concerns me. He's clearly delusional, yet can keep it under wraps long enough to get a job before it all goes haywire again.... but it's never him at fault, it's the Mason's who've infiltrated the company... again.

Is there any help for him? How can his mother intervene and get him help?

Any ideas/opinions from those who perhaps have a history with employment in mental health?

Thanks

northernbird

I seem to remember Cas does, might be worth a PM.

Shakmaty

Cas is away for a few days. I'll let her know when she comes back if no one else answers

ozzieeagle

HI... I'll ask my wife, what the NSW equivalent of the Crisis Assessment Team is.

I think it's probably called the same thing up there, the Next of Kin has to call them (probably his mother) and tell them the details, and a mobile Psychiatric team will come out and assess the extent of the problem.

Will try and remember for first thing in the morning, and will have the contact details by midday tomorrow.

Hope everything goes ok, and you should be on the right track now.

iPom

Thanks Oz, but his mum seems to have spoken to loads of organisations but they say that they can't do anything unless he becomes dangerous. ... though the way things are declining, we wouldn't like it to get to that point.

ozzieeagle

Found it myself.... here you go

New South Wales CRISIS numbers

The nearest hospital can arrange a crisis team to come or can advise where to get help in your area.

If you live on the Central Coast call Central Intake/CRISIS 24 hours, 7 days
Ph: 02 4320 3500

Your freinds mother has to phone the above No. Pronto... Now if she likes.


http://bluepages.anu.edu.au/help_and...risis_numbers/

Barcop

Hi, I am a psychiatric nurse, although I am not in Oz, but still in the UK. No one could make a diagnosis on the basis of anecdotal evidence, but your post presents a very concerning picture, and I understand your worry.

Assuming the Masons are not out to get him...

Paranoid dellusions can be devastating. A person feels insecure [a condition that evokes fear]. Suspicion is a consquence of that fear inasmuch as it creates a defensive psychology [looking for threats]. The next phase is 'awareness'. The notional view that something is not quite right and there is something to worry about. The next phase would be to identify 'significance'. A series of perceived events become meaningful as they provide evidence to support the notional view of a threat. The paranoid ideas are now a belief [false but unshakeable].

Causes can vary. This could be schizophrenia. A person with a parent or sibling with schizophrenia has approximately a 10 percent risk of developing the disorder compared to a 1 percent risk for a person with no family history of schizophrenia. The important thing is that a diagnostic assessment is required. This man is clearly affected by his symptoms; they are having a detrimental effect on his life. These symptoms can usually be treated with medication.

I do not want to make advice based on assumptions I could easily make from your description, but, from what you say, in my opinion, this man needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist. He would have nothing to loose and he could get a lot of help.

The difficulty will be that of his perception and his lack of insight. Different areas always have different policies on who can insigate service involvement and how, but I would suggest that his doctor be informed in the first instance, or local mental health services and they can discuss ways of introducing services to help make a diagnosis. I would suggest that someone documents evidence of symptoms in a journal. He cannot be forced to attend services unless he is a danger to himself or others so highlight concerns regarding any risks. This is a common problem and most mental health services can find creative ways to introduce themselves to people to start the assessment process.

This man's mother may also get support from local mental health services in terms of advice and information. I am sorry that my advice is not based on Australian systems and I do not have local knowledge. All the very best with this worrying problem.

ozzieeagle

If the Mother talks to the Crisis Assesment team proper, they are the exactly right people to talk to in this situation, even if not deemed a dangerous situation. As they will refer him to the appropriate medico's in that feild.

I suggest try again, and make sure you talk to the "mental Health Crisis assesement team" as they are the correct organisation in Australia for this kind of Situation.

I will talk to my Wife in the Morning (a emergency Psych nurse) and get clarification as to who she thinks are the exact right people to talk to in NSW.

iPom

Thanks Oz... you're a gem.
x

iPom

Hi Barcop... thanks very much. Everything you describe there fits with what's been happening to him. It's very, very worrying.
He was always a little odd at school, hub tells me, but I've known him for 10 years and he's really gone downhill in that time.
Thanks for taking the time to share all that.
x

PS - We did take lots of time to consider that what he was saying was true, but over time, the claims regarding the masons have become so outlandish that it's just impossible to believe it all.

ozzieeagle

Just gotten home from working night shift, and caught my wife before she went to work.

Yes unfortunatly the information about a danger to himself in essence is correct. However the person to talk to about this, is located at the Emergency Dept of the biggest Local general hospital, and ask for the Psychiatric Triage nurse, They will explain in full the options open to the family, this case falls fully under their duty of care. It comes down to setting up a system where he can be persuaded to get himself assessed.


I think you will find the options would be exactly the same in similar circumstances in the UK.

iPom

So this evening we got a message to say that our friend had been arrested and taken into psychiatric care...
Don't know the full details but his mum is on her way to Brissie right now.

There was nothing that anyone could do for him except wait for him to become a danger. It's sad that people are reduced to this... but at least now maybe he'll get help.

sme

The thing is they can intervene at an earlier point - begin to build a rapoort, develop a relationship, monitor etc- people can be assessed under the mental health act with less signs and symptoms your friend was displaying. Unfortunately decisions are often made resourses led so people without a diagnosis of a severe and enduring mental health illness are not deemed serious enough until of course the crisis occurs (like your husbands friend)
Sadly like the UK mental health is overstretched and underfunded in Oz.

I hope that your husbands friend recieves the treatment he needs and is soon home.

iPom

Thanks sme. I started this thread nearly a year ago. It's astonishing how long it's had to go on for him before something's happened. We'll get details tomorrow.
I hope he gets some decent help now he's been finally arrested. :-/

Gibbo

I know only too well the stress this can cause. One of my sons was in a dreadful state 7 years ago. Everyone was out to "get " him, even talking about him on the radio. We took him to the local mental health clinic. Diagnosed as schizophrenic. No family history. Was given medication. Now is on lowest dosage and is perfectly fine. There is hope. I know the hell the family is going through.