Just over a year ago my mother started talking to me about things that didn’t make too much sense.
She believed her neighbors often would yell things threw the walls at her. She moved to a different province shortly after (as my parents retired.) She claimed the neighbors wrote letters to the police about her because she occasionally smoked weed.
Since moving she has been having constant delusions that a neighbor is stalking her. To the point where she won’t talk to me on the phone in the house. She has to go outside to talk “about the stalker” he has wired her house so he knows everything she is doing. He knows where she keeps things. He takes pictures of her. She hears his voice everywhere. She seems weird when she talks like she is watching what she says because of who can hear.
We got her to see a doctor but they only did blood work and everything came back okay. She truly believes these things are happening to her and now will only talk to my sister about it (because she told my mom she believed her) she refuses that she needs help.
Things have only been getting worst. She called the cops on “him” when they arrived at the house she had the cops listen to the tea kettle and she claimed she could hear his voice.
She is turning against my father. She believes he is planting drugs with her fingerprints around the property to have her taken away. Also that he is divorcing her (in secret)
she tried running away the other night with a bag of clothing. My father went out looking for her and found her.
I want to help them. I feel horrible for my family. But he refuses she’s sick, and is slowly turning against us.
What can we do to help her get help? My father is all alone and says he’s okay but I know how hard it has to be.
She could be experiencing psychosis. Psychosis is a break with reality. She seems to be paranoid and delusional. That’s evidenced by her fear of the neighbors and now members of your family. Psychosis is associated with disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Typically, people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder-type conditions begin experiencing symptoms in their late teens or early 20s. For your mother to develop these conditions later in life, would not be the norm but it also would not be rare.
She could be experiencing an organic brain condition. For example brain tumors, cysts, dementia, certain types of epilepsy, and strokes can all cause psychosis. She was evaluated by a doctor but only blood was drawn. A more thorough evaluation with a specialist is necessary.
You mentioned that your mother occasionally smokes marijuana. Marijuana is a hallucinogenic drug. In the United States, it’s classified as a schedule 1 drug which means that it has a high potential for abuse and no medical value. Studies show that people who use marijuana are at an increased risk for developing psychosis when compared to people who do not use marijuana. It’s possible that your mother’s symptoms are the result of her marijuana use.
Your mother should consult a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialized training in mental illnesses. He or she would be in the best position to determine what’s wrong. Depending on his or her evaluation, the psychiatrist might recommend that she be evaluated by a neurologist. A neurologist is a specialist in brain diseases.
It’s imperative that your mother be evaluated immediately. Go to the emergency room if necessary. Generally speaking, psychosis does not go away on its own. It requires intervention. The sooner the better. She needs help now. Please take care.
Dr. Kristina Randle
