PTSD01Casual Contributor
Don't know what to do ...
My mum, 71, has a history of irrational and paranoid behaviour. Had a major psychotic episode last year and was hospitalised, diagnosed with a mental illness and placed on medication. Since then my dad and her main carer, passed away late last year. She was taking her medication and then stopped a couple of months ago. Her mental health is deteriorating to the point where she no longer answers call from me, my brother or her sister, she won't respond to texts, either. Her mobile is her only form of contact. We all live in different towns and she has continued to live independently, seemingly successfully until recently.
She would not let my husband (her son-in-law of 20 years) in to her house, then my brother went over to take her out to lunch for her birthday and she shut the door in his face. Her sister went there today and same response, she looked surprised at first, asked her how she had got there (she lives in another town) and then before she received an answer, shut the door and would not come back to talk to her. After my aunt was knocking for a while she finally yelled through the door to her: "You've got the wrong address, go away!".
I have called Mental Health triage in her city several times expressing my concerns. They know her from when she had her psychotic episode last year. They tell me there is nothing I can do, or they can do, unless she seeks treatment voluntarily, or she becomes a threat to someone else, or herself.
What I want to know is this: should we persist in trying to get her help that we think she needs or should we respect her wishes, no matter how we fear they are based on irrational thought, and let her make her own choices. The presumption is she will ask for help when she wants or needs it, this has not been the case in the past.
Do we now take a step back and wait for her to have another major psychotic episode, because that seems to be our only choice. She thinks other family members are "out to destroy her" and most likely we are now added to that list evidenced by her recent behaviour towards us. She won't talk to us, so how can we help her? We have called the police for a welfare check once and the police said she "presented well". End of story. I don't know what else to do and the guilt is ripping me apart.
Please help ...
