My husband is acting is strangely

He is literally saying he needs help so please start with his GP or call the mental health crisis team in your area. Also please don’t listen to anyone telling you that his awareness means it can’t be that serious. It’s not unheard of for people to be aware of their deteriorating mental health and some people do self report. I know it’s scary but it’s the best way to get him help and stop the situation from escalating further.

And to everyone who is saying this could be psychosis, yes it could be but there are many causes of it - lots of which are not purely mental health diagnosis. It is important to rule other things out and also never become fixated on a diagnosis but to remain aware that things can change and the diagnosis may be different than expected.

This is very misleading. People leading up to a break with reality do go in and out of lucidity.

Please take him to A&E @Deppcandouno. He needs assessment urgently, it could be a mental health condition or a physical one with these symptoms and he needs to be seen and assessed. I have first hand experience of mental health symptoms actually turning out to be a very serious medical condition in a member of my family.

No matter what happens, look after yourself too, this must be so scary for you. I know how I felt when we went through things as a family x

I’m no expert apart from being sectioned myself. It seems quite bizarre for him to say that he thinks he meets the criteria for being sectioned. The threshold for being sectioned is incredibly high in the UK and there wouldn’t be any need to section him if he was willing to comply with treatment anyway.
It sounds like he does need assessment by the crisis team though to see what is going on with him.

There’s not a lot of point in calling 111. Either Google for your local 24/7 Crisis line and call them or take him straight to A&E.

I hope OP and her husband are okay. It’s such a worry.

@GeekyDiva80 that is a bit like saying the people who talk about committing suicide don’t do it. Dangerous view to have.

@Deppcandouno just get your husband to A&E. Even if he doesn’t need sectioning there’s obviously something going on that he needs help coping with.

Please call 111 option 2

This. My DMum had to be sectioned twice and it nearly broke her spirit entirely.

Britain is not a nice place to have poor MH. The provision is terrible.

If you have children in the house your very first priority is to have them cared for by trusted adults.

If you google mental health crisis line and your county it should come up with a number you can call, they can advise. Or you can just head to your local A&E. I think it’s important to rule out tumours etc.

Please do so urgently.

I'm not sure who your friend is, or if she is paying for some kind of retreat - but she certainly isn't being sectioned on the NHS in England. There is a high threshold for sectioning and it absolutely is not a 'break'. If OP's husband is doing this for a break he'll soon regret it. MH wards are not nice places.

I'm not sure this is true in all cases. A family member of mine was behaving strangely, having hallucinations, hearing voices, they nonetheless still recognised that something was wrong and asked to be taken to hospital as they were frightened. It turned out to be a psychotic episode. I would take him to A&E.

Agree with others saying if he wants help then it’s is a really good time to get help. A full on psychotic crisis is scary for everyone and by then he might not be so compliant.

I would take him to a&e immediately

I second trying to call a community crisis line and keep trying. It may be mild psychosis or the start of a bigger psychotic episode. If he isn’t seen by a professional this evening, I would make sure you’re aware if he tries to leave the house during the night. He may not be able to sleep and might wonder.

If he is telling you he's worried, then he'll likely comply with any treatment or intervention. Call 111 or a single point of access for the crisis team if there's one in your area. Please do it now. I've had a family member start off in a similar manner and ended up being sectioned against their will which wasn't pleasant. Tell him you're supporting him through this and get some help.
Sending you a gentle hug. Xx

Sounds like he's having an episode! I'd call 111!

The NHS is not at all like a holiday camp. I was once with my dear friend who was acting very strangely. Over several hours. Don’t shoot me down - I actually called 999 as she got progressively worse and became a danger to herself (I called them when she’d tried to harm herself whilst I was in the loo and had to wrestle a kitchen knife from her and pin her down whilst I rang them - she went from odd behaviour to a switch being flipped and was indeed having a psychotic episode). Earlier whilst more chatty she’d said she felt odd, tired, and when I offered to call her doctor she kind of laughed and said she was worried about being sectioned.

She ended up being sectioned.

The ward she was on was …. Unpleasant. But it was necessary to get her the help she needed at that time. I wish I’d called someone earlier, but I’d never been in that position before.

They won’t section him unnecessarily- but if he needs help, then please call 111 and see what they advise? It won’t do any harm and it might put your mind at rest as I imagine you’re worried and stressed too.

Yes definitely ring 111 my brother fell into phycosis aged 18 and had to be sectioned for his own safety

Call someone
What good is it to keep it quiet to the doctors but share on here?

Potentially sounds like psychosis (I'm a mental health nurse).

HOWEVER, it could be a delirium caused by an underlying physical issue, such as a UTI. He could have had a vascular event. It could be a tumour.

Providing you aren't concerned for his safety, I'd ring 111 and push for an urgent OOH GP appointment. They really need to do bloods/urine screen to rule out anything physical.

If his confusion has been sudden onset and seems acute/fluctuating the most likely cause is typically delirium, which can be caused by many things, but most commonly infection. Has he recently started any new medications? Has he had any surgery? Does he have any wounds?

Any new sudden onset confusion is very concerning and warrants a 111 call at least. If it was psychosis related to his mental health, it usually happens a little more gradually and there will have been other signs. Has he been depressed for a while, and seemed a little out of character? In this instance, it's more likely his mental health.

I'd be more scared of what will happen if you don't call. Try phoning the local Crisis Team.

I hope you’ve phoned them.

A lovely woman I know with a responsible job and family told me she was once so ill, she saw monkeys in trees, when driving home.

She sought help, got medication, and has been fine ever since.

Dont worry now, when things can be helped, and made better.

Better to get help now before things get worse.

Agree with PP OP, please get some help for your DH. If he leaves the house, you can ring the Police, who can detain him under 136 Mental health Act and take him to a place of safety (professionals). It sounds scary for you both. I hope you get the help he needs .