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How to help SIL?

5 replies

busyprocrastinating · 20/11/2024 08:29

4 years ago SIL withdrew from everyone saying she had an illness that makes her smell. No one has ever smelt her. Since then she spends most of her time in the house and if anyone goes over she hides away in her room- including eating her xmas dinner alone. She lives with FIL.

In this time MIL died and she is clearly struggling with grief and only ever leaves the house to visit the grave.
There are 3 brothers all with partners and children. She will see one BIL consistently and his DC. The other BIL is less consistent as is DH and she also refuses to see our DC saying DS told her she smelt of coins when he was 6.

Earlier this week she sent DH a barrage of abuse saying no one cares about her and she wants to kill herself. However, FIL refuses to let anyone 'challenge' her as he says that it will cause her to have a nervous breakdown. He says when she is physically sorted then she can get mental health help to reintegrate into society. He also told me she threw something at him and refused to talk to him for days. He struggled with his own grief and says the situation with SIL is a black cloud over him yet refuses to push her to get help.
She has now told DH she wants to die but she won't do anything as she needs to take care of FIL.

I feel that she uses this illness to hide behind and the brothers are now saying wait and see what the antibiotics she was on have done. I think something needs to be done and she needs help - but what can I do? Any advice would be very welcome.

OP posts:
SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 20/11/2024 08:33

I don’t think she is being manipulative, she sounds mentally ill. Fil needs to protect himself and SIL needs help but as you say that’s not easy. Try suggesting she sees her gp to get help with the suicidal feelings as she may realise that they are not healthy.

Shinyandnew1 · 20/11/2024 08:42

the brothers are now saying wait and see what the antibiotics she was on have done

What have the antibodies got to do with it? When was she in those-4 years ago or recently? She sounds like she is in a mental health crisis.

busyprocrastinating · 20/11/2024 08:50

She won't see a GP- she won't leave the house or see anyone.
I agree about the antibiotics she was on these last week. If she even was. She claims it's them that have caused her to be depressed and that the doctor advised she ate loads of rubbish to encourage the bad stuff that makes her smell out of her system.
I totally agree she is in a mental health crisis but I don't know what, if anything, I can do

OP posts:
kaela100 · 20/11/2024 09:17

It might sound obvious but has anyone verified whether she smells? A sudden case of depression / strange smells / personality changes can all be symptoms of physical health problems too like brain cancer.

busyprocrastinating · 20/11/2024 09:24

No one can smell her. Her answer to that is that her dad and brothers share the same genes and that is why they can't smell her. Everyone else is just a liar

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