DP has ‘found his faith’

[Grumpybear16]

Be kind please. My DP has been very odd this past week, claiming that he suddenly has found his faith and talking excitedly about it. It’s all he thinks about and he didn’t sleep at all last night. He is being a much kinder more attentive person, but I’m worried it might be a mental health issue. AIBU to think this? Does anyone else have stories about finding faith?

Recent converts can be very like this. It’s all enthusiasm for a while.

It can be a sign of mental illness, sometimes mania esp when combined with lack of sleep. You could talk to your GP

My exfil found faith again, never heard the end of it. Prior he was miserable as sin and lacking Purpose/direction

Changes in sleep pattern can be indicative / triggers of mental health problems. Have you noticed any other unusual changes in him?

Could be both?

A lovely bipolar chap at one of our local churches nearly burnt the building down in his fervour to praise god using hundreds of candles in the middle of the night (he was a steward/key holder).

The lack of sleep, and excitement about it, could POSSIBLY be indicators of a manic episode. Is his rate of speech faster than usual? Is he having grandiose ideas (ie about his own importance) or any reckless risk taking behaviour?

Have you known him to be like about something else in the past?

Has he had any episodes of depression in the past?

The earliest converts in the Bible were accused of being drunk !!

Has he described what happened to convince him?

Keep a very close eye on him. My bipolar schizophrenic sister often gets very religious before an episode.

Also not sleeping is concerning.

Has he had any previous mental health issues.

Does he have a history of mental health issues?

Sounds quite normal.

My mother and sister became born again as adults.

It's like a mental illness in my view.

Has he suffered any recent crisis? Bereavement? Illness? My uncle found Jesus after his son died. So did a neighbour after her son died in a freak accident. It's a way of coping I guess and trying to understand the muddle. It sounds like it's happened from out of the blue....monitor closely and perhaps speak to GP. Have other family members noticed anything? Colleagues at work?

You can’t go and speak to a GP with nothing else going on if someone has just found religion!

An old friend of mine 'found God' a few years ago. Went from a long history of deep depression, to real ott 'brothers and sisters, I have been blessed with knowledge of a higher power' etc overnight. Goes up bible camp, organises events to develop people's self belief, has found s whole new life.

She sounds a bit brainwashed in all honesty but having known her a lifetime she's never been happier and I'm pleased for her.

His Mum died in a freak accident 5 years ago. He had depression for a while after that, he took antidepressants and he got better. He’s always been distracted by politics and arguing the toss. When that shooting happened in Texas lately he was getting obsessed with looking into that and proving what he believed happened. Then he started getting paranoid that he was getting into trouble. I won’t go into details, but he has now decided that politics and the world are all in some sort of dream and only enlightened people can see how the world really is. We’re all too distracted by ‘realty tv’, politics etc that we can’t see the bigger picture. He says at one point he thought he might have been on the edge of losing his mind, but he assured me he is fine now and he’s happy (though not sleeping!) This only happened the day before yesterday so it’s Early days. Wondering whether to get him to speak to a vicar?

See your GP.

I think a doctor and a psychiatrist would be more beneficial.

I'm afraid this does sound worrying. My cousin and bf both have schizophrenia. My cousin started "speaking in tongues" before he was diagnosed and my bf took a pilgrimage to holy island with no money before his diagnosis. They were very grandiose about being "chosen" and prophets before becoming increasingly paranoid.

This then descended into real psychosis.

I would contact his GP - not to alarm you, but both needed to be sectioned eventually.

That doesn't sound good from your last post. The paranoia, the not sleeping and the bit about the enlightened people would suggest a mental health issue rather than someone who's genuinely found faith.

The difficulty is going to be getting him to see a doctor, because I don't think he's going to see it as something that needs to be checked out.

That's a bit harsh speakout

He needs to see a doctor.

This isn't a religion thread-it's a mental health thread. The OP needs help to get her dp the treatment he needs.

Sounds a little similar to my dh. He suffered a mental breakdown a few years ago after the birth dd2. He had paranoid delusions, a specific group of people were after him, trying to set him up. Couldn't sleep, repetitive and intrusive thoughts keeping him awake.

This happened at Christmas time. He ended up at church, praying with the vicar, taking dd1 to church. He was convinced he had "direct line to the big JC" our dds were witches and he had to protect them. It sounds funny now, but at the time I was very scared.

I think you need to consider that he might be suffering in a similar way to my dh.

My father went through something similar. Became obsessed with religion, not sleeping, talking oddly, strange ideas etc. My mother dragged him to GP and priest who dismissed her worries and said he was fine. Three weeks later he hung himself.

There’s much more support and understanding for MH these days OP - get him some help.

I think he is suffering from mental ill health and needs to see his GP.

Toffee