My husband is acting is strangely

[Deppcandouno]

My husband is acting in a very depressive manner and is reading bizarre meaning into things like adverts. He is also saying phrases that don’t make any sense like ‘we need to level up like super Mario’ and expecting that what he has said is normal. He keeps disappearing to do household jobs and is gone for an hour but has no recollection of what he has been doing. He has said he is concerned about his mental health and feels he meets the criteria to be sectioned. What do I do? Pl ease help.

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

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

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.

I would take him to a&e immediately

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'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.

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.

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.

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.

Please call 111 option 2

@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.

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

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’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.

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

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

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.

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.

Has he taken any drugs? I have a relative that was psychotic for 8 weeks from a couple of days of European marijuana while on holiday. He hadn't done it before so had no tolerance and particularly in Amsterdam the THC level is very high.
He was seen immediately by a mh team after I got him home.Was given medication and slowly got better. He didn't have to go to hospital because I stayed with him 24/7 at home . It did take the 2 months but then he was signed off the books and now he would be the last person in the world you would pick to have suffered psychosis.
Also have experience of untreated UTI's causing delerium, particuarly in men.
Personally I'd call an ambulance but I know in the UK that doesn't seem to be the done thing. Do you have clinics attached to hospitals that you just walk in and wait. ( not a and e). but beside the hospital. Or Urgent Care Clinics?
You poor thing it is very scary but the medication is amazing and if it turns out to be an infection then that can be fixed too. Best wishes.

OP, you are describing some very worrisome symptoms. Finding hidden meanings in adverts and saying things that make no sense, along with the depression, are serious symptoms. Call 111. Nothing bad will happen. He might need antipsychotics. But he should be assessed. If he has psychosis - and it sounds like this MIGHT be developing - then he will experience a complete break with reality, and who knows what the consequences will be. Please get him medical help asap. I would call 111, who'll probably direct you to the best place, and they'll be waiting when you get there.

You’re right but I took that as him likely not understanding the process and language around this. Some think being sectioned is the standard term used for anyone who goes on to receive treatment rather than a specific law that is enforced when the patient is deemed noncompliant.

OP, lack of sleep will make any pending psychosis much worse. Call 111 now, but try to get him to sleep tonight and go to hospital tomorrow, depending on what 111 says.

Edited.

If this was my DH I would be calling 111 or if I thought I couldn't keep him safe I'd call 999.

Don't delay OP, your husband needs help from professionals.

I’ll get straight onto it in the morning. He’s wandering around outside at the moment to no particular end. And yes, you can all exclaim that I should intervene now, but our son is asleep and I can’t drag him to an and e. He has asd and lots of sensory issues.

That’s assuming he understands what sectioning means - which I don’t think he can - or he would know it wouldn’t be necessary if he accepts the need for assessment.

I think what he may be saying is he feels like he may meet the criteria for mental health intervention.