How can I help my mum when she can't admit she needs help

[luigibosca]

Hi. My mum has been mentally ill for a long time. Symptoms being paranoia, intrusive thoughts. She claims it is not her who is ill but that someone is making all this happen, someone putting the thoughts in her head. She has gradually cut contact with people. Has no social life and only has contact with immediate family members.
How can I help her get help or at least get her to try? I have tried talking to her, Tried to get her to read articles but she will not accept it could be her who is ill.
Has anyone been here before? Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do? TIA

How horrible for you :( Could you go to her GP?

Agree that the GP would be a good start. I'm assuming she wouldn't be willing to see the GP about herself and mental illness. However could she be encouraged to tell the GP about the "someone putting thoughts in her head"? Then the GP will recognise this as unusual and can go from there with tactful intervention if needs be.

Thanks for your responses. My dad has been to the GP, with not much luck. He basically said unless she was willing to acknowledge there was something wrong there wasn't anything he could do.
I don't know if my mum would admit it to the GP. I sometimes get the feeling she does know deep down that something is wrong but she just can't/won't accept it. My mum is in her 60s and has a very old fashioned view of mental illness unfortunately.

In that case, I'd suggest phoning someone like Mind to see what they can suggest.

Can you almost play into it? Say that you need to get some help to stop the person putting the thoughts there? I know that may well feel like a betrayal, but if it would help her in the long run... I don't know.