Please someone help.. Major psychotic episode

[Kumali]

BF has been section 2'd. He's majorly delusional and his usual self has vanished totally. I'm in pieces. We'd planned all xmas, future.. What happens now?? I miss him so much. I feel like I can't carry on. Will it be the end for us?? Will he "come back"? Please someone talk to me.

Not trained in mental health but wishing you both the best of luck.
From what I've read psychosis is a temporary state.

Is this his first psychotic episode? Has anything (drugs?) triggered it?

Some people have one episode and nothing more. Others have continuing problems. Are you able to visit him?

I've had it numerous times. He will come back but it will take a long time and he will have lost all his confidence and need a lot of support. Mine was part of a wider diagnosis

An ex of mine had auditory hallucinations years ago. If I recall correctly, he was in hospital for maybe a week, stabilised on anti-psychotic meds and hasn't had a recurrence since.

Recovery varies for each individual. If it’s a first psychotic episode they may need to try a few different meds over time, or the first one may work. Read the mental health MIND charity website for facts & speak to his nurse x

Look after yourself op, visit him, wait and see. Some people make full recovery, some always have problems, most somewhere in between, medication and therapy may help. Sec 2 is for assessment, he might be home soon or they can extend it if needed. Try to go to his ward round (weekly meeting of his care team).
Take it steady and see how it goes, call mind or sane for advice, Samaritans for rant and support. You will get though it

for you at this really worrying time. I am so sorry.

I hope the psychotic episode is a one off, that does happen and it helps if the cause can be found.

Please don't let it completely spoil your Christmas and do visit him.

Lots of love to you.

Thanks all. I did ring Mind... They were hopeless!! They couldn't answer anything and told me just to look on their website.. . I did, but just wanted a human to talk to....

Is it the first time it's happened? There is loads of hope for psychosis now a days. He absolutely should "come back" and may never have an episode again. Things will be ok, honestly they will

He's had it before. But I've never witnessed it.. I'd no idea how severe something like this could be, it's literally left me traumatised. They've said not to go visit yet as they haven't got him out of this state yet...so he'd think I was something or someone else..

www.rethink.org/

Wondered if this would be any help.

So sorry to hear you’re going through this, and sorry Mind wasn’t much cop.

Does he have a diagnosis if this isn’t the first time? Are you in contact with his family? My son has spent the last year and a bit in a psychiatric hospital under section (he has learning disabilities and no mental health condition so a bit different). Initially I found it all very overwhelming as it was a whole new world, but you do get used to how things work & dealing with the institution.

Does he have access to good community support? That’s key really to recovery and remaining well.

Bipolar is what he has.. I really know nothing much at all. Its just floored me, I've had to get meds myself to calm down

Have you been together long? Had he been taking his meds as far as you knew? Anything unusual? I wish you strength a terrible time for it to happen. Do you have anyone to spend tomorrow with?

About 6 months, I honestly have no idea about the meds. Christmas was all planned but now will be just me and the kids

Op i mean this in the nicest possible way.
You've known him 6 months.
You were due to spend Xmas with your kids.
You are so affected by his illness you need psychiatric medication.
You dont know if you can go on.

Seriously, you need to stand back from what is still a casual relationship and develop some emotional resilience because this is way too invested for someone youve known 6 months. Especially one with bipolar.
You need to know him and his illness a LOT better before making him a stepdad to your kids. Bipolar is destructive and ugly.
If he were the kids dad and husband of many years I'd get your distress but this is too much too soon imo.
Stand back and dont make him part of the kuds lives for at least another year once the illness has played out. All I get the impression of here is that youre one of those mothers who is totally over heels with a new boyfriend and assume the kids 'adore him'.
They dont need to see this behaviour from a random. Please shield them and rethink the intensity of this relationship.

Totally agree with wonky.

6 months? And children. Yes you need to think carefully. If you are going to have a long term relationship you will need to be calm and non-dramatic for the kids.

I don’t want to say to you to leave because he has mental health problems but he sounds as if he becomes seriously unwell and therefore any commitment is going to be more intense and more serious than it might otherwise be. It is important that you can cope because you have children and they are more important than anything else in this scenario. So if you continue with this relationship then follow wonkysack’s advice.

Being sectioned is not the end of the world. They will stabilise him with meds and as long as he is prepared to take them there is every chance he will be well again in a few weeks. Will probably be weeks rather than days though.

My logical side wants to tell you to walk away and save yourself heartbreak. For me, I found the constant worry about suicide really difficult, but I also know how it feels to love someone so deeply you don’t want to walk away from them.

My person pushed me away. I was devastated and heartbroken, and sometimes I can still feel the pain.. he’ll always be the one, but I’m grateful he let me go. My life is so much easier now.

Stable mental health is at the top of my wish list moving forward.

Think of your children. I appreciate you will want to help him but in doing so your children will suffer. You need to consider them in your decision.

He will get medical help.

I'm sorry but I also agree with @Wonkysack I hope you're ok op.

Kumali, I have come over from your other thread.

You have given different lengths of the relationship on different threads, but far as I can work out, you had been together as little as three or four months before he started showing clear symptoms of psychosis. That means he has probably been building up to this episode for the entire time you have known him. In fact, looking at it from that perspective, it is possible that your whole relationship may be a symptom of his impending breakdown: extreme positive emotions, rushing into things, making rash decisions, making grand plans for the future etc are all symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder (see basic description here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder).

You ask if he will 'come back' - I would say there is a strong likelihood that the person who will 'come back' may well not be the person you think you have fallen in love with, but a much flatter, less exciting person, and the future with him may not look so appealing.

If you still think you want to try to continue the relationship, at least take a step back, try to think realistically, and protect your own wellbeing and that of your children rather than chasing a future with a man you really don't know.

I hope you and your children have a happy and peaceful Christmas together.

Thank you.. You've totally given me some perspective to think about this. I have become totally involved and invested, and after years of crap, this seemed everything I hoped for. Resilience isn't my strong point at the minute, I used to be, but life has kind of taken its toll.

Just read the thread exexpat linked to. She speaks a lot off sense & gives very good advice.

OP you sound quite vulnerable yourself at the moment and as if you have been through a lot. Do prioritise yourself and your kids.