Help, worried about friend, possible psychosis

[veryworried111]

Hi,
needing some help/advice. My lovely friend, married, mid 30s seems to be having a mental health crisis. She was hospitalised in her late teens after having weird thoughts and suspicions about family and friends, possible bipolar was mentioned.

Has had no trouble since, now married and happy with usual stresses of life/work etc. Covid and everything seems to have triggered her, she hasn't been to work in about a week, was trying to relax to de-stress but is now having weird thoughts. Her family called out of hours doctor on saturday who assessed her and gave her sleeping tablets. Friend didn't disclose the weird thoughts. She's scared to take the sleeping tablets. Thoughts are much worse this morning, she thinks people are after her and that there's some kind of centre set up in a local town where people are being killed. Her husband has called the GP and explained. GP has said she's not at risk (no threats to harm self or others) so they cant intervene, can only recommend she takes sleeping tablets.

So worried and feel that something extreme needs to happen before she gets any help. Any advice appreciated

Hi @veryworried111 I'm afraid I have no advice but didn't want to read and run. Maybe a gentle bump on your thread will help. I hope your friend can get the help she needs. You much be very worried for her. She's lucky to have a friend like you looking out for her.

Yes that does sound worrying, if her husband is still concerned he could speak to NHS direct rather than the GP and they may advise going to A&E where she can be assessed by the mental health team - I’ve done that exact scenario before when a family member was in a similar way

I hope your friend gets the help she needs too, doesn't sound right at all that all the GP is offering is sleeping tablets, can she make another appointment to ask what other options there are, go private somewhere like the Priory if they continue to be unhelpful?

Damn pressed post too soon, also to add it can be quite common to have a mental health relapse in stressful situations and obviously just the world in general right now could definitely be a trigger even if she’s been well for a long time.

She’s lucky to have a good friend like you, hope she can get some support

Try the Rethink helpline as it sounds like psychosis or similar. Not sure how sleeping tablets will help with that. She needs a psych assessment by a psychiatrist. If there's a local mental health helpline, they are sometimes 24 hrs try that:
www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

Hello OP
I am sorry about your friend, she must be very scared.
Mind is a good source of advice, here is a link to their factsheet on psychosis, which also has some links about crises. Hope this is helpful.
www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/psychosis/about-psychosis/

Your poor friend, OP. I was a mental health nurse many years ago, and it sounds to me as if she may be having some kind of psychotic breakdown. sometimes that can be associated with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. It can easily be triggered by any kind of stress.

She really does need a proper assessment. She needs anti psychotic meds and maybe mood stabilisers as well. She needs a lot more than sleeping tablets.

I'm happy that you are there for her, OP. Mental illness is very lonely.

Thanks for replies, haven't checked thread for a few days, thanks for the bump @mrsdiddlydoo

She's not accepting that she needs help, unfortunately. Things have settled down the last few days but she's definitely not "herself" yet.

It's good to hear that she has settled down. She may emerge from this current crisis with no medical intervention, but these type of illness tend to be relapsing ones.

Perhaps when she is more 'herself' and rational, then maybe you or someone else she trusts could talk to her gently.

Sadly, there is really nothing anyone can do for her unless she becomes a danger to herself or others.

Poor woman