Supporting a friend who's been sectioned

[Cantdonumbers]

She was sectioned during a crisis and is now under Section 3 voluntarily. She's been prone to meltdowns over the last couple of years but has been helped with antidepressants and counselling. She phones me occasionally and most of the time she's rational and logical, she likes the unit and praises the staff. She knows she needs help. However, she is convinced her father is in the unit, I know this isn't true. Their relationship isn't good, he is elderly, in poor health and lives in another country, she is low contact. His "presence" there is distressing her. I haven't contradicted her, I mostly just listen and reassure her that she's in the right place, that I will always be her friend and that I'm proud of her for seeking help.

Is this the right strategy? She also thinks people are spying on her, but it's the delusion about her father that is most worrying.

Hi OP, if you are visiting her then would it be worth asking a member of staff for some advice about the best way to respond to your friends delusions?

I know each case is different but when I was sectioned in the past for psychosis I didn’t believe I was ill at the time.

Good luck, she is lucky to have such a kind and supportive friend.

Unfortunately I can't visit, I live at the other end of the country. But the good news is that she phoned me yesterday and said she now knows that this man is not her dad, what a relief. Maybe she's on the right medication. Other friends are visiting her today and tomorrow so I'll get an update.

Thank you @OwlsandMice for your kind response. I'm sorry you've been through this too and I hope you're currently well.

You're handling the delusions really well. There's no point in contradicting her. With delusions it's best to focus on the person's emotions not the content of the delusion which is exactly what you're doing by reassuring her. It's ok to say things like "that sounds really scary, I'm sorry you're experiencing this".
Like you said, she's in the right place. If she's under Section 3, she's not voluntary. Hopefully she is starting to improve if she's realising that man isn't her dad but it will take time.
It might be helpful to look up the LEAP approach by Xavier Amador. He's a mental health professional as well as a family carer for people with severe mental illness. He talks about how to talk with someone when they're experiencing delusions / psychosis.
But overall what you're doing right now is right 👍

Thank you @SquirrelBlue . I'll certainly look up LEAP.

A question - towards the end of the section 2, which wasn't voluntary, she told me that she'd asked if she could stay longer, and the section 3 was put in place. I assumed that because she had asked, it was voluntary but is that not true?

It just means she's agreed to it op, rather than a forced section or involuntary section 😄

Op unfortunately in alot of cases being sectioned is the only way to get to be assessed by psychiatrists and get the right help quickly. A&E, GPs often are not helpful. Ime if someone has such as psychosis they really be better off to contact police to get sectioned than going to A&E to wait for ages to see a MH nurse then be sent home to get worse. At least your friend is in the right place now. Hope she continues to get better.