Hi,
Just is more a warning I guess, but I invite any advice or guidance from anyone with experience of the system.
My brother is in his 30s. Has had MH issues since his late teens. We have an abusive (narcissistic) father. It started off as major depression and OCD as a young adult. My father did not deal with it well. He continued to mistreat him, was physically and emotionally abusive. Didn't want him to study or work away. Did everything in his power to emasculate him. My brother never held down a job. Had trouble maintaining relationships and friendships. Spent most of his waking hours in our home with my father (who had his own company and WFH). Then our father left our mother a few years ago and things have continued going south but at an alarming rate. My brother eventually became psychotic around a year ago. He never sought treatment outside of occasion counseling with a private psychologist who managed to convince everyone that the issue was spiritual and we should be able to manage him at home.
His psychosis got worse. He thinks my mum is trying to kill him by adding cleaning product to this food. He acts erratically placing random objects in random places and responds aggressively if objects are moved. Defecates and urinates on the floor. Smeared soil over the floors and walls of the living room. Refuses to let my mum clean anythjng. Walks around the house naked. Leaves the house door wide open over night and responds aggressively if told to shut it. He's taken our dad's old and filthy duvet which he's slept on for a few months. It is soiled, as are his clothes. He refuses to allow anyone to clean these. He took said duvet and0 slept outside the house. He doesn't eat properly (diet consists pf honey, peanut butter and granola). He barely sleeps. He throws fruit at my mum, spits at her, pushes her, has broken qall her crockery. He hallucinates- often has conversations with imaginary beings, admits to hearing voices.
We have exhausted all avenues to get him diagnosd/the help he needs: GPs, first response, safe guarding, his private psychologist, the police over the past 1-2yrs. Every single one just directes us to someone else, and each one claims not to be able to provide care to someone who does not consent to care. Finally we called an ambulance to conduct a welfare check. They arrived 4 hours after the begining an "episode" during which he was sleeping outside. We arranged the ambulance on the advice and direction of first response who suggested that following a welfare check, they'd be able to arrange a mental health act assessment and decide if he needs to be detained involuntarily. My brother reacted aggressively towards the parademics who deemed him as alert and having capacity. They called the police and left. The police came and arranged a safeguarding assessment of my mother in the coming days.
So in the end, my brother will not get the help he needs. My mum has (finally and after much urging) agreed to move out. I doubt my brother will live to see many more years living alone in the state he is in. He is emaciated.
This is the state of mental health provision in this country.
Thanks if you managed to get this far.