Page 2 | Need help 🥺schizophrenia

Funkymonkry1995 · 2023-02-27T19:06:11+00:00

Hey I really need some help/advice please!! My friends brother has developed schizophrenia and is in a really bad way! Definitely needs to be sectioned or something as he's telling weird story's and making funny noises all night long also talking to people. But when we rang the ambulance they wouldn't help as he didn't consent,🥺 but surely he's not in any fit state to consent to anything. How can we get him the help he needs !! Has anyone gone through this please we are desperate thank you

Reinventinganna · 05/03/2023 11:44

If you have immediate concerns for his safety or your own call the police.

ProjectsGalore · 05/03/2023 11:58

If he is threatening to kill you and showing signs of psychosis then you need to alert the police. This is a very tricky situation for all of you and I am thinking of you.

Movingonupi · 05/03/2023 12:00

I have experience of this with a family member so I know how scary it can be. What you describe sounds like a psychotic episode that can be triggered by lots of things but isn’t necessary schizophrenia. You should call 111 now and get out through to the mental health crisis team, they are pretty good but will need to speak to him direct. They can visit every day and are available 24/7. If he’s a danger to himself or others you need to phone the police - the police are in contact with the crisis team and are well versed in things like this, what happened in our case is that the police had to be called due to the way he was behaving and he was taken to police station and then sectioned in hospital. Tbh it was a relief as he’s now getting help…no charges were pressed as the police understand when it’s a mental health crisis. Also call the GP now, a family member can do this in his behalf…

VerityUnreasonble · 05/03/2023 12:07

Funkymonkry1995 · 04/03/2023 17:41

He hasn't been diagnosed so I don't think we can do that . We have called 111 three times within these 2 weeks and they haven't taken him in. Just given him sleeping tables they haven't helped him much tbh he's still the same

You can contact your local social services or CMHT and request a mental health act assessment. It is best if his nearest relative does this. His nearest relative will be whichever of these comes first:

Wife if he has one
Child over 18
Parent (whichever parent is oldest)
Sibling (oldest first)

They have a duty to consider a request from nearest relative, although that doesn't always mean they will use mental health act powers.

There are other things, that aren't schizophrenia that can cause psychotic symptoms, physical illness included so I would also be wanting to get back in touch with the GP to say I was very concerned about his wellbeing.

ProjectsGalore · 05/03/2023 12:09

How old is he and does he smoke a lot of weed? This has been proven to cause psychosis.

Original poster

Funkymonkry1995 · 05/03/2023 13:53

Thank you so much! I will try the police next time

OP posts:

fluffylampbear · 05/03/2023 18:51

police are your best bet. they do have the power to detain them and get them sectioned.

VerityUnreasonble · 05/03/2023 22:22

The police can only do that in a public place (section 136 of the mental health act) they can't go to someone's house and detain them unless they have a warrant and to get this a mental health professional needs to ask a magistrate to issue one (section 135).

There is no point calling the police if he is in his own home. You need to call social services or CMHT and ask to speak to the duty AMHP (approved mental health practitioner) about a mental health act assessment.

VerityUnreasonble · 05/03/2023 22:30

Apologies, obviously if there is an immediate risk to anyone's life / safety you can and should call the police to deal with the risk but they would still need a warrant to detain.

colouringindoors · 05/03/2023 22:31

VerityUnreasonble · 05/03/2023 22:22

The police can only do that in a public place (section 136 of the mental health act) they can't go to someone's house and detain them unless they have a warrant and to get this a mental health professional needs to ask a magistrate to issue one (section 135).

There is no point calling the police if he is in his own home. You need to call social services or CMHT and ask to speak to the duty AMHP (approved mental health practitioner) about a mental health act assessment.

This is not true.

If you're worried for his safety, your own or anyone else, call 999. The police can organise a Mental Health Act assessment. They can also remove him to a place of safety even if he is in his own home. I know this because I have done all this re my ex. Two weeks of psychosis is serious. I'm angry but not suprised you've had no help. At the very least call his GP first thing tomorrow. All the best.

Shimmyshimmycocobop · 05/03/2023 22:49

The police can't remove someone from their own home unless they arrest them or have a warrant which they need to have had time to arrange. However they can stay with someone in their home until they can be assessed to make sure they're safe.

During the 9-5 hours the GP is the best person to contact or a duty social worker for Mental Health. Ambulance staff don't have the power to take people to hospital who don't want to go.
111 should be able to arrange an out of hours assessment but they are limited during GP opening hours, it does sound like your friends brother was managing to keep it together long enough to seem more stable than he actually is.

Hope he gets some help soon .

octoberfarm · 05/03/2023 22:57

I wouldn't wait for next time. If you are fearful for your or his safety, call 999 now. He sounds in a very bad way and whether it's psychosis, schizophrenia or some other issue, he clearly needs help and you need to feel safe. Sending you a handhold. Hope you're all able to get some help soon

XenoBitch · 05/03/2023 23:28

Call the police. 111 and paramedics can't move anyone to hospital unless they consent. Police can use section powers in a public place (136, and a front garden classes as that). If you call the crisis team then they can ask police to attend to help though.
It is frustrating but there are safeguards in place for a reason... it stops people maliciously asking for sections on people for starters.

Bepis · 06/03/2023 00:55

Shimmyshimmycocobop · 05/03/2023 22:49

The police can't remove someone from their own home unless they arrest them or have a warrant which they need to have had time to arrange. However they can stay with someone in their home until they can be assessed to make sure they're safe.

During the 9-5 hours the GP is the best person to contact or a duty social worker for Mental Health. Ambulance staff don't have the power to take people to hospital who don't want to go.
111 should be able to arrange an out of hours assessment but they are limited during GP opening hours, it does sound like your friends brother was managing to keep it together long enough to seem more stable than he actually is.

Hope he gets some help soon .

If paramedics deem someone to not have capacity, they can make a best interests decision and can force someone to go to hospital. Happened to my daughter.

snitzelvoncrumb · 06/03/2023 01:03

Call the police and have him removed from the home. It sounds awful, but by handover the responsibility he is more likely to get help.

beeswain · 06/03/2023 06:37

The police cannot remove someone from their home without a warrant unless they are arresting someone for a crime. Equally although frustrating, there are protections for people because using the Mental Health Act is essentially depriving someone of their liberty.
The fastest way to get him some help is to take him to A&E, there are specialist mental health teams in most A&E's who can arrange a Mental Health Act assessment if they think it is appropriate.

fluffylampbear · 06/03/2023 08:00

@beeswain A & E are useless in this situation - they just send you back home even at times when there is an acute crisis (from experience). The only success we had was from the police in a similar situation.

Shimmyshimmycocobop · 06/03/2023 08:08

@Bepis that must have been under quite unusual circumstances. In my experience ( I work in MH ) they don't do this with an uncooperative MH patient without police presence. I'd say with a youngish, uncooperative, potentially psychotic male that would not be a safe outcome.

Hope your daughter is doing well now.

beeswain · 06/03/2023 08:51

@fluffylampbear sorry to hear this. In the county I work in all our A&E depts have full mental health liaison teams who would manage a situation like this.

fluffylampbear · 06/03/2023 09:31

@beeswain I am glad to hear that in at least some areas this provision is available. Unfortunate that our experience was otherwise!

Maryandherlamb · 06/03/2023 09:34

He'll need assessment in an ED first usually. You can ring police to take him there if he's a risk to himself threatening suicide. Doctors will consider wider causes of psychosis before referring to a mental health team who can then refer to AMHPs for sectioning if that's what he needs.

DoormatBob · 06/03/2023 09:42

I don't know the answer to this but is it normal that someone can switch out of these states?

How does he explain his videoed behaviour to police/ambulance staff?