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Something’s not right

ChamomileTea
New Contributor

Delusions or the truth?

Hi everyone!

 

im wondering if anyone has ever had a similar experience or can offer some advice on what my family should do in this horribly confusing time! In short - my brother has history of delusions and not sure if what is happening now is true or delusions. 

 

my brother, is early 20's and has a history of mental illness and in the last couple years, psychosis. He was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with drug induced psychosis and since then things have been up and down. He was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder/schizophreniform (he stopped taking antipsychotic medication about 6 months ago and this was supported by his case manager he had at the time) as it was believed it was must have been a once of drug induced psychosis. He was rediagnosed with anxiety/depression. He voluntarily admitted himself to hospital a few weeks ago (didn't tell any of us why, just that he felt he needed to go) and they discharged him a few days later with newly prescribed anti depressants and sleeping tablets (all while we could see he was having psychotic symptoms again and communicated this to the professionals). 

 

To try to cut a long story short - things have intensely escalated since he came out, including being nice and loving and then flipping into anger and hatred toward family, being very verbally abusive and sometimes even physical (but this only seems to happen when people are in his way). He doesn't sleep (is up all night and will fall asleep at sunrise but even then will only sleep sometimes a few hours). He seems to pace a lot, and often gets in his car and just goes for a few hours and returns early hours of the morning. He has been saying confusing things and appearing to have delusions. Saying things like that he walked in on me self harming when he was a kid (this is not possible), that he saw my dad hit my mum as a kid (dad was not great, and was emotionally abusive but not physical with my mum), that I slept with his friends and is enraged by the fact I have 'lied' about it and trying to bank of the fact he won't remember that I did do it. He also had a terrible dream the other night when I was over and woke up panicked.

 

the other day, he woke up in a seemly ok place but my mum said something changed in the afternoon as he paced up and down the court yard for about half an hour, almost smirking to himself and shit himself in his room (which he tends to do in a bad headspace) and then that night he threatened to seriously harm my brother (and his friends) and called me to tell me not to let the court blame psychosis after what he does and he took my mums car (no shoes, wallet or anything in him) and drive off to hurt my brother.

 

we called the police and after a long time, he returned home, no harm inflicted and he is now safely admitted in hospital. 

 

what has come out is that my older brother and his friends sexually abused him as a kid, and gave him drugs. He also believes he had to protect me from this same behaviour. And seems to think that I was involved and remember it.

 

i guess what I am struggling with right now is what to do/believe. I of course want to believe a person who claims such horrible things and support them, but given everything else it is hard to know what is true. The claims are so extreme and although possible, seem like a huge stretch of reality. 

im not sure how to move fwd as a family, and not sure how the mental health system will treat this (as delusions or flashbacks as trauma is possible).

 

i do believe something has happened, but what he is claiming doesn't seem to make sense to me. (I know childhood trauma is often linked to the symptoms of ill health he is having). He has said to me that he wants to move forward and live a normal life despite what happened when we were kids and he needs my support to make sure this doesn't get swept under the rug. This is my biggest dilemma - as I cannot claim what did or didn't happen as I wasn't aware of this if it is true, but he thinks I am and if I say I don't know then he'll claim I'm lying. And if it's a delusion then I don't want to disagree and have him think I am gaslighting him, nor do I want to collude with the delusion.

I have no idea what is the right way to handle this. I want to support him so much, but I'm not sure how to do that!

 

My older brother is aware of the claims about drugs but not the abuse. He has said that it didn't happen, and can't think of anything that could have happened and been stretched. My older brother has also never taken drugs really (maybe smoked weed but the claims are coke)

I also just feel so overwhelmed and anxious and scared that this will go on forever. 

if anyone has ever had anyone claim some big things that weren't real, I would love to hear how you managed this. Or if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open!

 

Thanks so much.

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Delusions or the truth?

@ChamomileTea  Hi Chamomile Tea and welcome to the forums. I have to ask what is your gut telling you? I have scizoffective disorder and am also a carer of son2 who has schizophrenia amongst other problems.  It would seem to me that your brother needs a good stint in hospital where they can get him properly medicated and stable. That could take a couple of months at least. If he is taking illicit drugs that is another thing which must be addressed. He sounds very ill indeed.

 

I am not going to lie to you this will be a long road to recovery for your brother as he is obviously very sick. You and your family need the support of others around you to be able to cope with what is coming your way. Carers Australia is a good start. Looks after yourselves in this journey and know what you brother says is real to him even though it may never have happened in reality. Take care greenpeaxx

Re: Delusions or the truth?

Thanks so much for responding @greenpea 

 

I really appreciate your thoughts and honesty. My gut says that he is very unwell, and needing lots of support. I would love for him to stay in hospital as I think this would be best to trial medication and such. But the hospital wasn't even going to admit him the other night when he presented at ED, even though it was clear he and others weren't safe and so we advocated for him to go in and asked to speak to his current treatment team. I'm hoping that they will recommend he stay longer but we are just taking it one day at a time. if you have any advice on how to best advocate for him, that would be great. (Honestly, have been feeling a bit let down by the system the last few months when we have been asking for more support and not receiving it, but I also understand there is only so much they can do when an adult doesn't want support)

 

I have been looking at Carers Australia and different ways myself and the family can get support so we can beat support him, so thankyou for reinforcing the importance of this.

 

Re: Delusions or the truth?

@ChamomileTea  Hey Chamomile Tea the only way that someone will be admitted against there will is if they are a danger to themselves or others ...., if he has made threats (which I think you said he had in your first post).  Do you feel unsafe. This is very serious. If he does then call 000 and ask for the police and they will take him to hospital. 

 

That is what I had to do with my son2 for years and the police were mainly sympathetic. One thing I would say is remember when your brother does talk to you it is the psychosis talking. It is the drugs talking. Not your brother. Stay healthy and strong and I and others here will always be here even if it is just for a shoulder to cry on. Love greenpea:)

Re: Delusions or the truth?

Delusions lack detail. Is he able to give a sequence of events leading up to the abuse and details of the abuse and after. 

 

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