Yousuf Raza – What to Do When a Loved One Wont Accept Professional Help for their Mental Health Problem
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the potential consequences of a situation where a person is
the wrong way to deal with a family member who shows psychotic behavior and is
not willing to see a psychiatrist. The speaker suggests that the severity of the situation may
to be severe and that it may require professional help. The speaker advises the caller to make sure they do not
the harm themselves or others by not reinforcing their claims and not communicating
the need for help.
the wrong way to deal with a family member who shows psychotic behavior and is
not willing to see a psychiatrist. The speaker suggests that the severity of the situation may
to be severe and that it may require professional help. The speaker advises the caller to make sure they do not
the harm themselves or others by not reinforcing their claims and not communicating
the need for help.
AI: Summary ©
How to deal with a family member who
shows psychotic behavior and is not willing to
see a psychiatrist.
Symptoms include episodes of excessive aggressiveness, hastiness, self
-loathing, hatred, abusive behavior and lack of any
emotional attachment to any family member or even
any other human being.
So, from the looks of the symptoms that
have been mentioned in the question, this situation
is pretty severe.
Again, the intensity still has to be explored,
but from whatever the questioner has put down,
this isn't something to be taken lightly.
This may be one of those occasions, this
may be that time where even if you
have to force someone to seek professional help,
it may be warranted.
That a professional gets to see the extent,
the severity of the situation, how long has
this been happening, how long has this been
taking place.
If this has been going on for longer
than a month or a couple of months
now, then the mode of operation will be
different, how we will intervene will be different.
If this is happening for a week, how
we operate is going to be different.
How aggressive is aggressiveness?
How much of a threat do they pose
to themselves or to others?
That has to be assessed.
So, I would not recommend just settling for,
oh, he or she does not want to
seek any professional help, so might as well
let them be.
I would want to either get them there
directly, indirectly, however, get them seen by a
specialist, get an opinion as to how severe
the situation really is, and then intervene.
From the looks of things, this particular situation,
medication, they're going to be the primary intervention.
That the degree of psychosis, for those of
you who do not know, psychosis is when
somebody breaks away from reality, that they're starting
to hear voices or make claims that are
detached from what is commonly held as a
view of reality, what we as a society
adhere to.
This particular person would have some bizarre or
some really unbelievable kind of claims, so if
that's the situation, then primarily medications need to
be administered, and obviously you cannot do that
without seeking professional help.
If that is altogether impossible to do, then,
again, what you would want to do is
to make sure you do not come in
direct confrontation with that person, so as not
to trigger their aggression.
To try to remain within their system, however
unrealistic that system may be, try to remain
within that and negotiate with them so as
to ensure that they do not hurt themselves
or others, and that they try to seek
help, professional help, as much as possible, even
if it means simply just taking the medications,
to try to be able to do that
with them so that at some level, even
if they're not communicating emotional needs to you
or any kind of emotional love to other
human beings, it should be so that you
extend that love to them.
You let them know that you're there for
them, you let them know that you're there
to support them, but do not reinforce their
unrealistic claims.
What do I mean by that?
You have to remain within their unrealistic system
without challenging it, but not reinforcing it either.
So, for example, you may tell them that
what they're saying, the possibility of it may
be there, and that you're thinking about it
and that you're exploring it, do not outrightly
deny it so as not to trigger them,
but you're going to need more time to
consider it.
In the meantime, you would want to make
sure that they stay out of harm's way.
So trying to ensure that no harm is
done to them and they don't do harm
to anyone else, if it means entering into
their system somewhat without reinforcing it, without confirming
it for them, oh, yes, you're telling the
truth, this is what it is, and this
is what you should do.
No, no, no, no, no.
You do not want that before you know
it, they're going to try to jump off
the ceiling thinking that they can fly and
that's just going to end up hurting them
a whole lot or someone else for that
matter.
If they think somebody is out to get
them or hurt them or harm them is
against them and they go actually to physically
retaliate, you don't want any of that.
You want to ensure that nobody gets hurt
and they get as much support as possible.
And secondarily, your love is communicated even if
it's not reciprocated, even if they do not
seem to put any return, any kind of
love to you, that doesn't mean you don't
give any to them.
You give it, you don't overdo it.
The very critical aspect dealing with such cases
at home in your families is not to
overdo it and not to underdo it.
Either one of the two situations may be
very, very, it can have very dire consequences.
So you want to tread the balance because
when we try to express too much love
or too much in their face, that tends
to trigger them as well.
That tends to instigate them as well.
So I hope that helps somewhat.
Primary need, what you have to do, get
them help.
Get them to get help or at least
get one assessment done, seen by one professional
so you know exactly every psychosis is different.
I can give you a general understanding, but
then again, how will your particular case be
managed?
You're going to have to get professional help
for that.