Psychotic crisis need advice

Specific disabilities and conditions
1

Hi everyone

My mum is 74 years old and has COPD. Last week her brother who’s in his early 60’s arrived at the door displaying florrid psychotic symptoms. Very out of the blue. He’s always been reserved and a bit suspicious, but never paranoia.

He did not want to speak to a doctor, told my mother that people have followed him on the 80 mile journey he took to her house. He agreed to take some anti depressants that the doctor arranged over the phone with my mother, but in the week that he’s been with her he’s not really got any better. He believes her house is bugged and that ‘they’ have followed him to her house and he’s very sorry to bring trouble upon her.

I visited and spoke to him and while he’s still the person I know, he’s obviously showing significant psychotic symptoms. When I asked if he might be a bit stressed out with his neighbours (which he thinks are the source of the problem, and from what I’ve heard they are difficult people, they’re not friendly and just stare him out on the street, etc), he said no, there’s a real problem, they are everywhere, they are outside (he’s hearing their voices outside), they are calling him names, he’d rather be dead than be called those things (he’s none of the things they’ve apparently called him, but he’s hearing voices).

Today my mother spoke to the surgery again and they have arranged within a week for him to see a ‘specialist’ as they will want him to be given medicene for ‘delusions,’ That is good, it is what I think he will need, but I have other concerns.

He’s in my mum’s house, she’s 74, he has his other brother with him who’s his usual self (but this brother has always had some problems with rituals and ocd, so there’s that). They both seem a bit concerned about being around him and that is saying something because the 2 brothers are very close and always have been and my mother would never, under normal circumstances be a bit afraid of her brother.

She’s worried that she has to wait another week before he’s assessed by a specialist. She is getting no real support from the rest of her family, she has 3 other siblings but they’ve all ‘got things to do’ this week. I think it would suit all of them if these 2 brothers lived with my mother, but it wouldn’t be ideal for her, it’s not what she wants, plus I only live ten minutes away and I will be running around for all three of them, not just my mother.

Should I mention my concerns to the GP? My uncle said to me yesterday that ‘they are everywhere, the place is bugged but carry on talking because you can’t avoid it. It will all end soon anyway.’ When I asked him what he meant by that he avoided answering and I didn’t push as I was trying to get him to feel more comfortable. My mum is concerned that his paranoia might turn on her and their other brother. If it did it would be extremely out of character. This is not a violent man, he’s the opposite, but he’s obviously very unwell right now. It’s come completely out of the blue.

Any thoughts, experience etc, would be appreciated. Apparently one of my cousins who lives near my uncle suggested he drive down to my mother. My mother seems to have become the dumping ground for the family’s problems.

2

What’s bothering mum at the moment is that 111 said they would prescribe an anti psychotic and that she just call the GP today to collect it and speak to them. But the GP said today that she won’t prescribe anything until he’s been assessed by a specialist. They don’t seem to have picked up that my mum is uncomfortable with him in her house, she’s vulnerable at 74, with COPD and kidney disease already. She’s not very mobile at the moment either.

3

All Mental health trusts/hospitals have to have a crisis team, sometimes called a crisis and home resolution team offering help 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year.
So there should be a crisis number you can ring and a team will come out and assess and treat, it’s supposed to avoid hospital admissions.

Have a look on the NHS Mental Health website, are you having a crisis/what to do in a crisis.
There should be fast access to a mental health team, the GP should know about all this, but GP’s often aren’t very clued up about mental health.

111 should be able to tell you about a fast response crisis team or just try a few other numbers, there is normally some sort of mental health number you can ring if you are worried about your or someone else’s mental health issues.
Try ringing A&E at your local hospital, they might be able to help you.

There may be a place of safety that someone Police or Ambulance can take your mums brother to assess and treat and put in hospital if needed.
Waiting a week is just no good if there is psychosis and paranoia, there should be faster ways of dealing with this.
Where are you? who provides mental health services in your area, i can have a look if you can’t find crisis services? Should be on the front page.

4

Londonbound, thanks so much. I think I followed the crisis info online and it took me to 111, then for our area (hampshire, uk) apparently there is a crisis team available if you ring 111. Maybe I got it wrong. My mum rang 111 yesterday and they arranged for anti psychotic meds to be available today at the doctor’s. She called the doctor and they said no, they want him seen by a specialist first and it’ll take about a week.

I’ll try looking again tomorrow. He’s not himself at all, it’s all really out of character. He’s sitting quietly in the house, but he does check everything my mum’s doing and he’s looking for ‘bugs’ everywhere (recording devices). Just don’t want him to start mistrusting her. Her other brother has a number of problems so he might, or might not, protect her if it came to it. I’m not sure how he would cope.

5

Mental Health Crisis Helpline: 0800 915 4644 24 hour support for people in Surrey and North East Hampshire experiencing a mental health crisis

Is that any good? just typed in Hampshire Mental Health Crisis team into search engine.

“Are you or someone you know experiencing a crisis and need urgent mental health support? Call 111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk and speak to the NHS Mental Health Triage Service. Our NHS 111 mental health triage service provides advice, support and guidance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for anyone living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

The whole idea is to prevent bad things happening, stop harm to anyone including the person and get the right help and support fast, save hospital admission etc which costs money.
We have a special number we just ring and get put through to the right area, North Yorkshire very big county and they can come out assess and sort out same night straight away basically.

We have a place of safety, you can take people to as well.

Its just to try avoid strain on the ambulance system, you don’t need an ambulance for someone with mental health issues but that’s what you had to do in the old days, 999 and ambulance.

A team can just go out in a car, assess and sort it all out without hours in A&E which again takes up doctors etc time.

We also have a community team that is supposed to keep an eye on elderly/disabled people again by keeping an eye on people, can avoid expensive hospital admissions, bed £500 a day.