Her odd behavior all started shortly after she went back to work for the first time last summer after it was closed for a few weeks. She had to sell out on the street and I think within 2 months she began to have paranoid thoughts toward her bosses and their kids, claiming that they were giving her the evil eye. She says that her female boss knows she’s normally shy and thinks she hates her (normally she wouldn’t care if someone hated her) and plotting against her. Then after that day she finally confessed her issues, she just started crying more frequently and my mom would ask her what was wrong but her reply was only “I don’t know”.
Those same thoughts kept bothering her for weeks and weeks. Until last month when her symptoms got worse to the point where she was distracted by something. We asked her if she was seeing or hearing things and she replied “yes”. Since then, each time we would get her attention she would become unresponsive because she was distracted by something and there were a few times she would change out of her home clothes into her everyday clothing, leaving the house with no warning. My mom had to run after her because, at the time, we were confused about what was going wrong with her. It got worse to the point where the next day my mom took her to the hospital and she acted out because she didn’t want her blood drawn again, screaming like a child.
Her tantrum caused a lot of security officers to restrain her and was heard throughout the whole floor and that right there was a ticket for her to be sent to a mental facility. After she got out, it looked like she was becoming better until she stopped taking 1 of her medications because it was making her dizzy all the time. She started crying daily again, and hallucinations and delusions came back. I had to talk to my therapist because I felt like my sister had schizophrenia. She gave me advice and phone numbers to call in case my sister continued to act up again. We called one of the numbers the next day only for my sister to get angry at my mom and leave the house. The mental health professionals who came to evaluate her left because she wasn’t present. We did call back the day after because her symptoms, again, were becoming even more erratic. They came just in time and one of the guys didn’t care to be there while his partner took the situation seriously and saw how erratic my sister was being. So, they decided to take her again which only lasted a week. 2 weeks later, the hallucinations and delusions became a little stronger since she refused to get help and thinks she doesn’t have sz.
What is making me scared is what I overheard her say yesterday.
She said, “Really? I’m going to kill them.”
I’m so frustrated too because we can’t do anything about it since she won’t accept help and I’ve been losing sleep because she’s roaming everywhere during the night or lying on her bed giggling and talking to herself. I’m twice as scared because I sleep in the same bedroom as her so idk one day she’s going to turn on me and kill me.
I’ve told her that. We only have 1 bedroom in the apartment that me, my younger sister, my older sister, and my mom live in. I’ve told her many times to let my sister sleep out on the bed where my mom sleeps and my sister would say no every time. I would tell my mom that my younger sister could switch places with my older sister, just temporarily, but each time she would ask her to she would say no because she loves her bed so much. She doesn’t do anything about it from there and gets angry at me each time I voice the same issue to her.
Oh my, I feel for you and your situation with your sister. It is rougher because she won’t stay on her medication. I do hope that things get better for you, but with limited living space, I can see the problem.
I don’t know. But I have a feeling my grandma won’t make it easier living with her since she’s overly religious and strict. She lives with my aunt who is also overly religious and strict. I’m just stuck sleeping in the same room as my older sis and losing sleep because of her…
I’m so sorry that you are going through this right now!
It sounds like you have your own therapist? That’s great somebody that you can talk to and give you insight.
I’m sorry that you are unable to have a space of your own for sleeping maybe you and your therapist can come up with a safety plan together that might help your mind be at ease a little bit.
That way if things should get out of hand you know the steps you’re going to take to protect yourself in advance.
It sounds like you also have a younger sibling as well ,psychosis can seem really scary I remember some of the times my sibling was in psychosis walking around the house manically on the roof in the Attic its a challenge to try to remain calm.
I’m glad you found this forum for support, there is also a really great support through nami.org for family support it’s free maybe your mom and older sister would be willing to attend these meetings with you if not ,I would highly suggest doing it for yourself at least! most of them are virtual maybe you could go to the park or library during the meeting so that your sister will not hear.
I hope you keep finding the support that you need and that your sister will be able to have a diagnosis and treatment soon
Thank you for sharing in this space
Yes, I do have my own therapist. I have voiced my ideas to my therapist about the sleeping arrangements for my sister to take my younger sisters place on my mom’s bed out in the living room but my older sister doesn’t want to. She likes her bed too much to move but yet she doesn’t even sleep well. Each time I would tell my mom to try to convince her more—she would ask her again and her answer is still the same. She doesn’t bother with that same topic again which leaves me pissed more at my older sister. Once she wakes up the talking happens again. She puts on her sandals loudly to go use the restroom and would go back inside even after she’s done using it. And when she’s done on some nights she walks back and forth from the bedroom to the end of the hallway, practically giggling to herself. I try to sleep in the day to make up the sleeping time I lost but she’s even more louder during the day. I don’t think my older sister cares that she’s affecting my sleeping schedule because maybe one of her symptoms includes apathy, but I could be wrong.
Also, thank you for your resource. I did send that link to my mother to check it out.
maybe you and your therapist can come up with a safety plan together that might help your mind be at ease a little bit.