Dealing with Mom's paranoia?
My mother is extremely paranoid. She keeps telling me that people are watching her/following her. When I try to tell her she's just paranoid, she just yells at me, calls me stupid, ect. How do I approach her paranoid condition?
Comments
You might want to get other family members involved. Does she do marijuana or other type of drugs, or it might be caused by something else.
Has anything recently happened to your mom,maybe something she didn't tell your family,so she wouldn't worry you.And maybe her not dealing with it, is building up inside her.
I in no way mean to disrespect you,but could your mom be hooked on anything, like some type of drug?
Check her prescribtions,and her dosages.Maybe there's a new medicine she's taking which could have a strong side effect.
Other than that just try to support her , if she ever mentions seeing someone she thinks is following her.Ask her to describe them.And if on a few outings ,she actually mentions the same description of someone following her.You can help her document how they look etc.
I hope you get to the bottom of this! So you both can relax!
Take care!
Well first of all, bluntness is certainly not the protocol here. Talk with her about her feelings and ask her why she feels this way. Help her rationalize the situation and let her find the answer herself through a series of questions. If someone is in this state, telling them they are wrong will only put them on the defensive. Once she understands that you are trying to help her, try discussing a trip to the doctor to have some tests and evaluations done. It could be something as simple as hormones or electrolytes out of kilter.
Your mother has some sort of mental illness. When a person is paranoid you really cannot reason with them. They are convinced that their delusions are real. Your mother needs to be assessed by a doctor. She probably will not go by herself so perhaps you could speak with your family doctor privately and describe her behaviour. Do not try to trick your mother in to seeing a doctor. She may take it very badly and you will be drawn into her paranoid delusion and will be labelled an enemy.
If you think she is going to hurt herself or someone else (including you) call 911.
Expect her to think you are against her when you tell her you think you should take her to the Dr. But that is exactly what she needs. For her own sake if you aer an adult or if not get two family members to talk to her and see her paranoia and decide with you if she needs to be Baker Acted. A policeman will come and take her to a hospitalfor 72 hours for observation. They will begin medication. When she understands how confused she was hopefully she will begin seeing a Dr. voluntarily and taking her meds. You cannot handle this alone so ask for help.
Has she seen a pshyciatrist, is she on medication? And lastly are you sure she's taking her medication. If she's that paranoid it sounds like she may need to have her meds adjusted, maybe even be hospitalized for a short period to get her back on track.
Other than that if she's paranoid don't tell her she's just being paranoid. Talk calmly with her ask her questions like why does she think she's being followed, ask her if theres anything she can do to help herself feel more safe (problem solve) Tell her that she's going to be okay and that if she needs to talk your there for her.
I agree that your mother needs to see doctor asap. Is her paranoia something new or has it been occurring for awhile? This reminds me a bit of Paranoid Schizophrenia, but you should see a licensed therapist for help (and a possible diagnosis). Has she been motivated recently also? Tired? The best thing to do is to see a doctor.
Your mom needs professional help. You don't want to say she's just paranoid, because chances are these thoughts are frighteningly real to her. You don't want her to feel scared and alone. Try to be patient, and good luck!
Get her to the doctor and have her checked for TIA's (mini-strokes) especially if she has high blood pressure.
Shizophrenia begins in your teens, and you seem to be saying this is recent behavior.
She needs to see a doctor and get on meds. This is not something you can solve or help.