I have been good friends with this individual for many years now and she has always been such a lovely and sweet friend. About a year ago I noticed some things that were a bit different about her. I won’t go into details because she may see this. But she began having delusions about targeted messaging and it just escalated over the past year. I tried my hardest to support her throughout and get her the help she needs.
She is now in full-blown psychosis and her focus is on one of her other friends – she spends hours each day accusing them on social media of things that are not true. Her posts are incoherent and erratic. She messages me in bursts of messages, none of them connected conceptually, incoherent and repeating. She does not notice that I don’t answer and responds to her own messages. Her mother is taking care of her and she will not seek treatment because she does not think there is a problem.
The problem is that every now and then she has also verbally attacked me – I don’t mind because I know she’s not in a place to understand what she’s saying. At the same time, I’m a little bit worried that the focus will shift to me. I have been keeping the line open, but I have not messaging back because it typically doesn’t go well. I am additionally cautious because I am in the mental health profession and am slightly worried about her directing untrue accusations my way. I want to be there for my friend but nothing I say helps and her messages are sometimes distressing. Is there a point at which I should block her? Or just keep it open? I care for her a lot but don’t know what to do anymore.
TL;DR My good friend is in active psychosis and is constantly sending me incoherent messages and is beginning to turn on me. Should I keep the line open or is it time to block?
Comments
Late 20s and early 30s is when for women schizophrenia tends to emerge. There is new evidence that the longer it goes untreated the worse it can get. I’m not sure the best thing to do here, but your friend needs professional help not just the care of her mother. Can you encourage her or her mom to get her to a hospital for an evaluation? If she is threatening herself or others you can also call 911 and they will evaluate her, though treatment tends to go better if they agree to it. What statecounty are you in? There may be mobile mental health crisis services that can come to her.
If you.think she is a danger to herself or others you should request a well check- preferably by a care team.