Hello, my name is Valerie and I joined the group to help be cope with a brother who has just been diagnoses with Delusional Disorder. My brother never showed any symptoms until February when he had a breakdown. I believe all the stress at work and some family things at home caused it to come out full blown. Let me explain how it all started.....he came over one day with his wife because she couldn't make sense of what he was saying..just off the wall things. We rushed him to the hospital and later time in the psychiatric ward there where he was seen by a psychiatrist. Now it's August and it appears that in between he got better only because the meds he was on calmed his anxiety so he didn't talk about what was going on in his head. At the time he just came saying that he's connecting the dots, and everything is going to come down, and how 'they' are going to come after him, and how the physiatrist is on it, and how the room it bugged...My heart just broke to hear my brother just so scared of something that he just made up in his head! After seeing a doctor myself and doing A LOT of reading I can understand mental illness a bit better. Although I feel like I'm on this roller coaster ride with him and it's very draining. I have learned that it's better not to get into any discussion as it just makes him suspicious of me. The last time we spoke I tried to give him guidance and told him not to think of those things and try to think of happy thoughts. Now he's not returning my calls and says that he's going to expose me. I am truly at my wits end in trying to understand what I can do? Do I try to go see him? or is this going to make things worse. Although I know I didn't do anything he treats me like I have, and gives me dirty looks and ignores me and makes comments about me. As I write this I have tears in my eyes not because of what he's said to me, but how helpless I feel. To all of you that suffer from mental illness I think you are the most bravest and you are not looked down at all! Thank goodness for medication and therapy that will eventually work..healing talks time. But if anyone has gone through this and can give me some advice I would really appreciate it. Sorry for the long introduction.
