Managing psychotic disorders: therapy options

Essentially, one must undergo an examination first, then receive a diagnosis, and only after that can treatment begin...

Absolutely terrible.👎

There’s just no way to justify sneaking medication to someone behind their back. 😲

My mother was being given Haldol because she was spitting at the nurses, wandering out of the hospital, begging for cigarettes, smoking in the hallways, and roaming the wards in the middle of the night—they just couldn't get her to settle down, and during her hospitalizations (last year and this year when they finally figured out what was actually wrong), they even had to tie her to the bed.
Actually, I’d have to double-check my notes right now, but I know for certain she wasn't taking Haldol between those two hospital stays; I can't quite recall if she received it during last year's stay, but during this most recent hospitalization, they were giving it to her there and then prescribed it for home use.
Yes, she has early-onset Alzheimer, but that wasn't the whole story; she had cancer that was draining her sodium levels, which turned her into a completely disoriented woman who was totally disconnected from the world around her. It was likely a combination of both issues. Since she started chemotherapy, Haldol was actually useful as a potent antiemetic.
At that point, the Haldol was probably justified, but the side effects are an absolute disaster, and she developed what they call extrapyramidal syndrome.
On top of that, she became a different person entirely. Seeing what that looks like... it’s horrific.

Anyway, Mom got really scared by the tremors, which just kept getting worse and worse, so the two of us made an agreement—and obviously, I consulted with her, though it was entirely on my own initiative rather than with the doctor who prescribed it, since when I asked him about the side effects, he just shrugged and said maybe she has Parkinson's)😲 and she isn't taking Haldol anymore.
She is much, much better (regarding that specific issue, at least).

Your friend is clearly suffering from a psychiatric condition (meaning there isn't some underlying organic disease), but as someone else mentioned above, if he finds out they've been drugging him secretly, things could get very ugly.
If he doesn't want treatment, he doesn't want treatment. But once he realizes they were slipping Haldol into his coffee, he’s going to lose it, and who knows what he might do; they'll end up calling the police and hauling him off to a state mental facility.
Honestly, I’d feel the exact same way if I were in his shoes; I don't know if I could ever just move past something like that.👎

And she definitely needs to find a new doctor. 👎