Something's up... anyone else?

I have this one friend who means the world to me.
She’s 38, but lately, her behavior has been... off. Really off.
She’ll call me late at night and just drone on for hours about how people are out to get her, or how someone "targeted" her, or some other nonsense about what happened to her today.
This stuff started about ten months ago, but now it’s getting more intense and aggressive. She’s actually started writing letters to the White House and thinks she’s personally responsible for every single issue involving the FBI or local police.
She’s obsessed with proving she’s the victim of some massive conspiracy, and she gets incredibly hostile when she talks about it.
The thing is, she has nobody else. No siblings, no cousins, no parents.
She is completely alone in this world.

Up until last year, she was totally fine—cheerful, easygoing, zero drama. Then everything changed. She quit her job, put on over 100 pounds, and honestly, I suspect there might be a thyroid issue involved, but every single day she calls me with some new ailment she's "invented" based on some story she’s spun.

She doesn't do anything productive anymore; she just spins webs. Her brain is constantly racing—she could probably write detective novels if she actually focused on something real.
She can't function without some kind of crisis.

Whatever. These nightly vent sessions mean everything to her, even if she doesn't realize she's just spiraling through bad days. A person can't just flip their entire life around overnight.

Every once in a while, she seems like herself again. She wants to go out, meet people, grab a drink. I really want to help her, and I’d love to take her out for a coffee, but I’m honestly a little scared. I'm worried she'll snap or make some huge scene in public.

I’m actually thinking about reaching out to her doctor. I truly believe whatever she’s going through isn't being properly managed.

I know we live in the States, where the healthcare and social safety nets work differently than elsewhere, and where the government usually won't step in unless someone proactively reaches out and asks for help.

Please, if anyone has any advice, I'm all ears.

Angela Kelly said:Just a little reality check here—we live in America, where the whole healthcare and social safety net situation is built on a totally different set of rules... everything is different over here. If she needs help, the government isn't just gonna swoop in and fix it unless someone actually steps up and does something about it.

Unlike some other places where there's this idea of everyone chipping in together to support someone in need... 🙄give me a break

The woman is sick. If she’s got no family and she's completely on her own, then you take her to a doctor—if you actually want to help her or whatever...

I’m getting those same vibes—it feels like we're looking at some kind of John Forbes Nash or Spike Lee level of genius here... just a brilliant mind at work, honestly.

I once knew a close friend who presented with symptoms remarkably similar to those your friend is experiencing, and it eventually turned out he was dealing with schizophrenia.

After enduring a full year of intensive treatment and being heavily medicated, he now carries deep dark circles under his eyes and seems somewhat slowed down in his movements, yet I suppose one could argue that at least he is no longer plagued by those elaborate conspiracy theories and other such delusions.

I certainly do not wish to come across as a pessimist, but if I were in your position, I would strongly advise seeking professional medical assistance for your colleague.

I don't mean to be a pessimist here, but you might want to get some professional help for a colleague.

Better to act before she hits a breaking point—that moment where everything just snaps and brain function takes the hit. We’re talking about potentially losing basic skills like writing or even just finding her way around a room by tomorrow.

The professional diagnosis? It’s probably schizophrenia.

Some lowlife's take: loneliness just broke her. I mean, seriously, just buy her a guy, or maybe start with a cat, find her a roommate or someone—anything so she isn't sitting there all by herself.

Just send her off to some meditation class, Transcendental Meditation, Reiki, whatever.

I mean, I think it might actually do her a world of good. And even if it doesn't... well, at least it won't hurt her like some pills might.

Kyle Nelson2 said:just send her to some meditation retreat, Transcendental Meditation, Reiki, whatever...

Honestly, I think that stuff could actually do her some good—and even if it doesn't work, at least she isn't popping pills like candy, right?

🙂

but seriously, playing around with these kinds of "alternative" experiments on people struggling with mental illness is incredibly dangerous!...

Is that just your personal take, or do you actually have some facts to back that up?

Kyle Nelson2 said:Is that just your take on things, or do you actually have some hard facts to back that up?

I’m talking about my own experience with a friend dealing with mental health issues... she actually started meditating, but then everything just went south again and she ended up being hospitalized.

So, yeah... you got any actual data showing that TM can even help?

Look

At the local TM research center in Columbus, you can dig up about 500 different scientific studies specifically designed to measure how TM actually works.

I’ve spent some time digging through those papers myself...

Kyle Nelson2 said:lol, okay...

If you head over to a major research hub—like maybe a big Mayo Clinic center or something—you could dig up like 500 different studies specifically designed to track how TM actually works.

I’ve actually spent some time digging through a few of those papers myself...

But wait, are we even talking about people with actual mental health conditions here?

If she’s got schizophrenia—and let's face it, she does—then this isn't new. This has been building up for a long time, and now it's finally boiling over. People like this don't need some soft-hearted, incompetent psychiatrist who just wants to nod along, baby-talk them, or drown them in pills to keep them quiet. They need someone with a backbone. They need actual authority to keep things from spiraling out of control. rustymoose54, listen to me. She respects you. Don't go easy on her. Don't validate her delusions just to keep the peace. You have to be blunt. You have to look her in the eye and tell her straight up that she’s sick.

I took a look at some of them, but not all of them, so I can't really say for sure.

The real question is, what kind of illness was your friend dealing with? Was she on any medication, and did she happen to stop taking it during the TM

Kyle Nelson2 said:I've checked out a few, but not all of them, so I can't really give you a definitive answer.

The real question here is—what was your friend actually dealing with? Like, what condition was she treating? Was she on meds, and did she stop taking them while they were doing TM?

She’s been on her meds the whole time—didn't skip a single dose even during the TM sessions.

Look, I don't have anything against TM itself, honestly... but what happened with her? That was just straight-up terrifying...

I’m under the impression that meditation might actually be contraindicated in cases involving psychosis.🙄

Look, Kyle Nelson2.

Michelle Patel78 is in the medical field—at least, that’s my take on it...

Look, I didn't say anything definitive about your friend.

If I were dealing with a massive headache, I’d probably hit up a therapist first, maybe try some meditation, and then—only as a last resort—look into a psychiatrist or meds.

When you’re actually losing your grip—like, truly struggling with your mental health—making even the simplest, most logical decision about your own treatment feels impossible... it's just a mess.

The people who actually give a damn about you? They're the ones who have to practically drag you to the psychiatrist... because honestly, a therapist alone just isn't going to cut it when things get that dark.

I mean, I agree with you on some points... but only some...

Some of these techniques basically just rearrange everything inside your head, so you don't even realize how much of a mess things were until it's already gone.