I met few days ago a sz person on a bench and we kinda started talking in delusions. He was constantly drinking pure vodka without anything to eat and drink it up. I also invited him to a church mass and he looked weird especially during a part wishing peace to each other and he was breathing really deeply. A couple days ago i met him in a park again, it was around 4pm and he could barely talk, i took him home as he barely stood on his feet, i bought cat food for his cat, some tomato juice and bread rolls with lard inside. He managed to recover, but his renting flat looked really blank : no doors, mattress on a floor, no bed frame, no fridge or oven. Toilet is seen open in a flat. We kept on talking and he said about tactile hallucinations, how his past girlfriends are still living with him, make him drink and have sex with a hallucination. He even called out “monica come over here” seriously, but there was no one in a flat and when I asked him if he sees another people in a room he said yes. So i talked with a mom and she suggested calling to a council, to seek a social worker to helo him out, because he lives alone and he mostly cut any contacts with a family. I called him this evening to talk, and he was reeealy pissed off. I even got scared one moment. But he said hes really afraid of me (mostly because he thinks i might call in an ambulance). He said i have walked over the line and this is none of my business. He sounded a bit agressive also because it is a first day after three day alcohol binge. He stopped meds a year ago, he seems pretty normal while sober, having minor delusions and halucinations. So tell me, should i just watched over it and done nothing?
Someone please?
It is a noble act to try and help out even though the guy cannot help himself or be helped.
You are not a professional to step in and don’t have the support system behind you to ensure proper health and services are provided for him.
You did the best you could, but he is bound to be defensive in such a paranoid state. Taking into account the alcohol misuse you are probably on a hiding to nothing.
He doesn’t want to be helped, so it is difficult to help him.
Most people will say to call an ambulance, but I expect he will be paralytic somewhere public and an ambulance will be called anyway upon which he will most likely be sectioned.
He will hate you for your help, but what can you do really?
it may have been he wanted you to take a chug,
did you say, Vodka?
an immediate friend is good.
Yeah he seems an schizophrenic who has alcoholism problem. He drinks plain vodka without any juice, cola etc.
so what? who are you to say?
I’m not sure there’s anything you could do. Even without schizophrenia, a hardcore alcoholic like that would be very resistant to being helped by anyone
Im just trying to help out a new friend with a problem i guess?
Hes not too hardcore, but spents binge drinking 3 days in a row and he tries to stay sober for a 4 days. But obviously youre hangover for 2 days after that drinking, so basically he stays normal for a day or two
I would be a selfish git - and say look after number 1 first. There is no way he is going to get a proper MH assessment if he is constantly off his face on vodka anyway.
Phone your local police station and report him as a vulnerable adult.
Too many occasions ive helped people - only to come off worse emotionally and financially. Im worried it will happen to you.
Well i reported him to a social worker. Im not going to do anything else
Fair Enough. Im sure he would be less psychotic, if he stopped the drinking.
Youve done all you can x
You did your best to help him. Ultimately, unless he is an immediate danger to himself or others, they can’t force him into treatment. You know how much life can improve with treatment, and it is natural to want to share that possibility with him. But, ultimately, the system is set up in such a way that he has to actually want and accept the help, or else become dangerously violent.
Something my grandma says about my very ill sz brother is, “We can’t make people’s decisions for them.” It hurts to watch someone suffer when you know what can help. But it is his choice if he would rather drink alone and hallucinate his exes than go to the hospital.
Well, there was a point in time when I was younger, like in my thirties when I tried to help people. I mean I still help people when I can but I can’t jump into peoples problems or deep into peoples lives anymore. I’m too old and don’t like big changes anymore. If the guy doesn’t want help than that’s his choice. I tried to help fellow addicts or alcoholics when I was really immersed in the program. It can be a very thankless endeavor and to see someone keep making mistake after mistake and keep drinking is frustrating.
AA is what helps people. You can’t make him stop drinking if he doesn’t want to stop drinking. It’s nice of you to want to help but you’re taking on a pretty big project. And I don’t mean to be snobbish but maybe you can find better friends.
And after just 4 days it’s not really a deep
friendship. I guess I’m looking at it through my own perspective. I am satisfied with a calm, drama free life (for
the most part). I would try to help someone but I don’t need someone changing my life or dragging me into the wrong world. Given just the facts you gave us, the guy needs more help than you can give.
Isn’t there like a saying you become your friends??? I’d leave him alone. There so many people like that in my city and it’s better to just leave it be. He has nothing to offer you. He needs to stop drinking but you got your own life to live.
I was similar in wanting to help people then I realized that this is real life and it’s every man for themself.
I’ve seen my fair share of schizophrenic homeless people in Oakland. Frankly they scare me too much for me to ever get involved in their lives.
I hope my brother doesn’t end up like that, but he refuses meds and is in for a really tough time. If I could inhabit his body for a few months I could get his life sorted but unfortunately it doesn’t work like that.
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