Mom with paranoia disorder
QUESTION:
Joel, 40-year-old manMy mother has suddenly become paranoid of everyone and everything - and when I say everything, even the moon was following her last time we talked. She takes pictures of everything that is suspicious and has filled many memory cards of data. She even bought a dash cam to record her drives. Now she wants me to take a lie detector test as she believes my sister and I are part of the "gang" who is "stalking" her. She also found online information about individuals who are targets of government torment and now thinks she is one of them! There is nothing I can do to convince her otherwise; if I try she will not even talk to me. I need to know if she is sick and what condition she has, so that I can do more research on what I can do to help her, if anything.
How do you know if someone you love has developed Paranoid Personality Disorder? What can you do to convince them to seek help?
ANSWER:
Bob Rich, Ph.D.
Joel, thank you for being a caring, loving son. You are right, she is suffering from what nowadays is called "delusional disorder."
As you have found, arguing with her is useless. It only makes you "join the enemy." If she is not a danger to herself, or to other people, then the best course of action is to enable her to live happily with her delusions. How to do that needs creativity. You know her, I don't, so you and your sister need to think up some ways.
For example, if she is religious, you can agree about her ideas of persecution from the government and stalking gangs, but say things like, "Last night I had a dream and Jesus told me that He is specially looking out for your safety. Isn't that lucky?" Look for a psychiatrist who is willing to play along. He is a secret agent of the Defenders, and has access to protective potions that interfere with the evil actions of the stalkers. (These are the drugs of course).
The exact stories depend very much on the person and the exact delusions, but I have used this approach with several people. The aim is not to make the false beliefs go away, but to make the person's life pleasant and livable again.
Good luck,
Bob
This question was answered by Dr. Bob Rich. Dr. Rich has 30+ years of experience as a psychotherapist. Dr. Rich is also a writer and a "mudsmith". Bob is now retired from psychological practice, but still works with people as a counselor.For more information visit: http://anxietyanddepression-help.com