Crisis Point Today!

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
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I've posted before about my Dad's increasing paranoia focussed on our "evil" neighbour. We finally managed to get him into the GP last week, the GP was very worried and prescribed Olanzapine and has asked the consultant psychiatrist to visit. And we thought that was a bad day.

Well less than a week later we hit crisis point today.

Dad has been working himself up more and more, the Olanzapine seems to be having little effect.

This morning things took a new twist - the latest claim is that the neighbour has drilled a hole in the bathroom wall, and pointed an extractor fan into out bathroom, to direct damp air and grow mildew there.

I heard him shouting at poor Mum about this - there was of course nothing wrong. He then called me down to see "the damage". he just went on and on about it, and well sadly I felt as though a big dam had burst inside and I just yelled "You have been going on and on and on and on about this, you never stop, there is nothing wrong anywhere and you are driving me insane with it!"

I felt I had to get away and ran out of the house. Both Mum and I were in floods of tears, we went over to our neighbour who called our doctor. He has said to double the Olanzapine and has said we will get the pysch. today (no sign yet) or tomorrow. I spent two hours on the neighbour's sofa shaking all over before I finally calmed down enough to come back home.

Dad has been absolutely relentless in his paranoia, he never quits or forgets and keeps on finding "new things" to badger us with.

I'm pretty much at the end of my tether with it, it is making Mum's Parkinson's worse and the stress is giving me awful stomach cramps and eczema.
 

Lucille

Registered User
Sep 10, 2005
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Hello Nebiroth

So very sorry to hear what's happening and that I can't wave a magic wand for you ... but just to let you know that I'm thinking about you. Don't know how you've managed this far! I don't blame you for shouting at him. It would try the patience of a saint. The physical effects on you and your mum are awful. I hope the psych is pushed into action.

Meantime, I don't really know what to suggest. Anything I think of seems inadequate in the circumstances. Perhaps someone who has had similar experiences can post something a little more constructive. But here's a virtual hug winging its way to you and your mum.
 

Amy

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Jan 4, 2006
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Hiya Nebiroth,
Just hang in there - you will get through this.

Sounds as though you need to go to the doctor and talk about your health and well being, and mum needs to do the same.
If the psych does not arrive today, then get on the phone in the morning to dad's GP - stress that you and your mum are both reaching the end of your tether.
Do you have any other support coming into the home CPN, social worker? If not, tell the GP that you need it - you cannot go on as you are.

If you feel that the tension is becoming unbearable again tonight, call the GP out again - he may be able to give dad something that will quieten him. It is not an ideal solution, but would help in the short term - just to help you and mum over this patch.

We are here if you need to scream!
Take care.
Love Helen
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
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Amy said:
Do you have any other support coming into the home CPN, social worker? If not, tell the GP that you need it - you cannot go on as you are.

No support at all. After the initial visit from the pyschiatrist and nurse last year in April, we had a couple of visits from an Occupation Therapist and a few weeks of a social worker for Dad to make a "Memory Scrapbook".

Other than this we have had nothing since, excluding a visit to the GP in August.

Because the neighbour is a Mormon, Dad is also convinced that half the doctor's patients are also Mormons who are making reports about him to the doctor.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
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Kent
Dear Nebiroth, If your dad`s behaviour is becoming so challenging that the health of you and your mother is suffering, do you think the time has come for some hospitalization, to see if his problems can be addressed.

I really hate to suggest this as I know how I`d feel in the same position, but it looks as if you are both at a stage where you really need help, other than just stronger drugs.

As a point of interest, did you get any reaction from your dad to your outburst? I ask because I lost it once with my husband and I think I frightened the life out of him. It wasn`t paranoia with my husband, it was aggressive behaviour and abusive language to me, and I wasn`t prepared to put up with it any longer. I have to say, he is quieter now, whether that`s accident or design I can`t say.

You really must insist on help. Badger the services till you get some satisfaction.
Easier said than done I know, but if you make enough fuss, someone might get the message.


Keep in touch. Love Sylvia x
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
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SW Scotland
Nebiroth said:
No support at all. After the initial visit from the pyschiatrist and nurse last year in April, we had a couple of visits from an Occupation Therapist and a few weeks of a social worker for Dad to make a "Memory Scrapbook".
QUOTE]

Dear Nebiroth

What a dreadful situation for you and your Mum to have to cope with. It sounds as if the system has let you down badly. You are not qualified to cope with paranoia on your own.

I agree with Helen. You need to get the GP to give your Dad something to tide you over until the psychiatrist can see him.

It sounds as if your Dad should be in hospital for assessment and to get him stabilised on medication.

If they do manage to stabilise him sufficiently for you to care for him again, your Mum should demend a carers assessment, so that she can get some help. You certainly can't go on like this. Your health and your Mum's will break down.

Take care of yourselves tonight and don't be afraid to scream for help, you are entitled to it.

Let us know how you get on.

Love and hugs,
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
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We have just had a call and been told that the consultant psychiatrist is coming tomorrow and will be accompanied by a specialist nurse.

In the meantime we have been told to give him a double-dose of Olanzapine tonight.

I don't know whether my outburst had any effect.

One minute he is saying how sorry he is, how he won't mention the neighbour again - the next minute we are back to the same old thing.

The sad thing is that apart from the paranoia Dad is better than he was last year thanks to the Aricept. I don't know if they will suggest hospital - I know he will absolutely refuse to go. I don't think that he is, at present, bad enough to be sectioned; I don't feel that his behavior, whilst very challenging, falls under being a danger to himself or others.

Also aside from the paranoia he is pretty aware of what is happening - his problems are mostly short-term memory. He would be fully aware of all that hospitalisation would mean, particularly if it was against his wishes.

We will have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.

I am hoping that the pyschiatrist will leave him in the company of the nurse so that I can talk to her privately and tell her what has been going on.

I do feel let down by the system; I am sure that more regular visits would have detected the growing paranoia much earlier and possibly intervention then would have prevented the crisis now.
 

Kriss

Registered User
May 20, 2004
513
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Shropshire
In case you don't get chance to talk one to one, make some written notes tonight and make sure you give them to the "professionals" when they arrive. Just hand them over and say "in case we dont have the opportunity to speak privately... etc"

In the stress of the situation there will always be something you think of afterwards that you should have mentioned. Don't worry about anythng seeming trivial or "not serious enough yet" as when all the problems are looked at as a whole they will gain a better picture.

Good Luck - you're due some

Kriss
 

Nebiroth

Registered User
Aug 20, 2006
3,510
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Whew, that's the visit by the psychiatrist and CPN over.

The psychiatrist thinks that Dad has developed paranoia that is far worse than is normally seen in people with Alzheimers so it may be a separate but related condition.

We went through a long interview and then she spoke at length to dad (I think she managed to winkle his thoughts about the neighbours and Mormons out of him even though he usually takes care not to admit these things to doctors).

They were concerned about the paranoia and also his increasing tendancy towards aggressiveness.

I was shocked and horrified to hear that he'd hit Mum before Christmas; she didn't tell me! I'd have intervened long ago if I'd known!

He's been taken off the Olanzapine (psych knew all about the stroke risks) and has been switched to Quetiapine instead, in a dose that will eventually rise to six 25mg tablets a day. Sounds a lot but standard treatments with this drug often run to 300-400mg per day.

She also spoke about the possibility of depot injections if we find the pills difficult.

The CPN is coming back to do a carers assessment
 

Amy

Registered User
Jan 4, 2006
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Well done Nebiroth. Now you've got them involved, don't let them off the hook!
Love Helen
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
Well done, Nebiroth. It sounds as if the psych. did a good job, getting the full picture.

It's good too that your Mum is going to have a carer's assesment. Hopefully she'll get some support, and take some of the pressure off you.

Sounds like a good day's work; lets hope the medication works.

Love,
 

Lucille

Registered User
Sep 10, 2005
542
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Hi nebiroth

I'm glad things have been sorted, a little. Fingers crossed for you and your family.