Thai friend with paranoiac delusions

[Gaccha]

Sheryl and Co.,

 

I have a Thai friend. She is rather innocent, harmless in nature, and because she is hi-so she is quite isolated from the world. She works in a government post.

 

She started to complain to me that some people on her Facebook were sending malicious messages to her and saying nasty things about her. All these people are connected to me from over the years, but I haven't seen any in at least 2 years. I have never been close to them. When I pressed her she sent me what seemed entirely innocent photos by those people (say, for example, one girl in a bikini at a swimming pool). Her explanation for how this was a communication to her in particular and how there was a hidden malicious message seemed entirely irrational to me. She claimed, for example, that since the girl's bikini was blue because I had used a e-moji in blue weeks prior, bikini-girl was communicating against my friend.

 

It seems clear that she has become obsessed with me (they are all facebook friends of mine and she complains one of the friends fancies me) and has locked onto my friends as targeting her. I have blocked her from my Facebook to try to diminish her obsessions. But I don't want to lose her as a friend. I have known her for at least 10 years.

 

I want her to get better. In speaking to mutual friends of her and mine it's clear that she has even 10 years back displayed odd thoughts. For example, she claimed to see hallucinations while meditating. To me, she was always a little oddball but very sweet in nature.

 

I have finally persuaded her to see a doctor. But I don't want her case to be dismissed as trivial by the doctor and her sent home. Although she looks harmless and so there is no social danger, it is effectively ruining her life-- she typically writes 30 plus messages to me a day about the ways by facebook friends are attacking her. In a sense, Facebook has become her life.

 

What doctor and what hospital can I get real care for her?

 

She's an old friend and I want things to work out for the best with her. My Thai friends tell me that Thais fear mental health at hospitals since they believe it will lead them to be locked away or ostracized.

[Sheryl]

 I am assuming as she is "hi-so" that she has money.

 

There are some good psychiatrists at places like Bumrungrad and  BNH etc and, as these are not "mental hospitals" she may be more accepting of seeing someone there than she would be at say Manoram, a private psych hospital (and otherwise a good choice).  Also, no stigma attached should anyone who knows her see her at one of these hospitals whereas that would be a concern at Manoram. (Mental health problems are very, very stigmatized in Thailand). And lastly, hours are usually in Evenongs/weekends so not a problem i nterms fo taking time off from work.

 

Some specific doctors:

 

https://www.bnhhospital.com/find-doctor/search-result/?dname=Thani Settachan

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Pichai-Ittasakul

 

There is also a government psych hospital but a hi-so Thai is very unlikely to be willing to go there. But, for your general reference, it is

http://www.somdet.go.th/public/Eng/History.php

 

And the private pysch hospital (very good standard) is  http://www.manarom.com/index_eng.html

 

 

[Gaccha]

Sheryl,

 

Thanks for that!

 

She has just come back with her plan to book at 'Thonburi 2' hospital. What do you think of that? She has booked a time so I don't want to stop this decision she has finally made to book an appointment.

[Sheryl]

With any hospital, it depends on the doctor.

 

Thonburi and Thonburi 2 hospitals both have some professors   from Siriraj. I don't have details on the ones at Thonburi 2 because their English language website is dreadful but I know they have a pysch dept with 5-6 different doctors.