Helping a mentally disturbed friend ?

[liddelljohn]

A good friend of mine who i have known for 9 years is having serious issues ,, he is very disturbed , sometimes rational other times not , he has recently been in trouble with the police for strange behaviour and they held him for 5 days when he attempted suicide by sitting on the highway and he has destroyed his passport and other documents , he was beaten up by thai criminals whilst in detention centre and also contracted some infections , the british embassy is aware ,, he will not go to the hospital , gets very angry and violent when doctors are mentioned , and is refusing medication ,he has lost weight and is not eating regularly or taking care of himself , but he is not drinking alcohol . he now rarely sleeps and seems paranoid and anxious .

A member of his UK family is arriving next month and arrangements are being made to get him a travel document and an escort to take him to UK but this may take a few weeks ,

, he has money from a pension and until recently has never had any issues ?? ,,,his Thai wife is at her wits end coping with this erratic behaviour meantime

he his staying at my house , and i am trying to keep him calm and out of trouble ,,

we wonder what other help is available ,, as i fear this is escalating ,

john Liddell

Edited January 9, 2015 by liddelljohn

[Issangeorge]

Sounds like he may be bipolar. If he won't see a doctor, I have no idea what you can do, except what you are doing.

[ExPratt]

Well done for taking care of your mate, however as mentioned doubtful if you can get much assistance . What about his wife , being Thai she may be entitled to some assistane. Mind you if he won;t see a doctor not much you can do

[Vejo]

Agree with the first poster, you describe typical traits of someone going through an episode of mania. It might be worth getting a doctor to try and interview/diagnose him. There are well recognised interventions using tranquillising, anxiety reducing medications that could be useful until his family arrive. I am unsure of what the Thai mental health system is like and the U.K. Isn't perfect but full recovery could take months so a trip back to the mother land might be financially prudent. You may have problems getting the guy to accept medication due to increased paranoia and/or euphoria but hopefully the doctor can advise on strategies, good luck and don't take anything personally from your friend at this testing time. It is a cruel condition that affects people's actions and words, empathy with boundaries is what is required.

[mrtoad]

Where are you?

Suggest you get him assessed by a Psychiatrist.

If he returns to the UK, then the nearest relative can request a Mental Health Act Assessment . The patient has no choice in that matter. You'll need to push the GP though.

[liddelljohn]

Thanks for your replies , We are in the pattaya area,

i have to say that the police and immigration have been very understanding with him , even when he was rude and angry..

talking with his brother and sister in UK he has never shown any mental health issues before , before he retired he was a fireman and also a motor cycle instructor .

I

I will try and get a doctor to him??

[mrtoad]

Suggest you speak to Bangkok Pattay they have a few Psychiatrist there although Manoram in Bangkok is better IMO

[NancyL]

John, your friend is very fortunate that you're in his life. It sounds like you're doing everything possible to keep him safe and to see that he gets back home where he'll be able to obtain the help he needs.

Is your friend a veteran? The Royal British Legion in Pattaya has welfare case workers who may have some suggestions also.

[Briggsy]

Is he being drugged? It would not be the first time.

[Rhys]

Then your friend is truly blessed to have a mate like you.

[Issangeorge]

John, keep up the good work. The suggestion to contact the Royal Legion in Pattaya is a good one. Even if he is not a vet, quite often legions treat firemen, and police as if they were.

[NancyL]

Is he being drugged? It would not be the first time.

Actually, this isn't as far-fetched as it may seem. It could be possible that someone close to him is drugging him in an effort to have him committed and to gain control of his pension.

It doesn't seem likely from what the OP has written, but there was at one very graphic account of this late last year on Thai visa and other incidents have been reported.

[Sheryl]

Thanks for your replies , We are in the pattaya area,

i have to say that the police and immigration have been very understanding with him , even when he was rude and angry..

talking with his brother and sister in UK he has never shown any mental health issues before , before he retired he was a fireman and also a motor cycle instructor .

I

I will try and get a doctor to him??

For some reason when I first read this I assumed he was young..perhaps because psychotic breaks usually happen in the late teens or early twenties.

In someone of retirement age with no prior history of psyhiatric problems, something like this should be immediately evaluated by a good neurologist as there may be a brain lesion or other physical cause. If he had something like bipolar disorder it would long ago have manifested itself. New onset of apparent pyschosis in older people is usually something else.

Needs a blood panel to rule out metabolic causes (including B12 deficiency, and to be on the safe side a toxocology screen not a bad idea) and a neuro exam. As soon as possible.

[liddelljohn]

Update

my friend is feeling a little better ,, he is a bit more stable and he went with me to see a doctor ,he now has some medication , he had a good physical check up too,,,a bit aneamic and mal nourished but no serious issues apparent .

he is far from through this ,, but at least he is eating a bit and sleeping .

seems he has had issues before ,he now admits possibly PTSD ?? work related ?

dont think he had opened up to anyone before ,,

[Issangeorge]

I am glad your friend went to see a doctor and is doing better. If he was a former fireman, it is not all that surprising he would have work related PTSD. If he has work related PTSD, it seems to me The Royal British Legion http://branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/chonburi-thailand, might be able to help with that.

[liddelljohn]

We have finally got a travel warrant from British embassy,, and my friend will travel to UK on friday with family member ,

Thai airways has refused to carry him due to his health issues ????? and we have rebooked him on Emirates

[uptheos]

We have finally got a travel warrant from British embassy,, and my friend will travel to UK on friday with family member ,

Thai airways has refused to carry him due to his health issues ????? and we have rebooked him on Emirates

Good luck, hope your friend doesn't throw a wobbly in Dubai.....could be expensive.

I would have thought British Airways direct would have been a better option

[Sheryl]

If his problem is PTSD then suggest to your friend/his family that when he reaches the UK he seek help from a therapist trained in a technique called EMDR. This technique is extremely effective in treatment of PTSD, in what is just about the only thing that can really resolve it.

They can locate a therapist trained/certified in this technique near them through this site http://www.emdr.com/find-a-clinician.html

[liddelljohn]

Could not get him a ticket on BA or any of the direct flights ,,,not at short notice ,,, also the type of travel document he now has causes red flags with the airlines ,, then they seem to beless interested in carrying him when they know his story ,

we have an appointment made already with a GP in UK

I am also travelling now with his cousin as i have some issues to take care of in UK , so there will be 2 off us to keep an eye out

I will look at the EMDR although he may not have PTSD only the Doctors etc will be able to say for certain...,,,thanks sheryl for that link

[redandyellow]

Benevolent agencies

1. Destiny Rescue ( www.destinyrescue.org ) - A non-profit organization that aims to rescue enslaved children, restore the abused, protect the vulnerable, empower the poor and be a voice for the voiceless. It operates in Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and India.

2. The Issarachon Foundation - A Thai non-government group that works with homeless and displaced locals and foreigners in Thailand.

3. Kusoldharm Foundation - A commendable Phuket Emergency Rescue Service.

4. www.lannacarenet.org - This organization helps aging foreigners live safe and healthy lives in Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. They provide advice and practical assistance where necessary.

5. Heathrow Travel care ( heathrowtravelcare.co.uk ) - An airport crisis social work team based in Terminal 3. They offer advice and assistance to a wide variety of distressed and vulnerable people at Heathrow airport ( London ), including destitute and troubled foreigners returning home from an extended stay in Thailand.

Perhaps one of these may help. Good on you to assist a person in need. r and y

[liddelljohn]

THANK YOU RED AND YELLOW THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD STICKY???