First, I would like to apologize to anyone I haven't been right with, for any reason. When you see why I'm at the end of my rope, maybe you'll understand why I'm cracking up.

I've got my sister staying with me for a few days, so she won't have to sleep in a car while she's reportedly waiting for an apartment to be available. She's married, but her husband isn't trustworthy, I don't want to get into detail, but my husband doesn't want him in our house. Knowing what I know, I can't blame him.

My sister was never healthy, and is thoroughly codependent on her husband, but she has never been like this before. Her constant walking around muttering under her breath is about to drive me batty myself. I believe she thinks she's talking to our grandmother, who passed away three years ago, but apparently her ghost follows my sister around. She also talks about vivid memories of things that never happened. "Remember that helicopter crash the day I was born?" No, because there wasn't one. Nor is there any obscene amount of money due us for some movie one of us starred in years ago, that everyone has forgotten about. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

The kicker was that last night when we were watching something extremely funny on TV, and I spit Diet Coke all over myself, in the middle of everybody laughing their butts off about that, my sister started crying and came out of nowhere with, "You have the wrong idea about my husband. He's God in the flesh!"

I've worked so hard to normalize my own life and have a drama-free home where I can feel safe. I am not equipped to handle someone else's issues. I can barely manage my own. I don't think it's possible to make my sister get help when she doesn't think she needs any because she's just fine, it's the whole rest of the world that's messed up. But right now I'm about to flee my own house and go to see an emergency therapist, because I can't deal with this one more second.

[TheOriginalMe]

Hang on in there, and vent and rant here as much as you can.

It sounds like your sister is mentally ill and/or substance using (??). If she's only going to be at your house for, say another day I'd say just hang in there. But more than that...it sounds to me like you need to give her the boot. If she has a car to sleep in, that's more than many homeless people have. It's pretty much a black and white situation.

Update.

I didn't make it to the doctor's. I didn't feel safe to drive with such a high level of anxiety going on, and the catch-22 is, if I take something for anxiety, I can't drive on the meds. Well, I had left the house around 2:00 or so, traveling via bus, but since my husband himself is a bus driver, I thought I'd stop at the downtown transit center to let him know where I was going. I had forgotten how long it takes to get anywhere by bus. By the time I caught up with him, it was too late to get to the clinic. I don't feel in need of ER services. Just getting out of the house is serving as a coping skill.

As I sat waiting for my husband, it so happened that my brother-in-law and my daughter came by. They explained to me that my sister's behavior is part of her sleep disorder. I was picturing some major breakdown, like our uncle who was a paranoid schizophrenic, and I was freaking out thinking, "What's happening with my sister????" I knew she had a sleep disorder, but I didn't know those symptoms were included. She should be on medication but with their recent life changes, she hasn't been keeping up with her health. He just needs a safe place for her to be for a few days while he takes care of their housing and works temporary jobs, so he won't have to worry about her safety while he's working. MAYBE I can stand it for a few days, and if I can't, I'll do what I did today and just get out of the house.

Oh, and if anybody wonders, my sister is not alone. Her son is with her.

Well, good. You took care of yourself by leaving the situation. Hopefully she'll be out by the end of this week.

[LaborIntensive]