[LGWV]

So my friend. She is very close to me and tells me everything that happens with her. Just a few days ago she was looking at herself in a mirror and she thinks she saw her self in the mirror smile but she wasn't smiling in real life. Also now she hears voices in her head, her voice, tell her how everything will be OK and that she should embrace her memories and make a better future. And when she sleeps she has horrible nightmares so she is sleeping maybe 4 hours a day. I don't know what to tell her or say. I've talked her out of suicide and hurting herself but now I don't know what to say. Please help as soon as possible. Also if you need anymore info please feel free to ask.

Thanks, Logan.

[hamster-bamster]

Logan:

your friend has several issues.

She needs to see her GP immediately for sleep issues. She also needs to make an appointment with a psychiatrist (p-doc) to discuss voices. She does not have an emergency with the voices, since the voices are benevolent. So it is an issue, but not an emergency. The sleep issue is an emergency.

I do not know about the smiling thing. It seems to be worthy of a discussion with a p-doc, but not an emergency.

[Jannaku]

What a great friend you are to be concerned about your friend's welfare and trying to help as best you can. I would highly recommend taking your friend to a professional for an assessment since hearing voices and possibly hallucinating are worrisome. You need to do this ASAP because of the suicide and self harm risk. In the meantime keep in touch with her as much as possible and continue being the supportive friend that you are. All the best x

[hamster-bamster]

Note that sleep deprivation might lead to all sorts of things, including hallucinations. If she fixes her sleep issue, she might find yourself not having some of the other issues without intervention.

[LGWV]

I've talked to her about that. She refuses to go. And the suicide/self harm risk isn't existent any more (I hope)

[optimize990h]

Please take care of yourself as well.

Your friend needs urgent help for her safety as Jannuka has pointed out.

[LGWV]

Thanks to both. But she refuses to go for help. In fact I'm the only person she wants to tell.

The suicide and self harm aren't existent anymore (I hope)

[kaliope]

Hi. Welcome to PC. As Jannaku said, the best help you can get your friend is to get her seen by a mental health professional. These are serious symptoms that need attention, even if it means taking her to the emergency room when she is suicidal. Her welfare is most important. youre a good friend. convince her this is necessary.

[LGWV]

I've asked her to see someone but she refuses saying she isn't insane. Im the only person she has told. And the suicide and self harm problems are gone now (I hope)

[hamster-bamster]

OK!

Since there are not suicide and self-harm problems, it is not an urgent issue. It is not an ASAP concern, so relax.

tell her that you do not think that she is insane. Instead, you think that she is suffering from insomnia, which is a common concern of a whole bunch of Americans who also do not consider themselves insane. And, for that, she needs to go see a GP (she should realize that GP's treat diabetes and broken limbs, which are not insanity issues) to get a sleep medicine. Once she starts sleeping normally, she should wait for a month to stabilize on getting enough sleep. If after a month of sleeping normally, she still sees images in the mirrors that do not reflect (no pun intended) reality, then she can talk to you again. But she first has to stabilize her sleep. Until then, she should not talk to you.

What she is doing to you is emotional rape. She is forcing you to listen to her accounts of her near insanity, and yet fiercely resists your attempts to help her by claiming she is not insane. You need to point it out to her and make a deal with her: either she reports instances of being insane but then accepts your attempts to help her, or, she sticks to her self-identification as a person who is not insane, but then refrains from reporting hallucinations to you - EITHER OR!!!

The victim here is YOU.

[Jannaku]

Keep suggesting that she see someone. It isn't a matter of being insane or not and she needs to understand that mental health is as important as physical health and is not something to be ashamed of or frightened about. Obviously what has happened has concerned her enough to tell you because she recognizes and admits that all is not the way it should be. I would say that fear is what is holding her back so you need to reassure her any way you can that seeking professional help is for her own well being. The suicide and self harm may be gone for now but may come back without warning as well so do not lower your guard in that respect. As a way of weaning her into the idea of getting help why don't you set her up on the computer to do some of the online quizzes and tests. Do them together with her in a light hearted way so that she doesn't feel like a target. Some of those results may reveal some finer details about her behavior and make her aware of her own feelings. They may also be beneficial to you as her friend to know how her mind is thinking etc. In the meantime keep doing what your doing and be particularly mindful of subtle changes in her behavior and don't let your guard down with regard to potential self harm.

[barx]

I agree that she needs to get help as soon as possible. But since she won't have anything to do with it at this point, how about going to the book store and buying her a good psychology self help book, related to the issues she is having? If you do that in a very gentle way and leave it for her at her home, she MAY just pick it up and start browsing through it on her own time, maybe even when she's up all night, which in turn, may put her at ease enough to consider seeing a dr. about it. It sounds like you guys are very good friends, but even so, she may just feel too scared to let even you on to that she may need mental help.