is this paranoid schisophrenia

[bdaddy]

My wife has recently told me that within the last two months she has felt like people know her and look at her(a lot people whom we do not know).  She just told me that she thought my brother and I had something implanted in her as well.  She admits that the latter does not make sense.  She also believes the people have stopped looking at her.  She thinks I am in on it.  She believes I betrayed her.  She continues to ask me "what is it?"  as if 'it' is some big conspiracy.  She wants to ask someone other than myself what it is (she walked around the neighborhood last week at 11PM contemplating whether she should ask our new neighbor behind us 'what it is'....who is also looking at us).

    It sounds like some sort of paranoid delusion.  It has come on so suddenly (within two months).  What can I do?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Your wife should see a qualified psychiatrist immediately. In addition to a thorough psychiatric exam, you ought to ask for a neurological workup... this is serious and should be taken care of right away.

[Bag-lady]

(Has she ever taken too many drugs or strong medication which could have led to paranoia? Does she binge on refined- convenience sugary foods?)

[Try_to_be_social]

It seems that your wife is against you and your brother (and strangers) for certain plots. She may harm herself or others. So, it is urgent. There must be some body on whom she has great faith and confidence. The confiding relative must bring her to see her familiar doctor who will conduct a proper examination and refer her to the psychiatrist. After excluding other possible causes for her behavior, the psychiatrist will give her drugs.

[bdaddy]

She has convinced herself (I believe somewhat ain the seame delusion) that she is being watched/coerced(sock-puppet).   I don't nderstand why...I can't comeprehend...let alone propose a solution to any problem she is having.    I have waited for a week or so to see if 'things' would get 'better'.   She had 'committed' to going to a psych but has since recanted....she needs help...we have children.

[Try_to_be_social]

If you refused to see a psychiatrist, you can see a psychiatrist, your family doctor, and a social worker for advice.

[dystatic]

hello.  i have had periods where i get dillusional, i think that people are looking at me, that they can read my mind even though i know that that is not true i still believe it.  that my family/friends are somehow plotting against me or gathering information to somehow harm me.  anyway, stuff sort of like your wife.

what i have to say is that you should really try to get her in to see some help.  it is actually a pretty scary state to be in, and seeing as she was walking around the street at 11pm wondering if she should ask the neighbour about 'it' sounds to me like she is dealing with a lot of scary thoughts.

so do what you can to be supportive, but get her in to get some help as soon as possible. if she gets on the right stuff, drug therapy can help get rid of the symptoms fairly quickly.  but as with any mental illness, the sooner the better.

[iceman_33]

I have a similar experience with my wife, though she's not going arround our streets at 11 pm, but endlessly trying to contact all my friend before I married here and ask questions about me and their relationship to me.  She always doubt my fidelity to here ever since.  Doesn't listen to any word I say.  In the course of your marriage is there any instance that you lie to here or that here parents ever mistreated here that can cause paranoia in a person.  Until you convince or seek help to a person that she fully trust, to see a psychologist for treatment it will only get worse and what we dont want to happen is for here to have a break down.

[outthereweare]

I am experiencing very sililar problem with my Mother.  She thinks people are stalking her, bugging her phone and car, breaking into her house, and believes people are trying to kill her.

The problem is that this has been going on for 17 years, but because she does not see herself as having a problem, she will not get help.  She once went to a doctor, and she told him he is the one who needs help, as she believed he was part of the "conspiracy"  We have all tried to tell her she has a problem, and she just thinks we are part of the conspiracy too.  Try to get your wife to a doctor as soon as possible, before your situation is like mine....hopeless.

We cannot force her to get help until she is a threat to herself or someone else.  I believe then it will be too late.

[bdaddy]

Thanks for all thoughts.  She has since stopped revealing her delusions to me (when I brought her to doctors 'they' didn't do anything for her..'so why do it again').  However I believe she is still delusional.  She just hides it well or at least doesn't tell me about it.  She can go from hating me to loving but not trusting me about 2 to 5 times per day.  Sounds almost bipolar manic...but she also told me she or I had a camera in our eye to film her on a TV show (about 8 wks ago).  She hasn't seen herself on TV..so it must be something else.  We also had a hurricane which she thought was a scam intended to dupe her to 'watch herself on TV'.  She is not homicidal, suicidal nor a remote danger to herself or children.  I can have her commited for 48 hrs but she will never meet the criteria for involuntary treatment ('it's not against the law to be crazy'..regardless of children/family/life...ME!).  So I'll continue in a dysfunctional at best marriage/family/life until....hopefully not until it's too late.

[outthereweare]

I totally understand what you are going through.  In their condition, it is amazing how they can fool the doctor into thinking there is nothing wrong with them.  The camera in your eye is very similar to my mother thinking people are bugging her car and phone, and breaking into her house and exchanging her clothing with the exact same clothes, just more faded in color.  It is very bizarre.  She had called the police about this, they obviously knew there was a problem.  They contacted me and told me what had happened, and that they were concerned.  The problem is, there is nothing I can do about it!  Not a thing.  I can't do anything, until she is willing to help herself (unless she is a harm to herself or society, which she is not).  I have to admit, I half hope she breaks the law or something  (but not harm anyone) so they will force her to get the help she needs.  I am powerless to this problem.  Bdaddy, if you can find a way to get through to your wife, get her to get help immediately.  My Mom has been like this for almost 18 years (that I am aware of, I am 29 now).  The mind games and emotional abuse I have suffered by her were very damaging, I fear for your children as well.  If she will not get help, inform them of her problem, so they are not blaming themselves, and can maybe have some understanding.  It is very frustrating, but your kids are lucky to have you, I did not have an adult to step in and take care of the situation.  Keep trying to get her to a doctor, any way possible.