[superhumanchichi]

Okay I was thinking of posting this in the Health & Fitness section, but I guess Love & Relationships seems to fit better. Anyway...

My mom talks to her cousin who lives in Washington state every day. It seems like normal family talk - both are middle-aged, both have kids around the same age, grandkids... But what this woman says sounds a bit strange. Actually, it sounds beyond strange. She claims that a man has been stalking her for the past 6 years, which is understandable. I'm sure that there are plenty of cases where someone with an obsession stalks someone else, and I'm sure sometimes it gets out of hand. But here's the thing: no one believes that someone is stalking this woman. Her stories defy logic. Example? When she came to New York over the summer, she claimed that the stalker (from all the way in Washington state...) hired "pretty blonde girls" wearing "tight mini skirts" to stare at her in the subway so she'd get jealous (!?! ?!?). Okay I'm pretty sure there might be someone here who actually believes that, but there are other things she says that also make it seem more fiction than fact. Another example: she claims the stalker hired her roommate to stalk her. All I have to say is that that is one wealthy stalker...

Does anyone have any suggestions on how my mom can try to get her cousin psychiatric help? It's really difficult because not only do we live in two completely different states on completely different sides of the country (she lives in Washington; we live in New York), but we really don't want to offend her or anything. Most of all, we're worried that she might take this whole "stalker" situation to a new level.

Advice?

[Torento <3]

Does she have mood swings?

If so, it could possible be bipolar, because one of the symptoms of that mental illness is that they are worried that someone/something is out to get them, but not to the extremity of schizophrenia.

Another problem with this disorder is that many who have it become very stubborn about admitting their own flaws, especially admitting that they have bipolar.

Lastly, if it was this, and alike many other mental illnesses: they are very difficult to diagnose, let alone prescribe the right medication and the like.

[superhumanchichi]

@ Torento <3

No, she doesn't have mood swings. She seems sane, aside from the whole "stalker" situation. I suspect paranoid schizophrenia or, more likely, a completely different disease altogether (one where a person mimics movies and such), but I'm not one to judge. What we're really worried about is finding a way to get her professional help. I just don't know what my mom should say or do...

[Torento <3]

Well, to be honest, there`s not all that much you can do.

You can`t really force her. Perhaps you should just bring the topic up, in a somewhat subtle way. Ask for proof or something, try to make her see her wrongdoings in peaceful means. Perhaps once she realises this, she may be more receptive towards talk about professional assistance.