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Concerneddtr21 Asked May 2021

What to do about my Mom who thinks people are stealing from her?

My mom has always been a person who took a lot of pictures. She has recently started to accuse my sisters and I of stealing all of her pictures. She has went as far as putting 5 security cameras in her house and that’s still not enough, she still continues to accuse someone of breaking in and stealing only our family photos. My mom has been diagnosed with bipolar for many years and she has been having manic phases which she denies. She has called the police to her house 5 times in 4 days about someone breaking into her house. She refuses to let anyone come in and look for the pictures which I feel she has moved around and hidden during her manic phases. She also refuses to let anyone watch the security footage. I have asked to help any way I can and she refuses. She is continuously blaming each of us to the other and it seems as if she is playing us against each other. I don’t know what to do. I am concerned about her mental health, but I cannot make her see things any way but her own.

NeedHelpWithMom May 2021
How consistent is she about taking her meds properly? An old neighbor of mine was horrible with taking the proper dose of meds. She would act very erratic and had to go see her psychiatrist on a regular basis.

She attempted suicide a couple of times when she didn’t get her way. She stayed in a mental hospital for an extended period of time after the suicide attempt along with outpatient therapy afterwards.

I hope your mom’s behavior will become stable soon. For the record, I am not insinuating that your mom is suicidal. I am only saying that behavior can become very unstable if the meds aren’t working properly and a change in meds or the dosage may be needed. Make an appointment with her doctor.

Best wishes to you and your family.

funkygrandma59 May 2021
Sounds like she may have more than just bipolar and manic episodes going on. First I would have her tested for a UTI. If that checks out fine then she may be showing signs of early onset dementia. Folks that suffer from depression, or other mental issues are much more likely to develop dementia/Alzheimer's. And the blaming others of stealing and the paranoia go hand and hand with many of the dementias. Might be time to make an appointment with her Dr., and you can message her Dr. via the patient portal ahead of time to let them know exactly what is going on. I wish you the best.

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