Understanding a Brief Reactive Psychosis (Nervous Breakdown) is not hard to do nowadays.  This is a very common question that many people try to ask me on the sly, outside of the office. I would never answer a question like this in public, only in the office.  However, I have shared in the past a couple of pointers that might signal the need for a mental health intervention.

I decided this time to give you a couple of case scenarios that might help you out a little bit.

Case I: Co-Worker

Mr. Jones has been working with you for about 15 years.  Lately, he has been coming in late and you’ve noticed him mumbling to himself quite often.  He is not as sociable as he was in the past and he now has a very strong body odor. He lost his wife to cancer about a year ago. This is when you noticed the change.

What should you do?

1. Call HR?
2. Tell him to take a bath?
3. Move your cubicle?
4. Pray for him and believe God that he will take a bath?

Case II: Church Member

Sis Tuloo at church has become more threatening over the past several weeks.  Initially, you decided to move your seat, but now she has followed you to the other side of the church.  The Pastor is scared of her and told you that you are just overreacting to her behaviors. She hallucinates and gets very paranoid during services. She has verbalized that there is poison in the communion juice.(delusional thinking) Sis.Tuloo has accused you of taking her husband although she has never been married. She also talks out loud in service, at inappropriate times.

What should you do?

1. Take her outside and deal with this issue once and for all.
2. Notify Mobile Mental Health to come by the church and do an intervention.
3. Change your membership because your Pastor did not address the issue.
4. Offer to take Sis.Tuloo t lunch and become her friend.
5. Offer her something to eat, at church, when she gets very loud and out of control.
6. Call and AskDrO.

Of course, I want to hear from each of you. What are you thinking? How would you handle each case scenario. Post your answers on the blog and I will give you feedback.