u/Alert-Doughnut-1639

Hi all!

I was recently accepted into DePaul University’s costume design BFA program. I was ecstatic. However, I’d have to take out over $20k in private loans to be able to afford the school since I don’t receive any financial assistance from my family. I’m absolutely crushed- this was my dream. I will be attending a more affordable state school and studying a different subject.

I recently bought my own sewing machine and beginner supplies, and I am learning the basics of that. I really would love to still be able to pave my way into the industry, even if it is more difficult since I won’t get the connections that DePaul could have given me. I understand that it is hard to have a stable income in this industry, and I am planning on making it more of a side thing while I’m in college (if that’s possible).

My question is: how should I start? Should I immediately volunteer with local theaters, or should I develop my sewing skills some more and then try to involve myself more? Any other tips?

Thank you in advance!

I posted about this on the psychosis subreddit. I got some advice, and was recommended to this sub. This is regarding my dad and my concern for him. He is not diagnosed with anything since he refuses to get any sort of evaluation, so if this is not the right sub, please let me know! My dad and I have always had a rocky relationship, but at the end of the day, still love him and feel a lot of concern for him, especially lately.

He rarely talks to me, but lately, he has been blowing up my phone up until 3:30 am some nights. He has always been an alcoholic, but it’s been especially worse these past few years. 4 years ago he even had a heart attack and a stroke in his early 40s because he was in A FIB from drinking so much for decades. I have bipolar disorder, so I know the signs to watch out for when it comes to psychosis and mania. I only experience hypomania since starting meds, and whatever he is going through is far worse than what I am experiencing. When I expressed concern to him over text yesterday (I did not say I believed he was going through psychosis, I just asked him to cut down on drinking) he sent a laughing emoji and said “game over.”

His alcoholism isn’t just the problem. For the past few weeks, he has believed that a group of people are out to kill him. He has no evidence of this. It is to the point where he impulsively just bought a new house out of state because he believes that people know where he lives and will break in to his current house and harm him. There is no convincing him otherwise at the moment.

I guess my question is, how do I support him during this, and is there any convincing him that people are not out to harm him? He is so extremely paranoid, and because this is all very real to him, he won’t believe anything otherwise. I realized I could call emergency services the next time his pacemaker goes off (whenever it sends a shock to his heart, he is supposed to go to the hospital because that means it is not working correctly, but he always chooses to ignore it instead).

I know my relationship with my dad is pretty bad, but I still want him to get better. I take mental health crises seriously because I myself have had a manic episode one time (before antipsychotics) and I know that the less sleep he gets and the more he drinks, the worse it will get. I’m not sure whether this is solely alcohol induced psychosis or if this is schizoaffective disorder or bipolar. He also has refused to get psychological evaluations, which I have asked him to get for years. Regardless of worry about diagnoses, I want him to get help and see him get better. He is not currently a harm to himself (besides the drinking) or others, but I’m worried it will escalate to that.

TLDR: My dad is clearly going through some form of psychosis- he believes people are out to kill him, which led him to impulsively buy a new house in another state to save himself from harm. There is no evidence that anyone is out to kill him. He is an alcoholic, so I am unsure if this is alcohol induced psychosis or an underlying condition. I have bipolar disorder and recognize a lot of my patterns with mania and hypomania in him, but whatever episode he is having is worse. I want to know how I can support/help him through this, and if there is any point in convincing him that his thoughts are not real. I have never dealt with psychosis in another person before.

Thank you, everyone. I know this post is lengthy, I tried to shorten down the TLDR as much as possible without leaving out relevant details.

Hi all,

I believe my dad is going through psychosis, and I really don’t know what to do to help him. I have bipolar 2, and have had bouts of paranoia (which he is having) when I’m hypomanic, but never to the extent that he is. I know there is a genetic component to bipolar, and I’m really concerned that he has it, but he’s refusing to get evaluated. I know that not everybody who has bipolar has parents that have it, though.

He has always been an alcoholic, but it’s been especially worse lately. Like, he’s drunk texting me at 4am. The worst part is he believes that people are out to kill him. It is so bad that he impulsively bought a new house yesterday, out of state, because he believes people are going to break into his current house and kill him. There is no evidence that anyone is out to get him at all.

I apologize if this is not the right sub to post this on, I couldn’t find if this was only for people who have experienced psychosis, or if family members can post on here too. I just want to know if there is any point in trying to convince him to get help, or if I have to wait until it passes. I’m guessing this is not grounds to get someone involuntarily committed anywhere since he seemingly is not going to harm himself or others. I’m 20 and have my own responsibilities, but I’m also very concerned for my dad.