u/Beneficial_Amoeba105

Hi everyone, disclaimer that I am very new to this world. I want to help my brother (33). He has had a new and sudden onset of paranoid schizophrenia. He has been in a psych hospital since last week and received the diagnosis today. I have never seen him so afraid and it breaks my heart.

His fears seem centered around and potentially caused by technology and AI. I believe he has been on algorithms on social media that have worsened his condition and made him very fearful, and that he may have also been using a chat bot that reinforced the delusions. This is based on the types of fears he has expressed, screenshots he has sent in the past, and the destruction of his phone and CarPlay screen in his car. Many of his hallucinations and fears seem based on tweets by Elon Musk.

If anyone has experienced similar fears or has a loved one who has, is there anything that has helped to mitigate these triggers?

I was considering buying a new phone for him when he leaves the hospital, but one with limited features like an old school flip phone or a Light Phone. I am not sure how this would be received but I am hopeful it could help. I also don’t want to come across as paternalistic or patronizing.

I apologize in advance if any of these ideas or questions are out of touch. I am very new to all of this and I want to help the best I can. Thank you