Psychosis in my husband
My adult daughter and her children recently had to flee their home because her husband/father of the children appears to be in a severe mental health crisis or psychosis. Over the last couple of months, his behavior became increasingly paranoid and bizarre. He believed people were underground, believed others were trying to harm the family, claimed he was God, walked around the neighborhood with weapons, threatened neighbors, and stopped communicating normally with family.
The children were removed from the home before things escalated further. Recently, police and SWAT responded after violent threats were made. The situation ended with windows being broken out of the home and chemical agents being used during the arrest. He was taken into custody and remains in jail. His bond was originally set at $10,000 but was later raised to $350,000.
At first, restraining orders were put in place because everyone was scared and overwhelmed. Since then, my daughter has withdrawn the protective order and resumed communication with him while he is in jail. This has made the situation even more emotionally complicated for the family. On one hand, she still loves the person she married and wants to believe he can recover. On the other hand, the children and extended family are still trying to process months of fear, instability, and trauma.
Right now she and the children are staying with family because the home is damaged and unsafe. There is broken glass, emotional trauma, financial stress, and a huge amount of uncertainty about what happens next.
I’m posting because we feel exhausted, confused, and isolated and could really use advice from anyone who has dealt with severe mental illness, psychosis, trauma bonding, family crisis, or rebuilding after something like this. We especially want guidance on helping the children feel emotionally safe and helping their mom make healthy decisions while still deeply attached to someone in crisis.