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Douglas_Knight comments on Open Thread, Feb 8 - Feb 15, 2016 - Less Wrong Discussion
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I think my girlfriend needs psychiatric help - she has visual hallucinations and other symptoms I've promised to keep confidential. She doesn't want to see a psychiatrist, as she and her family attribute her symptoms to supernatual causes; they believe that the "spirits" she sees actually exist. (Another family member - not a blood relative - also has psychiatric symptoms that are being treated and managed.) I really don't want to go into further details because one time I promised not to tell my psychiatrist about her issues and then told him anyway and she freaked out when I admitted to telling him. (I admitted it because I can't lie for shit and suck at keeping secrets, but that's beside the point.)
Any advice? ("Break up with your girlfriend" will be ignored, unless you can convince me that it would be better for her if I left her.)
Are you concerned about the hallucinations or about the other symptoms? If the former, are you concerned about the hallucinations in themselves, or are you afraid that they are a sign of future problems?
Hallucinations are endemic. They just aren't a big deal.
I agree: as long as the "spirits" aren't telling her to harm herself or others, they're no big deal. You said she might have bipolar disorder - depression and mania are both pretty big deals, so maybe you could ask her to seek treatment for depression. There's less stigma about depression, so she might be more receptive.