Severe fixed delusion

Seekingsupport52

My father has struggled with undiagnosed and therefore, untreated mental health issue throughout his life. The last few years have been very difficult because he now has some dementia and has developed a delusion related to his health where he thinks that doctors have intentionally infected him with something (like a virus) that have led to all of his health problems. He is 89 years old but has no ability to see any of his problems as normal aging. It breaks my heart because I know he truly believes his delusions and he gets upset when I don’t do or say what he wants. I try to change the topic but this has become so intense that he only wants to talk about how he has been mistreated. He has pushed everyone out of his life but my mom who has always been supportive and his primary caretaker. I just don’t know how to cope with it all. I’m praying that he can get better with some antipsychotic medications and don’t really know what I’m looking for here but felt like I might benefit from sharing my thoughts with a supportive and anonymous community. Thank you.

SDianeL

welcome. Sorry about your Dad’s dementia adding to his other health issues. He has Anosognosia which is a neurological condition where a person is unaware of their own disability or illness often seen in severe mental illnesses (like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and brain injuries/dementia, resulting from damage to self-awareness centers in the brain, making them resistant to treatment, unlike simple denial. It's a biological deficit where individuals genuinely believe nothing is wrong, leading to challenges with treatment adherence and safety. The best caregivers say to get in his reality. You can’t reason with him. His reasoner is broken. His delusions are causing anxiety. He does need medication. The best type of doctor to manage his meds is a Geriatric Psychiatrist. Get a referral to one if you can. Make up fibs to calm his anxiety. Maybe give him a vitamin and tell him it will help him it is something new that will kill the virus. Or have his doctor order blood work and then tell him they found no virus. You may have to try different fibs. If redirection and distractions don’t work. Try a treat. Ice cream worked for my DH. Come here often for support. We understand.

Seekingsupport52

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. I really appreciate your support and insights. I am praying that the neurologist he is going to see on Thursday can help him. I have tried to change the conversation and have expressed how sad I am that he is going thru this but nothing seems to help. I am afraid to give in to his delusional thinking because he is so angry and I don’t want him to keep on thinking such horrible thoughts about everyone. He has tried to get lawyers involved to sue doctors and talks about calling the news media. I really appreciate you and will be working on my approach with him. God bless.

SDianeL

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/265234#Comment_265234

his delusions will continue whether you agree or disagree with him. Whether you “give in” to the delusion or not. You may be actually making it worse by trying to tell him the truth which he will never understand. Best to fib to him. Medication might help calm his anxiety and the delusions but maybe not. It takes a while to regulate medications for dementia. He needs a Geriatric Psychiatrist not a Neurologist to prescribe anti psychotic meds and regulate them. My husband’s Neurologist wasn’t much help. His Geriatric Psychiatrist helped him the most. Please keep us posted.