what to do about mentally ill neighbor?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| Our neighbor in our condo closest to us is dealing with serious mental illness. Paranoia, night terrors involving screaming, angry fits that involve yelling through the walls at other adjacent neighbors for long periods of time--- over an hour at times. They quit when police are called, and resume when they leave. We have never called the police. We don't want to make the paranoia worse. We actually don't want to be involved at all. This person appears to have noone close to them in their life. Should we contact authorities of some sort for this neighbor's sake? And what do we do about the long periods of yelling? Just tell the condo association and ask that the noise rules be enforced? Thank you for any advice or experience. |
Anonymous
|
If you truly don't want to intervene than it's a long uncertain wait to see if this person receives some services of a caseworker or long suffering relative that they will eventually show up to check on them and see how sick they are. This is a person with serious mental illness who is likely schizophrenic and having some hardcore hallucinations. I would definitely complain to the condo, you should not have to live next to someone that disturbs the peace routinely. If you hear them yelling about hurting another neighbor, it's a very good idea to call the police.
Sadly, the neighbor can't really be removed unless its demonstrated that they are an imminent threat to self or others. This does involve calling the police. They can hold the neighbor for a psychiatric evaluation for 72 hours. Definitely not a permanent solution, but some nice anti psychotic meds might help this person (they actually probably have a prescription and just don't take it- as you are painfully aware of) I am suprised that the condo has not intervened as they do have some rights to evict or some apartment building with a section 8 tenant... I have had schizophrenic clients who spiral like this, and the apt. often is in a terrible state and they are not eating. This person needs help and is sick. Please reconsider telling someone. |
Anonymous
| I would try kicking him out the condo, mental illness or not. It is a disturbance to all living there. |
Anonymous
| Work through the processes in place, ie filing complaints with condo board, documenting disturbances, etc. Definitely call the police if you feel this person is in danger of hurting himself or is making it impossible for you to sleep. |
Anonymous
|
Beyond this, this person will become a danger to others around him/her. Be VERY aware of this and VERY aware of your surroundings, while coming and going. Carry some sort of protective device.
|
Anonymous
| Ensure he doesn't have guns. |
Anonymous
|
I'd find your local NAMI chapter and find out what kind of community options there are to have someone visit this person. It's very hard to force someone into treatment that doesn't want to, but in some locations there are local adult services who can drop by.
http://www.nami.org |
Anonymous
I second this. The police should have a special unit for dealing with people in crisis. I can't remember the name of it. I would also continue to call the police. My sister, who is mentally ill, only got help after almost 20 years because I called the police on her and filed a police complaint. She was required by law to get help -- but that is the settlement we worked out. I know know about a non-relative whom you just want to avoid. But go thru the condo association too and document every complaint. They don't have the laws in place to dealing with serious mentally ill people and sometimes the only help is thru the police. |
Anonymous
| Police have special CIT units for these populations. Regular police calls don't help as it will be treat as a noise complaint. You need to keep documenting and have the crisis intervention team specifically come out. |
Anonymous
| I hope the person doesn't own a gun. |
Anonymous
| Renter or owner, if renter it would bed easier to get rid of this kind |
Anonymous
| There is an adult social services for your area. Call them and make a report. We had a neighbor with mental illness and the cops were not able to help like adult services was. They found a family member and although it took them a couple years the person finally admitted the neighbor to a care facility. |
Anonymous
I don't think OP should be contacting them. This is not her family member and they have already indicated they do not want. Invovlement. The person is unstable and the OP wants to protect their family first which is a good choice. |
Anonymous
| OP said that she doesn't want to intervene. I would file enough noise complaints to get the person removed. Doesn't sound like OP wants to go and get this person help. I personally wouldn't want to get involved in that either. |
Anonymous
| If u live in Montgomery county they have a mobile crisis unit who come out to a residence |