Not a Psych Nurse. Need Direction.

[jtrauma]

Hello all. I am not a psych nurse and the only experience I have in psych is when I was did clinicals in nursing school. I was needing a little direction of a personal sort. I need to know if I should pursue my thoughts any further.

My sister is 24 years old and seems to be with the mind of an 18 year old. She has taken on some of my personal likings as her own, to use as her own identity. Yes I could take this as she looks up to me but I think it is more then that. Other personality traits of hers: does not express opinions, agrees with everyone else around her, always has someone else to blame for her decisions, she falls so "in love" in her relationships but once they are over hops right into the next without much devastation, dependent on those around her, needs many different perspectives on situations and approval before making a decision, most her decisions are irrational and irresponsible, dependent on a male relationship, when being spoken to about a serious issue just agrees with everything but never makes a change, very flirtatious, blind to reality. I could probably go on. She has only had one real job and she was fired from it for making a very bad decision. She has never lived on her own, always dependent on others. No schooling past high school and cannot make a decision on what to do with her life. She is very naive, unknowing of who she is and lost.

Her childhood is something I could go on about as well. If information from that would be helpful in giving me direction I will disclose what I can without being too wordy.

Can anyone help me? Is there something I should talk to her about? Should she see a doctor?

[Davey Do]

itrauma:

I sense your concern and can appreciate your actions in seeking assistance for your loved one. Individuals, as you know, often seek assistance as a result of some kind of pain or discomfort.

In Behavioral Health, Inpatient Treatment is recommended if the Individual meets certain criteria: The Individual has an altered mental status to the point that they can no longer adequately function in society. Or, the Individual is a threat of harm to someone or themself.

In Outpatient Treatment, Individuals often seek treatment of their own volition due to an insightful need. For example, they feel depressed, or have some other problem causing life discomfort.

Others may see a potential problem if a major area of an Individual's life is affected. For example, if an Individual has problems that affect their own well-being, health, job, or close relationships, they may be in need of therapy.

I hope this helps in your decision-making process, itrauma.

The best to you,

Dave

[elkpark]

Is your sister interested in making any changes in her life? If she wants to explore different ways of coping with the world, there are plenty of mental health people available who could work with her on that. But it would have to be her choice to seek help.

[mentalhealthRN]

I suspect she may be suffering from a form of personality disorder but as I am not an MD I can't really say. If you are concerned about her talk to her and see if she would be willing to talk to someone, a professional. They may be able to help her,if she is willing to accept help--which is the hard part.

A professional would need to do a full assessment in person to get a better sense of what could be going on.

But my guess is that if you were worried about her enough to post here you should at least make an effort to talk to her and let her know you are worried about her. If the worry becomes for her safety that is another story.

good luck to you and to your sister.