Help!My son thinks hes God.

First let me say bi-polar is on my husbands side of the family. My 22 yr old son went through a "perfect storm"of sorts 6 weeks ago. 2 jobs, college, drugs etc...the straw that broke the camels back seems to be the breakup with a girlfriend.He was acting clearly insane, thought he was God, invincible, at the hospital he asked the dr for a lighter so he could set himself on fire to prove a miracle. It's been almost 3 weeks on zyprexa;the dr just upped it to 25 mg and he has been on lithium 1200mg for a week. He is out of the hospital; appears fairly normal; he is quieter though and moves slowly(the meds?).Doesnt talk much about God except to certain people.;his delusion is STILL very strong and he says he is never going to change!He is bored and wants to go back to work but there is no way he can work in that condition.He says he can; he just wont talk about God at work. I dont believe he can really control it; when he meets someone he wants to introduce himself as God. Will this delusion ever end?He cannot lead a normal life with this delusion;I am very distressed.My life has come to a complete halt until I can get him healed. He also still drinks; and is out and about.He likes to skateboard;yet he may only skate 15 minutes; he used to skate for at least an hr. He always has to be doing something or going somewhere.....but frequently doesnt last long and then wants to go home.I moved him out of the condo he bought to stay with me but he still goes there to "party".That condo is a big problem.Will he ever lose this delusion?His psychiatrist says he thinks he is bipolar1 in a grandiose phase.He is working with a psychologist who has experience with these types of delusions. What does it mean if after a month he still thiks hes God? Its so upsetting I cant sleep and when I do I only dream about my son.I am so worried.

Heya,

I'm not sure what exactly is going on in the head of your son. It sounds as if he was living a relatively normal life before the break-up, right? I've never heard of someone 'assuming' delusions based on an emotionally-negative event in their lives, such as a break-up. It makes me feel that the delusional behaviour was always there, but maybe he had found ways of suppressing/hiding it. Now, that something majorly bad has happened, he feels less inclined to hide his delusions and they are coming out in a big way.

It's also possible that schizophrenia is at play. this illness typically emerges in a person's late teens to early 20s.

I think that the advice of doctors is paramount in this situation. Your son seem capable of controlling whatever happens in his head - it's as if he has an illness but he's very aware that it'd be negative if he presented that illness to society constantly.

Kevin

No, he was very normal one day; the next day it was like he was another person. I know he was doing drugs and one of the drugs he was using was adderal, the psychologist said sometimes when you use drugs you open up pandora's box. 2 professionals said he was in a grandiose bipolar 1 mania. One other one said schizophreniform.I am terrified if he's schizo, I thought if he was bipolar,that was good news.I am also worried he might be both, which would be awful and it would mean more drugs too.

-- Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:35 pm --

No, he was very normal one day; the next day it was like he was another person. I know he was doing drugs and one of the drugs he was using was adderal, the psychologist said sometimes when you use drugs you open up pandora's box. 2 professionals said he was in a grandiose bipolar 1 mania. One other one said schizophreniform.I am terrified if he's schizo, I thought if he was bipolar,that was good news.I am also worried he might be both, which would be awful and it would mean more drugs too.

Hi,

There is nothing terrible about schizophrenia. There is a lack of understanding about what it is and what it means. I think that your view on it is misguided... There are many schizophrenics out there that are living normal lives. However, i'm not going to comment on this further because the situation just needs to be cleared up by a professional. It would be wrong of someone here to say that he definately has 'this' or 'that' disorder. Then again, going to different psychiatrists when you dsagree with one is also a bad idea. Ideally, you should stick with the same psychiatrist and allow him/her to treat your son over a long period of time. Building up a relationship in that sense is beneficial to the patient.

Take care
Kevin

Hi, I am posting this for your help.
My partner has had a similar breakdown where he thinks he is almost God and can solve everything/do everything.
He had been very stressed and I think an argument re his business were the breaking point.
The doctor we have seen has said it is a psychosomatic breakdown and that he needs rest and prescribed some meds to lower a hormone and put him to sleep at night.
He is extremely active in the day and keeps talking about solving all and everyone's problems, but like your son, he knows what is happening.
Just wanted to know if you found any help and how long it took for your son to recover. I am extremely worried as the way he talks is not his normal self and is very adamant at times. Is there anything we could do to make it better. I am so lost just now.

My significant other thinks he is a God. Maybe not the God but close enough. He believes his father was Jesus and that makes him the direct grandson of God. Since his dad is dead, that would make him the King of Men on Earth. Yes he believes that. He also feels he is invincible and has a problem with drinking at times (though I have got him to kick the hard stuff he still drinks beer just not as much as he used too because I got him to slow it way down)

It's definitely a confusing, sometimes frightening and always frusterating thing to deal with. I do everyday. When they think they are God, they think they are always right, know everything (real or not) and at least in my man's case, become insulted if you don't agree. Early on when I would try to point out logic (he will twist the words of the bible a lot) or when I tried to tell him he didn't make sense he would literally ask me if I think I'm smarter than God.

Even worse than twisting the words of the bible, he also has other things extremely backwards. He believes that the worse you are (meaning doing bad things in your life or having bad things done to you by demons, because of your demons or someone else's demons) the higher you stand with God. The worst is the best in his mind. Now he makes up everything that is the "worst" but he believes it.

I really wish I knew what to tell you honey. I don't even know how to deal with it myself really. My SO won't get help because he does not believe he has a problem. He knows he went into pyschosis before but swears he is not this time. He had a long period since he got out of treatment (he was instituationalized for over month) where he did appear and seem to act normal. I see now he was oppressing it all that time just to stay out of the hospital. Unfortunately that was before we became a couple and nobody kept him on his follow up care (he is blind so someone would have had to have gotten him there and did things for him, but his situation after he got out of the hospital was down right neglectful and cruel but that's another story for another time.

I just want you to know, I'm right there with you, racking my brain, not knowing what to do. Sadly I'm not sure there is anything we can do.

I'm afraid you're right. There is nothing I can do for a person I've known for 3 years now. He thinks he is god on earth. Mood swings, hallucinations, etc. Now he doesn't want me around. He is homeless, not taking meds. What is his prognosis? Suicide? Dying on the street? Sad but true. Scary, and hopeless...

I don't know for sure, as it could any of the above. It is sad, yet the reality of things. You cannot force him to get help or take his meds. It feels impossible to get help for someone who doesn't believe they need it. Maybe it is hopeless. In my case, if that is the case, I have some hard decisions and roads ahead of me. I'm living with my SO and would feel so awful to throw him out (because I know he has no where stable to go) because I do love and care for him. On the other hand, I really don't know if I can do this forever. If he won't get help and/or if things get worse there is going to have to be a point I walk away for my own sanity and well being. It just sucks the man I've known since we were 5, been friends with for years and now is my best friend, partner and lover is no longer the person I live with. I miss him and I think right now I'm more or less starting to mourn that relationship so I can look clearly at the current relationship. I have to accept that the old him is gone and quite possibly forever if he doesn't get help.

Dear OP,
Have you read "I'm not sick and I don't need help?"
It is the best resource we've got for getting care to people who are resistant.
Sunny

Well, perhaps try to tell him who he really is and that you are what you do.Ask him to do a good thing that only God can do and make a bet:
If he does do that thing you will buy him a chocolate or something...
but if he fails he must quit thinking as being God since God doesn't fail.

Your son has one of the symptoms as I do, except I don't like drugs.

Anyway can there be two Gods on the same planet?