Yelling At The Vents

Disclaimer: This is a little bit disturbing.


There is a guest at Nativity House that is becoming a daily concern for both myself and the rest of the staff. R is a woman whom I would guess is in her early to mid 50's.  Upon a psychological examination, she would be/possibly has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and delusions brought on by psychosis.  However, due to the rapid decline in social service jobs and confidentiality, there is not much we can do for her unless she becomes physically violent (to herself or others).  She was receiving help from a mental health agency, but due to her choices and delusions, she lost her apartment and is living on the street.

Now for the delusion that is causing concern:  R is convinced that her daughter has been kidnapped and is being beaten constantly by the woman who kidnapped her.  Now, you may be thinking that this is terrible, but R's daughter is 26 and the woman who "kidnapped her" does not exist.  For example, yesterday R's daughter was having her head beat into the wall, drowning, and being cut by this woman.  She told us this was happening at Nativity House in the walls.  R will actually roam around Nativity House and yell at the supposed locations of wherever she believes her daughter and this woman are at that exact moment.  This could be on the roof, in the walls, in the vents, etcetera.  She is convinced that we will be able to hear her daughters screams if only we stop and listen.  She is always being beaten to within an inch of her life in some of the most gruesome manners that you have ever heard.  

Today, R shared that her daughter was recently brought to the hospital because this woman had beaten her daughter so badly that she lost consciousness.  However, the doctors were able to bring her back to life, but she is still with the woman who is continuing to beat her.  Also, the woman and her daughter were on the roof today...at an event center.  When I saw R, she was going to go speak with the police about filing a report about her daughters problems.  This is not the first time she has tried to do this.

To be honest, talking to R is both terrifying and incredibly sad, as you might imagine.  R is so intertwined in this story that she has completely lost all sense of reality.  She can no longer communicate in a regular fashion because these delusions are her entire world.  She believes 100% that everything she is saying is actually happening and we are all the crazy ones.  When it comes to R, I'm really at a loss of what to do besides prayer and trying to show her the love and grace that God shows me on a daily basis.