Man ended up in jail due to psychosis shortly after quitting job—his boss’ precaution saved his life
People battling mental illnesses or struggling with their mental health may not always directly reveal it. However, they do express their silent cry for help through indirect signals. An unsettling joke in the middle of a conversation, passing off serious comments as humor or even through signs and symptoms. Recognizing their plight and offering help can make a life-saving difference. A report from NPR revealed that a man, who wished to be identified only as “A," was experiencing psychosis. His condition got so bad that he quit his job. His actions caused him to end up in jail and it was only his boss’ concern that saved him.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, psychosis is a condition where a person disconnects from reality. They are no longer able to differentiate what is in their mind and what’s actually happening. They often have hallucinations that feel very real and it brutally affects their everyday lives. The man was going through the same dilemma. Starting with sleepless nights and long walks, he soon became delusional. He thought he could communicate with people through his mind. A major hallucination was that he believed he was an agent of the U.S. military.
"I thought that the government had a base on the far side of the moon and I was destined to be picked up by a helicopter, taken to a spaceship and flown to that base," he recalled. This story became a reality for A and he shared it with his boss. He told her that he had to quit his job for security purposes and because, as an “agent,” he had a mission. "My boss took it in stride as best she could,” he remarked. The woman was undoubtedly taken aback by his theory. He was adamant on his purpose so much that the Band-Aids in his pocket became, to him, tickets to the base.
Eventually, he started disconnecting from reality more and more. Shortly after he quit, the man was arrested for DUI. "Which was really driving under the influence of a psychotic episode, not under the influence of any substance," he explained. The man was put into jail and with his condition and lack of knowledge, there was no telling if he would ever get out. To his surprise, he got a bail, thanks to his boss. When he quit with his absurd reason, the concerned woman called a crisis responder and got to the bottom of the situation. "[The crisis responder] came to visit me at jail, got me out and one way or another got me psychiatric treatment in an inpatient facility," the man mentioned. His boss ensured he had all the help he needed to improve his condition.
Eventually, the man took up the treatment and got better. He never forgot his boss’ life-changing intervention. "I don't know where I would be if I had been released from jail without intervention. I would probably be dead or incarcerated for committing some crime that, as part of my delusion, I thought was what I needed to do,” A explained. Fortunately, the recognition and diagnosis helped him get treated and soon enough, his boss welcomed him back at work. "I just wanna say thank you to that person for saving my life. It takes a lot of strength of character to do the right thing and I'm so grateful that she did,” he noted.
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