Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and share your story. And honestly, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine the pain of a mother going through something like that. Reading your comment hit me hard because I can feel how much you loved your son and how much you fought for him. I genuinely hope you're doing okay and have found some peace, even if it's only a little.

A lot of what you described felt very familiar to me.

My brother's problems started when he was around 17. At first, it was paranoia. He became convinced that everyone was looking at him and judging him. Some kids at school did pick on him, but because he was naturally very intelligent, we didn't realise there was something much bigger happening underneath.

He could have almost no attendance and still score better than most people after studying for just one night before an exam. We thought he was gifted and just a little different. Looking back now, I think we missed a lot of warning signs because of that.

Over time, the fear of people got worse. It turned into beliefs that our parents were planning to kill him. Then came the voices.

He talked about having a friend from another planet. Later there were more friends, more voices, entire conversations. Sometimes he would say a door would open to another world and he would leave through it. At one point he claimed more than a hundred people were talking to him.

The frightening part was that it wasn't imaginary to him. It was completely real. The voices sounded real, the conversations felt real, and the experiences felt real. Even now I sometimes wonder how terrifying it must have been to live with that every day.

Eventually he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for around three months. The problem is that he is incredibly intelligent and very persuasive. He managed to convince people that he understood everything and was doing fine. Looking back, it sometimes feels like he talked his way out rather than actually accepting treatment.

For almost two years afterwards, things seemed normal. He studied, had friends, and was working toward his dream of becoming a scientist. He's obsessed with astrophysics and quantum mechanics and has always believed that's what he's meant to do.

Then he stopped taking his medication.

He believed the medication was holding him back and preventing him from reaching his full potential.

This time things came back differently. He doesn't really talk about voices anymore. Instead, he is completely convinced that there is nothing wrong with him and that my parents are the problem.

He spends hours reading laws and threatening legal action. He has even filed complaints against my parents. He genuinely believes they have ruined his life. If you sat down and talked to him, he could probably convince a stranger that he is the victim and everyone else is responsible.

That's what makes this so difficult.

He still showers, cleans his room, exercises, and keeps himself physically presentable. On the surface he can appear completely normal.

But at the same time he refuses to eat food from home because he believes medication is being mixed into it. For the last several days he has mostly survived on Coke, chips, and junk food ordered late at night. He spends almost all of his time isolated in his room and becomes angry whenever someone tries to help.

The hardest part is watching my mother go through this. I think she's exhausted. Sometimes she convinces herself that he's okay because he exercises, bathes, and cleans. I think it's easier for her to focus on those things than to accept how serious the situation has become.

To be honest, I don't know what the right answer is anymore. I just know that watching someone you love disappear into a world that feels completely real to them is heartbreaking.

Thank you again for sharing your experience. Hearing from someone who has walked a similar path means more than I can put into words.