Three images summarising what to do when a friend is experiencing a delusion.
This image is a flowchart. The title says “My friend is experiencing a delusion!”
The first box says “Have they asked you to give them reality checks when they have a delusion?”. If yes, reality check. If no, let it be/go along with it. If no, but I’m still worried, go to the second box.
The second box says “Have you asked them if you can give them reality checks and you’ve said yes?”. If yes, reality check. If no, let it be/go along with it. If they said no but I’m still worried, go to the third box.
The third box says “Have you asked if there is anything else you can do instead?”. If yes, do that instead. If no, let it be/go along with it.
“Reality check” and “do that instead” are coloured green, and “let it be/go along with it” is coloured pink.
The second image with a pink background discusses letting it be/going along with it. It is split into two sections, respectively lists of “what it is not” and “what it is”.
What letting it be/going along with it is NOT:
adding new information to the delusion/trying to send your friend deeper into the delusion
“that must be scary to believe something like that”
“keep that to yourself, the more you talk about it the more you’ll encourage yourself”
dismissing your friend’s delusions, saying “everyone thinks like that once in a while”
trying to distract your friend from their delusion or act as if it’s a game
What letting it be/going along with it IS:
allowing your friend to vent or express themselves (sometimes just talking about their delusions out loud can help them question it)
“I’m so sorry that you’re going through that”
encouraging your friend to express their delusions through poetry, song, art or other non-harmful things they enjoy
“If that becomes too overwhelming for you, you can call me and ask for comfort or a distraction”
allowing your delusional friend to feel safe around you, allowing them to healthily express themselves
The third image with a green background discusses reality checking. It is split into two sections, respectively lists of “what it is not” and “what it is”.
What reality checking is NOT:
“Snap out of it, it’s just a delusion.”
“Think about it for a second, then you’ll snap out of it”
forcing your friend to the hospital
calling the police on your friend
trying to fix or stop the delusion
What reality checking IS:
“Could you describe the evidence you have for this belief?”
“How firm are you with this belief? Would you be OK with other suggestions on what could be happening?”
“You’re going to be OK, what you’re fearing won’t hurt you.”
“Can we take a step back? Is what you’re going through affecting those around you?”
“Has what you believe happened to anyone else? What is the likeliness of this being real?”
helping your friend question the delusion or become aware of how the delusion is affecting them.
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