Finding Help for My 50-Year-Old Forgetful Friend

Question: I have a friend that is in her early 50s. She has been diagnosed as having a mental illness in the past. Recently, she has become very forgetful. She can't remember the birthdays of her children; she vaguely remembers giving birth to them. It's hard for her to remember from week to week. I told her that she needs to see a neurologist, to see if she has a brain tumor. Her doctor doesn't want her to work, and she has no health insurance, even though she has other serious illnesses such as a thyroid [issue], high blood pressure and a rapidly beating heart. I was wondering if you could help me find her a doctor or a free clinic that could help her. She is very suicidal.--Tammy

The first and foremost issue is addressing the mental health issue for your friend. If she is suicidal, she needs to be seen by the nearest hospital with an emergency department in which there is access to a psychiatrist.

She will be evaluated to determine if she is at harm to herself or others. If it is found that she is at risk of harming herself, she would be admitted to an in-patient facility. In most of our emergency departments, she can also access social workers who should be able to help her with issues of disability benefits and qualifying for public insurance.

Please communicate to your friend, that not having insurance should not be a factor in her decision on whether she is going to be seen. The fact that her doctor doesn't want her to work because of her mental state lets us know that she does have access to a physician. This is a good start.

If she doesn't want to go directly to the emergency department, I would recommend her going to her doctor's office, which may be able to facilitate a direct admission to a psychiatric in-patient unit, refer her to a specialist and/or obtain the additional testing needed to workup her signs and symptoms of mental health decline.

Thanks for the inquiry.

Dr. Rhonique Harris