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No, don't quit communicating with him. Give him a call, or better yet, see him in person or get someone else to visit him and report back to you. Can you give his doctor a call?
Also, I wonder if your FIL forwarded one of the many scare-messages which are floating around online. I had a distant cousin who would send me all manner of sky-is-falling items, many of which were easily discredited via Snopes, etc., but some of which were exaggerations of things based in reality. She was also battling breast cancer, which I think clouded her judgment and affected her outlook - perhaps focussing on something other than her illness was a distraction for her. How is your FIL's health in general? How does he spend his time? Does he have good friends who live close to him? Does he stay busy with hobbies or other activities?
However, unless your FIL is spending thousands on beans and rice or on donations to scammers or to the originators of such messages, I would not be too concerned - at this point. If the behavior repeats and persists - then you, or rather he, may have a real problem. So consider this incident a heads-up, and keep a close eye and ear on the situation - for now. Once you learn more, you will know better how to address things.
Once again, I do not care about the economic discussion. That was not the point of my post and you are wasting your time about the subject.
The point of the post was a sudden change in his behavior, coupled with a family history of mental issues and my hubbys concern.
*sheesh*
I gotcha. Maybe his sudden change of behavior is due to the impending apocalyptic economic crash. It would give anybody mental issues. Let me know if you need advice on digging a bunker and selecting survival rations.
The man was saying stop by Costco and buy 50lb bags of rice and cases of beans. You think that's a reasonable action??? I think I would worry about your mental health, if I cared.
Go away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kab0906
Once again, I do not care about the economic discussion. That was not the point of my post and you are wasting your time about the subject.
The point of the post was a sudden change in his behavior, coupled with a family history of mental issues and my hubbys concern.
*sheesh*
And ONCE AGAIN, An understanding of the economics discussion is part and parcel of whether or not this behavior change is something to be concerned about. If I think someone is following me and going through my trash because the FSB want to whisk me away to Siberia, its goofy. If I think that because my unstable separated spouse is doing it for evidence in a divorce proceeding, then it its rational. He is absolutely correct that the oil companies took on a lot of debt, and there will be many bankruptcies in that business. Rationally, one should know that this is a boom-bust business and this isn't the first time and won't be the last. If he's watching a lot of Fox News or similar, and communicates with a lot of like minded folks on facebook, then I don't think there is much to worry about. These networks trade in firing up old people about how dem liburls are selling us to China, or importing terrorists, or whatever. Older folks on facebook often share and pass around some of the goofiest political garbage.
In the absence of other behaviors, why worry? If he wants to buy beans and rice, go for it. I remember my mother, after 9/11 and and before the Iraq invasion, bought gas for both cars and filled the 5 gallon tank for the lawn mower in the garage. As if an extra 10 gallons would make or brake us in the case of an oil shortage. My mom isn't at all goofy or a conspiracy theorist or unstable or anything like that. But it made her feel better that the minivan would have a full tank of gas.
He's a Vietnam vet. He's seen extremes in the Human Condition that most of us never will, and it has affected his worldview. For example, my Great Aunt and Grandmother kept lots of food on hand in cans and in pantries, and God Forbid you try and clear some of it out, even if it was literally 25 or 30 years old. It wasn't strange considering they lived through the depression. If I stock an entire closet full of canned meat and vegetables as a millennial, I would look a little odd, or at least like the prepper type.
Assuming this is an isolated incident, buying a couple bags of beans and rice isn't THAT goofy, anymore so than someone converting some of their finances to gold, buying a generator for the house, keeping fresh water on hand, etc...If it makes him feel better, don't worry.
ETA: In my experience with my grandparents and a couple of great aunts/uncles, this doesn't seem that strange. My Grandpa did it, my Grandma believed some of it, a few others as well.
I remember my mother, after 9/11 and and before the Iraq invasion, bought gas for both cars and filled the 5 gallon tank for the lawn mower in the garage. As if an extra 10 gallons would make or brake us in the case of an oil shortage. My mom isn't at all goofy or a conspiracy theorist or unstable or anything like that. But it made her feel better that the minivan would have a full tank of gas.
I recall waiting in long lines to get gas during Carter-era gas rationing in 1979. I think what she did was quite sensible.
lol there is a certain demographic that loves to read these emails and panic and then pass them on. My mother got these emails insisting that the world was ending during that blood moon thing in September and her and her prayer group were legitimately having panic attacks.
While I DO know that the world is in a rather precarious position right now , there are somethings I just cannot do about it . I have a friend like this in his mid 50's who got SO BAD that I had to tell him we would no longer be talking about these subjects or we would not talk at all and I meant it .
I mean he stays in a state of hysteria and I cannot take it .
This guy would believe "The Onion " If we can rationally discuss it then fine but when he goes off on a tangent I stop it or stop the call . Pm's , texts , whatever.
lol there is a certain demographic that loves to read these emails and panic and then pass them on. My mother got these emails insisting that the world was ending during that blood moon thing in September and her and her prayer group were legitimately having panic attacks.
I had my telescope up on Loma Prieta one night and some woman was driving around like a maniac looking for her group that was going to pray because all the planets were lined up and something horrible was going to happen. *sigh*
I still don't think there's anything wrong with storing food and water in case of an emergency, although I think the only emergency is going to be a natural disaster. But being a survivalist is like being a Christian. Just because it's something you believe in, it's not something everyone believes and eventually all your friends and relatives are going to get tired of hearing about it from you. And when you're mortgaging your house to tithe (or buy supplies for the end of the world), I think that starts bordering on mental illness.
The first thing you should do is call him and say you're coming to visit him. Then do that. When you are there check to see what medications he is taking or whether there are a lot of liquor bottles in the trash. Medications, especially multiple types mixed together without a doctor knowing all that he is taking can cause mental issues.
People who see multiple doctors and get multiple RX for different problems can become disoriented mentally. Pharmacists can sometimes catch these interactions but getting a doctor to look at the whole shebang is really needed. I knew someone who brought everything into to her primary care doc and she (doc) threw away 2/3rds of them.
Mixing some RX with alcohol can also be bad news.
When you visit see if your FIL is fine in the morning but gets mentally worse in the evening. A classic sign of Alzheimers called sundowning.
The first thing you should do is call him and say you're coming to visit him. Then do that. When you are there check to see what medications he is taking or whether there are a lot of liquor bottles in the trash. Medications, especially multiple types mixed together without a doctor knowing all that he is taking can cause mental issues.
People who see multiple doctors and get multiple RX for different problems can become disoriented mentally. Pharmacists can sometimes catch these interactions but getting a doctor to look at the whole shebang is really needed. I knew someone who brought everything into to her primary care doc and she (doc) threw away 2/3rds of them.
Mixing some RX with alcohol can also be bad news.
When you visit see if your FIL is fine in the morning but gets mentally worse in the evening. A classic sign of Alzheimers called sundowning.
Good luck.
That's a little severe, especially in the absence of other behavior, don't you think? I mean, buying a couple of bags of beans and rice isn't that kooky. Lots of people are semi-prepper survivalist types. We don't institutionalize them. They might be wrong and they might be goofy, but I'm not judging.
My grandfather never suffered from dementia or anything like that, but he did believe, when he was still in good health and of sound mind, that the president was a closet Muslim and not a citizen, etc...
It didn't make him crazy, it just fit nicely with his worldview that the President was the worst thing that could have happened to our country. And, he didn't come of age with technology, and he regarded anything in an email or online as equally trustworthy as the Wall Street Journal.
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