Narrative: Manohar started imagining things and convinced his wife that his imaginations were true

Meenakshi and Manohar Desai (name changed on request), a retired couple, lived with their son and daughter-in-law in Bangalore. Manohar was very fond of his son and adored him. Having retired, he would help his wife in the kitchen, take care of finances, pay utility bills, and basically manage all the household work so that his son and daughter-in-law could focus on their profession. The senior couple's joy knew no bounds when they became grandparents to a lovely baby girl, and she became the center of their world.

Life was moving at its normal pace when one day, their son informed them that he had to move to England with his family for a long-term assignment. This news came as a shock to Manohar and he was a little upset with the thought of being away from his son, and especially away from his granddaughter.

Once the son's family went away to England, Manohar and his wife were feeling very sad for a few days. Though his wife came to terms with the fact and moved on with her life, it was Manohar who remained emotionally upset. After a few weeks, his wife noticed a subtle change in his behavior. He was not willing to speak to anyone who visited their home. He would sit in the same place for hours, lost in his thoughts. His sleep routine became irregular too. One day, he complained to his wife that the neighbors were talking about him, and that they were plotting against him and her. He started imagining these things and convinced his wife that his imaginations were true. Manohar even went to two of his neighbors’ houses and told them to stop conspiring against his family.

Meenakshi was fed up with her husband's delusions and one day, when he got into a fight with one of the neighbors, she decided to take her husband to the family doctor. Meenakshi told the doctor that after their son's relocation, her husband's behavior had changed, which caused her a lot of stress and anxiety.

The doctor listened to the entire story and suggested that they consult a mental health expert, to which they agreed. After a psychiatric evaluation, it was confirmed that Manohar was affected with brief psychotic disorder. With a combination of therapy and medication, Manohar recovered from his illness, and the symptoms never recurred.
 

This narrative has been created with the help of mental health experts by taking into consideration symptoms and accounts from a cross-section of patients. The story is not a case study of any one particular person but is meant to be representative of a person suffering from the disorder mentioned.