Dear Prudence,
My brother’s wife recently was diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, as in psychosis. She became very paranoid and claimed that “they” were trying to steal from them and she was hiding in closets to prevent “them” from killing her. She was taken to the hospital and spent several days in and out of psych wards and state institutions. Her doctors prescribed an antipsychotic drug. (Some background: Prior to these events, my SIL had been taking various supplements from someone I consider a quack. Example: Over four months, she went from 102 pounds to 88 pounds. I also suspect she has an eating disorder exacerbated by the quack’s supplements/diet, but I’m not really sure.) During this traumatic time with the hospitalizations, my brother reached out to me, my sister and friends for support, which we provided almost daily. But ever since my SIL left the last psychiatric facility, my brother has gone silent. He won’t return phone calls or reply to text messages from me, my sister or friends. We are all very worried about this self-imposed isolation. And we are all at a loss about what to do. Advice?
—The Silence is Deafening