I’m hoping for a factual answer (statistics, studies…).
Short version:
Is someone who, in his room, periodically yells/screams “KILL, KILL, KILL…” likely to become physically violent? Does it make a difference that at least twice he has left his room and pounded on something? (Once the elevator doors (I believe), the second time it was my door) Longer version:
I live in a hotel in San Francisco, run by a non-profit for people with mental health issues. The rooms are very small. I have been here almost 2 years. I keep to myself and I rarely leave my room. A few months ago, I don’t remember when, a neighbor would every so often get loud. I could not make out what he was saying most of the time, but occasionally would hear the words killer (kill her?) and bitch. Very slowly the frequency of these outbursts has increase to the point where it is almost a daily event now and the screaming is a weekly event. Also this has happen at any time of the day or night. A few weeks ago he was screaming at 2am. I didn’t complain until early November (10:30pm), when after screaming “KILL, KILL…” he came out of his room and started pounding on my door, tried to open it, while yelling incoherently. I was one of 3 people who called the police that night (the police never talked to me). The next day I talked with my case worker here at the hotel and I typed up a complaint for the property manager. I have since filled a second complaint.
Some additional info:
I have said hello to this guy once after he said hello to me. This was in the lobby when I went to check my mail.
He lives directly below me.
When he pounded on my door, I had been sitting in front of my computer reading. I hadn’t done anything that could have set him off.
He will start off by talking in a loud monotone repeating something over & over with little variation. I just thought that I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but recently I’m pretty sure it’s gibberish, at least until he gets to the KILL, KILL part.
He seems to get to the KILL, KILL part and the yelling faster than before.
When I hear him, I find myself getting nervous and anxious, it’s becoming very wearisome.
I have sympathy for him; whatever his condition is it seems to be getting worst and/or his treatment isn’t working. I wonder what will happen to him if he is evicted from here, where will he go. If his outburst can’t be controlled no one is going to want to be around him.
Sorry, this post is rambling and less coherent than I would have liked, but it’s the best I can do. He has started getting loud again.
You did the right thing in reporting this of course. Hopefully, the party won’t know exactly who reported and at least there were three reporters.
I think such illnesses are completely variable. When someone is not operating from reality, bad things can happen. Apparently, no weapons are ever involved so far.
You are doing the best thing by keeping to yourself and remaining cordial regardless of the past. Secure your premises as best possible perhaps with a 2X4 or chair propped against the door. Be ready to react and know how to escape in case of a fire. Fire is often the weapon of default.
Be prepared, but don’t over react either. Go on with your life.
Violence in people with genuine mental illness is very rare – they may freak out and break things, but that’s usually as far as it ever goes.
For example, I used to work with a guy who would always mutter about coming to the office with a gun and letting God sort things out; however, he was harmless, and that was explained to me from day one. On his bad days I soon became the best person to help calm him down – not only due to my previous work in mental health services, but also by describing my fascination with someday becoming a tyrannical dictator like Hitler, Pol Pot, or Kim Jong-Il, who killed people by the *millions *and thus made my co-worker’s shoot-em-up fantasy look petty by comparison.
As a counterpoint to the above – homicides by schizophrenics are not uncommon. Studies typically find that schizophrenics are around 10 times more likely than your average joe to commit murder. That doesn’t mean that most schizophrenics are dangerous; it means that they are more likely to be dangerous than others. So be careful.
Complete and utter bullshit. Every year hundreds of people are killed or injured by psych patients who should be in safe care but aren’t due to government policy.
I think you should contact the police yourself, just to follow up with this. You’ve waited long enough for them to contact it you. It was your door he was assaulting - they should hear from you. You have a right to feel safe in your own place.
I don’t know that, in general, a person who shouts “kill, kill” is necessarily going to be more than a loudmouth. But this specific guy has already crossed the line, imo, and his episodes seem to be getting worse. His outbreaks might not be related to you at all. It might have been a complete coincidence that he chose your door. But I think it’s entirely reasonable that you’d want assurance from the police and the management that this behavior will not be condoned.
I think you’re mistaking the statistics for schizophrenics who commit suicide, not those who murder others.
Besides, the people you really need to be concerned about are the nice, quiet, friendly yet non-social neighbors who keeps to themselves, don’t have many friends and rarely interact with others – those are the ones who are most likely to Go Postal.
:rolleyes:
Hundreds killed out of how many millions? Were they medicated, or even officially diagnosed before the event?
Don’t speculate, Mr. Ask – review your facts first before making a public accusation.
fuzzypickles- the study cited by** iamnotbatman** is about homicides committed by people with schizophrenia (either previously or subsequently diagnosed).
In the study, 5% of homicides were committed by people with this mental illness.
The prevalence of schizophrenia quoted in the study is 0.3-0.9%, but it is often quoted as around 1%.
Whatever way you cut that, schizophrenics are responsible for more than their fair share of homicides.
The point is, that the neighbours delusions have got worse recently, or at least his emotional response has qualitatively changed.
He is becoming more unwell- that much is obvious.
Whether you are at real risk from him, or merely perceive yourself to be at risk is academic. You no longer feel safe in your home.
His case worker should be looking into inpatient treatment rather than eviction.
Your neighbour sounds worse than many of my former psych patients who were in hospital because of a possible risk to others.
The conventional wisdom that was taught back when I was in undergrad was that individuals with mental illness were no more or less likely to commit violent crime than the general population, but I understand more recent studies show that’s not necessarily the case. The violent crime rate of those with mental illness that are properly medicated is close or comparable to that of the general population, but among the improperly medicated or unmedicated it’s higher than average. Statistics aside, an incoherent and apparently mentally ill individual shouting “KILL KILL” at the top of his lungs and trying to get into your apartment should under any circumstances be taken very, very, very seriously.
Worked in hospital security years ago while going through school. I observed what seemed to be a higher instance of ‘random violence’ by people with mental illnesses. Regular Joe Schmo usually needs a reason (even something trivial like getting cut off in traffic) before he snaps on a random stranger. A Schizophrenic may believe someone guilty of a manifested transgression or by simple paranoia believe they’re acting in self defense… especially when mixed with drugs or alcohol (‘course that makes anyone more likely to become violent). If the person is screaming kill, kill, kill, and banging on doors in the middle of the night…I would say that he warrants some weary observation.
Fuzzy Pickles, you made me think of a bit my George Carlin… "And someone in the room says ‘It’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch.’ This seems like a very dangerous assumption. I’ll bet that while you’re watching a quiet one, a noisy one will fin’ kill you!"*
Ha ha, my last apartment had meth addicts; they’re like cockroaches except with fewer redeeming characteristics. Anyway, one week one of them decided that I put something in her butt, and she would bang on my door screaming at me. She would scream something along the lines of “I know you put something in my butt; don’t say you didn’t put something in my butt; you know you put something in my butt”. The thing that I thought was really funny was that she used the word “butt”, rather than “asshole” or at least something more crude than “butt”.
About this time she smashed the windows out of a Hyundai Excel? (That really horrific one before the previous Accent). Nobody could every prove that it was her, but we all knew that it was her. The car belonged to a Chinese couple who spoke limited English and who were very timid. The moral of the story is that I moved out of the apartment shortly after I came home to discover the building reeking of gasoline: they were playing with it in their apartment.
It’s very politically correct to claim that people who are differently mentally enabled are equally safe to be around as those who’ve dedicated their lives to the church, but I think you see the fiction there. My advice to you is to be at least a foot taller and 50 kg heavier than your neighbour, but don’t be so busy being taller and stronger than your neighbour that you forget to find a new apartment.
Al Bundy: I too kept a 2X4 in my apartment. I called it my clue by four.
One study does not reality make – especially since your info does not jibe with most other studies done regarding schizophrenia.
Somehow I missed the pounding-on-the-door part…but apparently the police were called, and the situation was resolved. My WAG would be that this guy’s shrink was interviewed and determined the guy was harmless, and merely required a medication adjustment or something similar.
Here is a link to 32 international studies showing increased violence amongst the mentally ill : link
As a former psych nurse I have plenty of sympathy for these people. As I stated in my first post I think many of them should be in care. But to pretend that one of the results of mental disturbance is not increased violence is nonsensical.
Well, there’s no black or white answer to this question, that’s for certain. :rolleyes:
My best friend, for example, was essentially “gaslighted” by his family and his doctors, and the tragedy is that his negative experiences have indeed left him mentally fucked up for life. (He’s even been under police protection after his former psychiatrist recently leaked personal info to some dangerous people, can you imagine that???) I prefer to believe that his situation is very rare…but ain’t it ironic how so many still believe he’s a potential danger to himself or others, whereas MY inner world is far more dark and disturbing – and I’ve never been diagnosed with anything other than bipolar disorder and a healthy dose of ADHD.
Oh, believe me, that’s not even half the story – I wouldn’t believe it myself, except that Paul (my friend’s ex-doctor…yes, I’m using that jerk’s real first name) has leaked gossip about his patients before, and we can prove it. (It’s like the old adage, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t out to get you…”)
Aaanyway, getting back on topic (if that’s even remotely possible…)
Just because a person is mentally ill does not mean he or she is automatically dangerous. You can quote all the studies you want, but each person’s potential danger zone must be judged on a case by case basis…and that’s all you need to know.
