I think it is important that you stay away from the situation unless you know that the man is stable on meds. There are boundaries that you must have when dealing with mentally ill people who aren’t stable, especially when you have a family. He needs some serious help and you can’t give that to him. I don’t think it is worth the risk, especially with the way he was talking to you. Schizophrenic people can be very paranoid and that can lead to erratic behavior. I think you should listen to your instincts and stay away from the situation unless he gets the medical help he needs. It is not your responsibility to take all that on that’s for sure.

I don’t think you’re being irrational at all. I think you have to go with your gut instinct, and when I read this post, the thought also crossed my mind about him having the potential to become a stalker. It can feel bad to make such a judgment about someone, but there are several factors in his situation that give it potential, and it’s not irrational to fear something like that happening.

There can be risk here, so I certainly understand your hesitation. I had the neighbor from hell — and I use the term with theological intent. He rented a home near us, and then repeatedly damaged it so that he could justify never paying rent. He so tormented his landlady (as he had previously done with others) that she was afraid to even come into the neighborhood. When she sought a reason to terminate his lease by asking if he owned a cat (which he did and left out in the cold to hide the fact), and we innocently answered the landlady’s question, he responded by trying to destroy my wife’s business just for starters.

Some things really are for professionals, and it’s hard to know when you’re walking into one of them without being a professional yourself.

Nat, forgive me if this is a stupid question. I suspect he doesn’t have very many friends. I know that some lonely people really latch on to anyone who is nice to them. I guess I have a fear that if I am nice to this man, he may end up like a stalker or something. Perhaps I am just being irrational, but I must say he is a scary looking guy, and his gun talk really bothered me. If I was a single guy, I think I’d be more inclined to visit, but with a wife and young children, I really don’t want him finding out where I live and doing things to my family. Am I being irrational?

I feel much safer following FD’s advice and dropping off a plate of cookies, with a generically signed, “From your home teachers”. I don’t even want to sign my name…. (He is the weirdest guy I’ve met since my mission 20 years ago.) I want him to know God loves him and the ward cares about him, but he seems REALLY unstable to me. I told my Elder’s quorum president, and he told me not to go back until he has spoken to the bishop about the situation.

Being a mental-health professional (and a Christian) myself, I can say that Ted does not necessarily need to be in a church for you to be helpful to him. I think you’ll do an excellent job just by visiting him regularly, gaining his trust and listening to him with your all…

The beauty of the gospel is that the pre-disposing factor for attaining salvation is for a person to be in-need-of-help. Your friend, Ted, is in the right place I hope that as you continue to meet with him, he will know of Jesus who died, in order to absorb the wrath of God he justly deserves… To go up, is to go down. In a similar situation to clients I meet in my day-to-day profession, I would imagine Ted’s life cannot get any lower. I will pray for him.