Q: It is regarding my daughter, who is 44 years of age and has three lovely children with ages 23, 19 & 10 years and her husband is a professional earning good money. She has upto now had a good life and had no real health problems. But quite recently, say about a year or so ago, she started acting a bit childish, and gradually she is feeling as if she is being spied upon and not trusting anyone including her husband and would not take any medication saying there is nothing wrong with her. It would appear she has a Personality disorder or is it is it some other mental disorder problem. Could you please suggest whom do we consult in this matter?

A:From the little information given by you it appears that your daughter is suffering from a mental disorder of psychotic type. In psychotic disorders, a person has problem in differentiating reality of the outer world from that of his\her inner world. He\she may develop false unshakeable beliefs, corresponding fears,abnormal behaviour affecting day to day functioning and relationships. There may be other symptoms associated with it. It is important to rule out certain physical disorders at this age e.g. hormonal and brain disorders. I advise you to consult a Psychiatrist for a detailed assessment of her illness and proper treatment and advice. A person suffering from this type of illness often refuses to see a doctor and accept her illness. However, an early consultation and treatment is crucial to full recovery.