What to do...

i never know what to do when a mentally ill person comes into my life. i'm definitely not an expert on the in's and out's of it all. add in the possibility, on occasion, of some demonic influence...and i'm all thumbs.

but here's the other kicker...

i'm not an especially mercy-motivated person. (thank god for mental health workers that are!!) i'm usually more concerned about the others that are affected by the unbounded illness. maybe that's the other side of the mercy coin.

so...how should i respond to a person with a mental affliction?

i can put in friendship/assistance/help for a time...but then i notice a lack of patience building. thinking about it more...i guess i'm mostly referring to the mentally ill person that isn't pursuing healing and/or meds. it's a spiralling that i just can't take. my dad and the other experienced people in my life say to continue to have clear boundaries...which i'm doing...but it always feels mean. the thing is...in my experience...to not have some boundaries actually invites more spiralling, so i guess it's the way to go.

it's just frustrating...