Imagine texting your boyfriend of seven months on Thanksgiving, sending him love and support while he spends the holiday alone, only to have him respond with: “Who is this?” But wait for it – it gets so much worse than you could ever imagine.

That’s exactly what happened to a 37-year-old woman who turned to Reddit’s relationship advice community after what can only be described as the most bizarre and terrifying conversation of her life. Buckle up, because this story takes a turn that nobody saw coming.

Our protagonist – let’s call her Sarah – had been in what she describes as a “great relationship” with her 40-year-old boyfriend for seven months. Sure, they were doing the long-distance thing, but he had concrete plans to move to her town by mid-2024. He’d been her rock during some personal struggles, which makes what happened next even more shocking.

Picture this: Sarah is having a lovely Thanksgiving with her sister’s family and her kids. She’s doing what any caring girlfriend would do – sending sweet texts throughout the day to make sure her boyfriend doesn’t feel too lonely spending the holiday by himself. Everything seems normal until…

Plot twist number one: Halfway through the day, her boyfriend starts questioning her identity. Not in a cute, flirty way. We’re talking full-blown paranoia mode.

“Who is this?” he demanded. “I know it isn’t you talking.”

But here’s where it gets absolutely unhinged. This man didn’t just suspect something was off – he had elaborate theories about what was happening. He became convinced that Sarah’s sister had somehow taken over her phone. Then he pivoted to believing her ex was impersonating her. The delusions were escalating by the hour.

Now, I don’t know about you, but if my partner suddenly started accusing me of being an imposter while I’m literally just trying to include them in my family holiday, I’d be equal parts confused and concerned. Sarah tried to reassure him that she was just preoccupied with family activities, but nothing could convince him.

The evening phone call is where this story goes from weird to genuinely frightening. Sarah, being considerate of her family, spoke quietly because she lacked privacy in her sister’s house. Seems reasonable, right? Wrong – at least according to her boyfriend.

He told her she was “creeping him out.” He called her voice “robotic.” And then – I kid you not – he accused her of being an AI. In 2023, this man was so convinced that his girlfriend had been replaced by artificial intelligence that he refused to believe any evidence to the contrary.

Sarah answered all his personal questions correctly. She explained her quiet tone. She tried everything to prove her identity. But nothing worked. His final words? He wouldn’t speak to her again until he “figured this out.”

That was two days ago. Radio silence ever since.

Now, here’s where the Reddit community came through with some seriously eye-opening insights. The top comment, with nearly 4,000 upvotes, didn’t mince words: “This sounds like a psychotic delusion.”

But the second most-upvoted response is what really made my blood run cold. A user shared their personal experience with bipolar disorder and psychotic episodes, explaining how their husband’s first major episode happened just six months into their marriage. The kicker? During one episode, he tried to kill them.

Let that sink in for a moment. This isn’t just about a confused boyfriend having a bad day. We’re potentially looking at the onset of a serious mental health crisis.

What makes this situation even more complex is that Sarah has known this man for 13 years total – they’ve been romantically involved for seven months, but their history goes way back. She’s never seen behavior like this from him before, which actually aligns with how many mental health conditions can emerge or worsen, especially around significant life changes or stressors.

Think about it: he’s planning a major move, they’re navigating a long-distance relationship, and he’s spending a major holiday completely alone. These could all be triggers for someone predisposed to mental health issues.

But here’s what’s really haunting me about this story – the specificity of his delusions. This wasn’t just general paranoia. He had detailed explanations for what he thought was happening. The sister theory, the ex-boyfriend theory, the AI theory – these are complex, elaborate beliefs that suggest something serious is going on neurologically.

So what should Sarah do now? The Reddit community is pretty unanimous: she needs to reach out to someone in his life immediately. A family member, a close friend, anyone who can do a wellness check.

This is one of those situations where “giving him space” could be dangerous – both for him and potentially for others. When someone is experiencing psychotic episodes, they’re not operating with the same logical framework as the rest of us. Reality becomes fluid, and that’s a scary place for anyone to be alone.

But let’s also talk about Sarah’s position here. Imagine being told by someone you love and trust that you’re not real, that you’re some kind of imposter or artificial creation. The emotional toll of having your very existence questioned by your partner must be devastating.

She’s caught between wanting to help someone she cares about and protecting herself from what could become an increasingly volatile situation. It’s a heartbreaking position that no one should have to navigate.

The scariest part? If this is indeed the onset of a serious mental health condition, this might just be the beginning. Without proper intervention and treatment, these episodes often escalate in frequency and intensity.

This story raises so many questions about relationships, mental health, and the signs we might miss when someone we care about is struggling. How well do we really know the people closest to us? What would you do if someone you’d known for over a decade suddenly became convinced you weren’t real?

And perhaps most importantly: when does concern for a partner’s mental health outweigh your own safety and wellbeing? Where’s the line between supporting someone through a crisis and protecting yourself from potential harm?

What do you think Sarah should do next? Have you ever experienced something similar with a partner or family member? And how do we, as a society, better prepare people to recognize and respond to mental health emergencies in our relationships?

📊 Post Stats:

• Original upvotes: 1,376
• Comments: 315
• Reading time: ~1 min

💭 What do YOU think? Drop your take in the comments below!

Story originally shared on r/relationship_advice. Read the original discussion