This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
Editorial Note: The subject of this story is identified only by his first initial, "A," to protect his identity around a mental health issue.
In the summer of 2023, A's life began to change. He started sleeping less and less and spent his nights going for long walks. Then, the delusions set in. He began to believe that he could telepathically communicate with others and that the music playlists on his phone were being broadcast worldwide.
One day, he came to the conclusion that he was a sleeper agent for the government, trained since birth to work for the U.S. military.
"I thought that the government had a base on the far side of the moon, and I was destined to be picked up by a helicopter, taken to a spaceship and flown to that base," A said.
He didn't know it, but he was experiencing psychosis.
To begin his mission, he decided he had to quit his job. He went to work and told his boss that he was an undercover agent and was needed elsewhere for national security purposes.
"My boss took it in stride as best she could. She sat down in her chair and slumped back, clearly hit by the weight of what I had said. I told her I was sorry for the trauma that my disclosure had inflicted and for the difficulty that she would have in coming to terms with it."
After leaving her office, A reached into his pockets and found he had a couple of Band-Aids.
"I was so delusional at that point that I thought that the Band-Aids would somehow be tickets that she could give to the government agents when they finally came, that would take her to this base on the moon," A remembered.
The next few days were a blur. But A remembers that he was eventually arrested for a DUI.
"Which was really driving under the influence of a psychotic episode, not under the influence of any substance," A said.
After a while, the staff at the jail told A that he was going to be released soon.
At the time, he was unaware his boss had made a few calls and found a designated crisis responder to get A the help he needed.
"[The crisis responder] came to visit me at jail, got me out and one way or another got me psychiatric treatment in an inpatient facility," A said.
A believes that his boss's decision saved his life.
"I don't know where I would be if I had been released from jail without intervention. I can honestly say I would probably be dead or incarcerated for committing some crime that, as part of my delusion, I thought was what I needed to do."
After inpatient treatment, A's boss welcomed him back to work without hesitation.
"I just wanna say thank you to that person for saving my life. It takes a lot of strength of character to do the right thing sometimes and I'm so grateful that she did."
A hopes that telling his story can help others in similar circumstances get the help they need.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and living in the United States, you can call or text 988 to be provided with confidential emotional support 24/7.
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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