Latest news with #mentalillness
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The chilling final call Beauty and the Geek star made to her sister before she allegedly murdered her boyfriend
The sister of former Beauty and the Geek star Tamika Chesser has shared details of the final phone call they shared before the 34-year-old was charged with murder. Chesser was arrested on June 19 after police responded to reports of a small fire at the Port Lincoln home she shared with 39-year-old Julian Daniel Story. But when emergency services arrived, they found Mr Story dismembered and missing his head on the bathroom floor of the apartment. Chesser was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. She is currently being held in James Nash House, a mental health facility. The reality star's sister, Kiya-May Chesser, told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday her family were reeling from reports their loved one had been charged. 'Please report how my sister is in a mental psychosis,' Kiya-May said. 'This is not her... She would never do these things.' Kiya-May added that Chesser had experienced a 'life of trauma and abuse, and now this - it has fried her brain'. 'She called me on the 10th of this month to save her animals because one pooed on the floor… he's a drug cook and not in a good mind space himself. 'In their short time together we would be on the phone to her while he was going off in the background. There is more to this story.' Kiya-May said 'a lot has happened' in Chesser's life since she appeared on Beauty and the Greek and 'in the past five years she's become very mentally ill'. 'This is a loss not only for Julian's family but ours too,' she said. In addition to the murder charge, Chesser was also charged with assaulting police and with knowingly performing an act or omission intending to result in human remains being less likely to be found for the purposes of concealing the commission of an offence relating to the human remains, court documents state. Detective Darren Fielke told a press conference it was 'crucial' Mr Story's head was returned to his family so they could hold a funeral. 'We have not recovered the head of Julian Story,' he told reporters. Police released CCTV images and video which showed Chesser walking three dogs and carrying a bag while apparently wearing a Hijab-style head covering. In an effort to find Mr Story's head, officers are appealing to the public for help in tracking Chesser's movements in the week of the alleged murder, particularly between midnight on Tuesday night (June 17) and the report of the fire at 3.30 pm on Thursday afternoon (June 19). 'We know that Tamika did not drive a vehicle and regularly walked around the township of Port Lincoln,' Det Fielke said. A spokesperson for Mr Story's family thanked police and first responders for their 'compassion and professionalism during this devastating time'. 'We are navigating an unimaginable loss, and your care has brought comfort amid the chaos,' the spokesperson said. 'We are also deeply grateful to our family and friends and this extraordinary community whose kindness and support have helped carry us through. Your prayers, presence, and quiet strength mean more than words can say.' A neighbour noticed black smoke coming from the property about 1.30pm on June 19 and asked Chesser, who appeared outside, what she was doing. 'Nothing,' she allegedly replied, before taking her dogs for a walk. The neighbour grew concerned about the fire and took a bucket of water over to the home, entering through the back door, the documents state. Police will allege Chesser murdered Mr Story around midnight on June 17. Chesser sported a shaved head as she appeared in court via a video link from James Nash House, a mental health facility, at a suppression order hearing on Friday. She first appeared in court last week, where she was refused bail. A committal hearing has been scheduled for December. Chesser was the runner-up on the 2010 season of Beauty and the Geek and later modelled for men's magazines including Playboy, Ralph and FHM.
WebMD
13-06-2025
- Health
- WebMD
This Is What Psychosis Is Really Like
At the age of 48 – with no previous history of mental health symptoms – I was diagnosed with bipolar I with psychotic features. It was a life-altering moment. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that involves significant changes in mood, energy, and behavior. Bipolar I is characterized by manic episodes, which involve abnormally elevated mood, risky behaviors, and impulsive behavior. These "high" mood episodes often (but not always) alternate with depressive episodes, which are periods of low mood, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating. Bipolar disorder may also involve psychosis. This is most common during manic episodes but can happen during depressive episodes, too. More than half of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder also experience psychosis at some point. What is Psychosis? Psychosis occurs when a person loses touch with reality. Common symptoms include delusions (unusual beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), paranoia (believing others are out to get you), and disorganized thoughts or behaviors. For me, psychosis showed up powerfully and suddenly. Here's what it was like. Delusions: I Was Convinced I Was Comatose Delusions are fixed, false beliefs that are not based on reality. Even when there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the delusion remains. One of my delusions was that I was in a coma. I went to the emergency room looking for answers. While in the ER, doctors conducted several neurological tests, including the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and a CT scan. They wanted to rule out other brain issues for what I was experiencing, as psychiatric disorders usually appear earlier in life. The doctors told me that I was not in a coma, but I would not accept this answer. I refused to believe them. They went over all of the neurological tests that they had conducted. Despite the results of these tests, I continued to believe that I was in a coma. Because I was so disconnected from reality, the doctors admitted me to inpatient psych. Paranoia: I Thought They Were Spying on Me Along with delusions, I frequently had paranoia during mood episodes. I believed that I was the subject of a secret research study and that my doctors were in on it. I thought that they were spying on me at my home. So I would call my doctors, accusing them of installing hidden cameras in my house. Disorganized Thoughts and Behavior During psychotic episodes, my thoughts were very disorganized and didn't make any sense. I also had disorganized behavior, and I would make decisions based on delusions. For example, when I thought my doctors were spying on me, I bought numerous cameras to catch them in the act. The cameras sit – unopened – in my garage to this day! Anxiety Though anxiety isn't listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a symptom of psychosis, it was a part of my experience. Delusions, in particular, can be extremely disorientating and frightening. You're terrified and confused, especially when reality does not match up with your internal beliefs and thoughts. For me, this resulted in panic. People often portray psychosis as something that can't get better. That's not true. For me, the right treatment – medication and therapy – has made a huge difference.
CTV News
04-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
More involuntary care beds in B.C.
Eighteen beds are opening in Metro Vancouver, expanding of involuntary care for people with drug addiction, mental illness and brain injuries.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
DR MAX PEMBERTON: Every day, I see the dreadful impact of cannabis - and it's far worse than anyone can possibly imagine. Let me tell you what will REALLY happen if it's decriminalised
Day in and day out, I see the tragic human fallout from our lackadaisical attitude towards cannabis. I work in a specialist service for people with emerging severe mental illness and most of my patients have experienced psychosis. The vast majority of them have used cannabis, and their lives have been shattered by this dreadful drug. Around one third of psychosis cases in the capital are the result of cannabis, according to research by Sir Robin Murray, a professor of Psychiatric Research at King's College London.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Ketamine is everywhere. Here's how to spot the signs someone is a functioning addict: DR MAX PEMBERTON
I had no idea. This is the response I hear time and time again from family when they are told that a relative or partner is taking ketamine. I work in a service for patients who have emerging severe mental illness and many of them have used drugs such as ketamine which has triggered psychosis or other serious mental health problems. In A&E, I have frequently seen young people brought in having taken too much of the drug and fallen unconscious.
