You've watched the Exorcist, the Conjuring and the Exorcism of Emily Rose. Demons throwing you across the room, puking all over your face and the distorted faces that make you want to go out and invest in both a Bible and a room full of crosses. As crazy as it is and some of you may think it's not possible, demon possession is real. But so is mental illness. The weird voices, the unexplained changes in behavior, the mental, physical and emotional changes that seem to suddenly show up in that person you have known most if not all of your life can be a result of a mental disorder that can simulate a genuine demon possession. You don't see apparitions, experience being pulled out of bed or choked by an unseen force and the only "peeing" you have seen from them may have been the accidental bed wetting that comes from too much coffee and a reliance on sleeping pills. Still you are unsure if you need to call your Pastor and place Olive Oil on your door frames or should you make that appointment with your loved ones doctor to find out if he/she suffers from several illnesses that can share similarities of a possession of sort.
According to the Catholic News Agency, (CNA http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/how-can-you-tell-if-someone-is-demon-possessed-55784/ March 17, 2016) "Father Cipriano de Meo, who has been an exorcist since 1952, told CNA's Italian agency ACI Stampa "A possessed person has various general attitudes towards an exorcist, who is seen by the Adversary as an enemy ready to fight him. Fr. de Meo described the unsettling reaction that a possessed person usually has, detailing a common response to the exorcist's prayer. “There's no lack of frightening facial expressions, threatening words or gestures and other things,” he said, “but especially blasphemies against God and Our Lady.”
In a mental illness, signs and symptoms can range from mood swings, memory loss, to confusion. Dementia, which is a progressive brain disease, is only one of several behavioral changes that can occur in a person sometimes even in an early age onset. This disease can alter someone's personality and cause them to become violent and/or very combative in a progressed state. Bi Polar which is also another serious disorder can cause suicidal tendencies and risky behavior and cause deep concern for those who are unknowingly dealing with it. Tourette Syndrome can also be added to the list of strangeness as the victim can't help displaying facial, vocal and motor tics. According to the website of Tourette Association of America (https://www.tourette.org/about-tourette/overview/what-is-tourette/) This can range from shoulder shrugging, arm jerking and head bobbing to hooting, shouting and grunting out swear words, ethnic slurs and unrecognizable phrases.
Changes in a persons behavior whom you love can cause great concern, lots of stress and create confusion, anger and resentment towards that person. We are not sure what is going on with them. We watch TV shows that show these types of symptoms in people who are suddenly possessed by an entity and display violence towards those they once loved and we automatically start thumbing through the yellow pages for the nearest church clergy. But before we go out and invest in a keg of Holy Water, we also need to recognize that these same behavior traits can be found in mental disorders that can lead up to serious consequences if left untreated. If you have seen a change in personality in one of your family members please get a quick diagnosis for them professionally. Don't let your paranoia get the best of you and rely on weekly "spiritual" sitcoms to diagnose those who are close to you. Seek help as soon as possible. Those you love, their lives depend on it.