This story is part of the Hidden Brain Team’s My Unsung Heroes series. Its story is the story of people who make lasting impressions of others.

Editor's Note: The theme of this story is determined only by his first abbreviation "A" to protect his identity around mental health issues.

In the summer of 2023, A's life begins to change. He began to sleep less and less and spent a long time overnight. Then, the delusion began. He began to believe that he could communicate telepathically with others and that the music playlists on his phone were playing around the world.

One day, he concluded that he was a sleeper agent in the government and had been trained since he was born in the U.S. military.

"I think the government has a base on the other side of the moon, and I'm destined to be taken over by a helicopter, take a spaceship and fly to that base," said one.

He didn't know, but he was experiencing mental illness.

In order to start his mission, he decided that he had to resign. He went to work and told the boss that he was an undercover agent and needed for national security purposes elsewhere.

“My boss does his best.

After leaving her office, one reached into his pocket and found that he had several band-aids.

One recalled: “I was so delusional at that time that I thought the Band-Aid would somehow be the tickets she could give to the government agents when she finally came, which would take her to this base on the moon.”

The next few days were blurry. But one person remembers that he was eventually arrested for DUI.

"It's really driven by the impact of a psychiatric attack, not by any substance," A said.

After some time, prison staff told A that he would be released soon.
At the time, he didn't realize his boss had made several calls and found a designated crisis responder to get the help he needed.

One said: “(The crisis responder) came to visit me in my prison and took me away, another way to get me to treat me mentally in the hospitalization facility.”

A boss who believed in him saved his life.

"I don't know where I would be if I was released from prison without intervention. Honestly, I could be sentenced or imprisoned for committing some crimes, which is part of my delusion and I think what I need to do is what I need to do."

After being hospitalized, A's boss did not hesitate to welcome him back to work.

"I just want to say thank you for saving my life. Sometimes it takes a lot of character to do the right thing, and I'm grateful that she did it."

Hopefully telling a story in similar situations can help others get the help they need.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and resides in the United States, you can call or text 988 for confidential emotional support 24/7.

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast - New episodes released every Tuesday. To share your unsung hero story with the hidden brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.