How do you help someone who thinks a frightening presence is after them?

Start with safety, not figuring out what the presence is. If he might hurt himself again, can’t stay safe, or seems unable to control his actions, stay with him if it’s safe for you and get urgent help from local emergency or crisis services. Don’t leave him alone with anything he could use to injure himself.

Even if he feels certain about a supernatural cause, experiences like seeing or hearing things, paralysis, or losing control deserve prompt assessment by a health professional. Those symptoms can have different explanations, and a clinician can help sort out what’s going on without needing to settle the spiritual question first.

You can take his fear seriously without confirming the demon explanation. Something like, “That sounds terrifying. I believe you’re experiencing it, and I want to help you feel safe,” keeps the focus on him rather than arguing over what caused it.

I’d encourage an appointment with a doctor or mental health professional, and offer to help arrange it or go along if he wants. Be calm and specific about the self-harm and loss of control. Don’t shame him, dare the presence, or pressure him into a ritual.

If faith matters to him, a trusted religious leader could be part of his support, as long as they’re calm, respect his choices, and don’t tell him to avoid medical care. Spiritual support and professional care don’t have to be competing options.

I’d steer clear of amateur exorcisms or anything involving restraint, injury, sleep deprivation, or stopping treatment. When someone is already frightened and having episodes of losing control, adding a dramatic ritual could make things less safe.

It may help to keep a simple record of when the episodes happen, how much he has slept, and any changes in his health or medication. That gives a clinician useful details, without treating the record as proof of any one explanation.