Roommate from h**l...how should I secure my bedroom door?

Question

I've got the roommate from h**l. You might think you've experienced or heard something worse, but I doubt it.

1. My roommate has a psychotic attack. She barricades her and me in my bedroom for 20 min until the police break down the door.

2. She goes home and has another psychotic episode. She probably has bipolar. Her parents don't tell me. She comes back (!?!) during the school year. I felt so frightened (after the above experience) that I moved out and lived in an apartment/hotel for a month so that I could finish my year. I find out afterwards that her parents lied to me--she was not stable and clearly needed help, but came back.

3. She does not tell me in advance nor does she ask my permission when she has her sister and her friend over for almost two weeks. When she tells me her brother (15 or 16) will be staying over for a few days while she is away (!!), I tell her I feel uncomfortable about it. I also have mono and am pretty ill, yet she does not even consider this. She ignores my legitimate concerns, and her father yells at me for putting up the slightest bit of resistance.

So I've decided I'm not going to pay the hydro for the last month or this month. I'm fed up and tired of living with the worst roommate I have ever had. I'm going to move all of my possessions into my bedroom to make sure she doesn't take collateral.

Any ideas of how to secure my bedroom door or possessions?

Thanks.

Answer 1

barricade your house like she did before

Answer 2

I think for your safety and your own state of mind you can't stay there at all. You have been treated appallingly and somehow you have taken on the role of carer while she lives there with you and her family see you as respite.

well you're not

firstly I would seek legal advice about 1. breaking your lease and 2. potentially obtaining a restraining order against her or any of her vile family contacting you

Ordinarily I would have some sympathy for her as she has an illness that she cannot control HOWEVER!! you were lied to, nobody explained to you what her condition was so you were completely unprepared for her first attack and her family have confused you for a carer but this is your college year too.

You have no obligation to any of them. Besides you don't know when her next attack will be and you can't live like that

you may only have one week left but it is entirely unreasonable for them to expect you to further care for her and for her sister without consultation. this is a family long used to expecting everyone else to fall in line because their child has a disability. I say this because my brother has asperegers syndrome and at first people make exceptions and then we come to expect then demand it. well you're not an extension of this family - and you have rights too. there may be something in your contract with the landlord or the university that you can enforce

Answer 3

getting out is the best idea. but you could replace the bedroom doorknob with one that requires a key to get in. but that wouldn't keep her from breaking it down if she wanted in bad enough. yeah,, just get out.

Answer 4

i would get out of the situation

my only advise

Answer 5

Take what you don't really use much to a friend's or family member's house.  See if the building owner will allow you to replace the passage set on the door with a locking set.  More than likely they won't want you to, but if you are concerned about invasions of privacy and don't care if she comes in to look around when you are out you can at least put a bathroom type lockset on the door.  

Hide your valuables or keep them with you at all times. Don't leave anything personal like diaries or journals in your room, carry that with you everywhere.

See if you can get your room-mate out sooner, you don't mention what kind of agreement you are bound to.  Check it out and see if her behavior is just cause for you to move to another unit or have her evicted.