Uhh, I’ve had a similar experience albeit much much crazier. So had a girlfriend, now ex. Early in our relationship we talked about religion, I was/am an atheist. She was agnostic and after that conversation it was something that rarely came up between us. Flash forward about a year and a half, we’re living together, things are going well, life is good. Out of the blue one day she tells me she’s a witch, however she makes it very very clear that she is a “white witch” which means she is spiritual and doesn’t do harm, etc etc. I make it very clear I don’t buy it and she just says it’s doesn’t matter what I think. This is a big red flag but I don’t push the point because I’m hoping she is just going through a phase or something, I’m in denial a bit I guess, so I roll with it while still being vocal about my complete lack of belief and pretty skeptical of the whole thing.

Within a few weeks she was speaking in tongues. Like literally, she would start talking absolute non-sense making hissing noises and having fits. She’d only be able to sleep an hour or two a night because she would wake up having dreams of demonic possession. She told me she couldn’t be around certain people because she might accidentally harm them with her mind, she even told me that she didn’t want to know where my job sites were (I’m in construction) because if she knew then the demons might also know and do me harm at work. So yeah, this was a lot. After a ton of arguing, trying to be supportive, trying to get her friends and family to help, anything I could do, she decided I was a demon and came at me with a kitchen knife. I was able to catch her arm and she didn’t actually stab me or anything, not a scratch but still freaked me the hell out. Then she threatened to harm herself which was finally enough for an ambulance to take her for a psychiatric hold (I had previously tried to have her family force her to get mental help but legally couldn’t do anything until this incident, she wasn’t a danger to herself or others up until this event).

Turns out her psychiatrist had prescribed her a new med which was having an interaction with another med, which triggered a psychotic episode. She had bipolar disorder which when we first were dating was well regulated by her meds, she was diligent about taking them and had a job, friends, generally good life and her stuff figured out. After this episode the doctors put her on different meds which she hated, she ended up trying to go completely off her meds a few weeks after the psychotic episode and went into a manic episode instead, then she disappeared and ended up binging alcohol and cocaine for two weeks, emptying her bank account. Cocaine + unmedicated bipolar + manic episode = complete off the rails insanity, she called me twice during this but refused to say where she was or anything. She was convinced I’d try to have her committed again (which in fairness I would have). I had already moved out by this point and offered her what help I could but she refused it and went into a spiral of drug abuse and self-destruction that she still hasn’t been able to get out of. The whole thing was a travesty, the girl I knew was literally gone, she came out of the whole thing an entirely different person and it was heartbreaking to see her go through. I hope she gets the help she needs eventually but she managed to burn every bridge she had, sold or lost all her possessions, ended up homeless I think, not actually sure where she’s at. I’d still offer her help if she asked, but not sure if I’ll ever actually see her again.

So yeah, that’s my witch story, your co-worker might be a bit out there, trust me on this one, it can get crazier.