What should I do about mentally disturbed brother who refuses treatment?

Question

My adult brother has mental issues. No one that knows him can deny that. He sometimes has violent tendencies, but at other times he is seemingly oversensitive and super sweet. I am almost convinced he is bipolar or manic deppressive. At one point things were so bad with him that the police were called and he was escorted off my mom's property at my insistence. We had an "intervention" a few years ago and he refused treatment, and instead enlisted in the military. He is home for this year's Xmas and things are going badly again. It would break my mother's heart to see all of us arguing, but things are taking a violent turn (threats to gang rape people, kill my mother, bring a gun to the family Xmas, or commit suicide). I have tried to have him committed before, but it extremely complicated in Ohio and I can't afford the attorney. Any ideas on how this should be handled? Hope nothing happens and keep my mouth shut until he goes back to his post or what? Thanks!!

He did pass the psych exam when entering the military, which leads me to believe he can control his mood and the hateful things that come out of his mouth, he just chooses not to around his family.

Drug-induced schizophrenia sounds like it may be along the lines of what I am going through with him. He did alot of drugs in high school including LSD. I was even told that he ODed once, but it never occured to me to make that connection. Thank you so much for everyone's great input. Feeling better about the holidays already!!

Answer 1

Hi there....

As your brother is an adult he does not have to have treatment if he does not want it.... that is called personal choice..

It does not sound like he is bipolar.. I have known many people with bipolar and none of them are violent.. I would suspect it is possible your brother may have schizophrenia.. if he is a pot smoker he may have drug induced schizophrenia which is a permanent condition!

I say this because I watched my sweet and adorable little brother turn into some kind of weirdo monster who threatened to slice me open in front of my young son and then shower the child in my blood..he made this threat in front of my son who was five years old at the time. the things he said were often along this line and never within my mothers hearing.

He was diagnosed with drug induced schizophrenia many years later.

I now have two nephews that have joined the ranks of those with drug induced schizophrenia, one of my nephews is now in jail for a very long time following a rampage through a town, luckily he did not have access to any firearms at the time of his rampage.

All you can do is get some real information about schizophrenia and read it. Get informed. Then talk with other family members about your concern. Once there are a number of people who are armed with some information then someone has to sit with your brother when he is in a non-psychotic state and talk things through with him.

Find the information you need from medical websites not just any website.

Answer 2

When it reaches the point of threats and violence, I suggest your family decide to tell him he is no longer welcome in your home until he seeks help or learns to control his moods.

You cannott make someone do something they don't want to do. You canno make him seek help if he doesn't believe he needs it or doesn't want it. You cannot control him, but you can control how YOU will handle him and his actions. Being a family member does not justify nor excuse his behavior towards the other members. Nor is it an indication you or the others have to tolerate it. It is to the point where "tough love" is required and this is the part you MUST do in order to be safe and provide a peaceful environment. Therefore, you or your other family members must take a stand and demand he act civilized or he is no longer welcomed. Then DO IT.

Answer 3

I have BP. He needs to be hospitalized. You should drop a dime to the military on him. He may be unfit for duty. They will hospitalize him probably.

He might be psychotic, or BP. Meds are probably the only answer for him. Show him a list of famous BP people who are successful. Maybe that will show him he is not "damaged goods" for having the disorder.
Tell him that with treatment the torture in his mind will be easier to deal with. He wont have the thoughts anymore. Ask him "do you really want to carry around the guilt of killing your own mother?"

Tell him that if he does not get help you have no choice but to sever contact forever.

Tell him exactly that and he will be shocked that someone understands.

Answer 4

You should call the cops the instant he does/says something threatening. If you call the cops enough you won't need to pay for the lawer because the judge will see a cycle and commit him. Don't allow anyone to be harmed. Just because he is family does not make it ok. I'm sure you love him but he needs help. Just keep calling the cops as often as you can.

Answer 5

If it is really serious, I would call his comanding officer in the military. They can insist he seeks treatment - the only problem is, he would be sent to a VA hospital - which doesn't have a lot of staff - but he can always swich where he wants to be. He could also get kicked out of the military. Good luck....

Answer 6

it quite is an fairly good question and one that ought to be noted greater in many circumstances. surely that there's no logical reason to rigidity therapy upon people who have not commited a criminal offense and are not vulnerable to accomplish that, no depend how symptomatic they may be. And our society's fondness for locking the mentally ill up over tiny issues is a huge clarification why people are not in seek of therapy for the help they choose; the opt to no longer have hospitalization forced upon them reasons people to no longer tell medical doctors that they are experiencing indicators. we choose greater people status up and asking the questions, and we choose greater people who are not afraid to assert "I actually have a psychological ailment and that i've got the the suitable option to have a say in my own care." to those answerers claiming that there is due technique interior the gadget, you're regrettably incorrect. No courtroom order is mandatory to be forced into therapy - a doctor makes an assessment, fills out a slip, and rancid you pass to the medical institution. there's no board reviewing the alternative, no get admission to to criminal information, no possibility for the guy being hospitalized to charm the alternative. those with psychological ailment do no longer even have the the suitable option to ask for a 2nd opinion from a doctor. people who're a real threat to others ought to certainly be faraway from society and taken care of, in spite of the shown fact that, they ought to have the comparable rights as different criminals. Even murderers get a telephone call and a criminal expert. those with psychological ailment get picked up interior the direction of the evening without even a right to state their case in the past being rigidity-medicated.

Answer 7

He sounds like your normal phsycopath...Eddie Haskell of Leave it to Beaver" when he wants to be, but don't cross him..he knows who to behave in front of, and YOU will look like the nut if you try to tell on him...but if he truly is a threat to YOU or your FAMILY or his self, do HIM the favor, if you really think he is going to do something that he will regret, and get him the help he needs..asap...he may hate you for it at first, but then he will thank you later for keeping him out of prison, or a mortuary..or death row. you HAVE to tell his commanding officer to be on the lookout....and get them to do something, while he is under their supervision. My prayers are with you darling..believe me...love him support him, be kind to him, tell him there is a problem and it isn't about any of you, it is all about HIM...let him know He is the main reason you are concerned, that you don't want to see him to go jail or end his career and that you love him dearly..

Answer 8

Wow!! I hope he listens to somebody and gets help before he ends up in prison. Good luck.

Answer 9

Umm he enlisted? Did he pass the psych. exam?

Answer 10

just feed him at the x-mass party,ignore him,send his *** back to military..gang rape,hes going to get ganged rape in the *** if he keeps talking like that.that boy has issues...