Dramatic change in personality! What does this mean?

Question

I've always been really close to my sister and she left the state last year to do some "traveling" and she came back a completely different person. I feel like I don't even know her anymore. I need some help please from anyone who might know what's wrong with her or why she may be acting the way she is.

Before:
Talked about her problems
Generally mildly sad as in complains about things all the time
Energetic *always up at 7 AM*
Used to love movies, barely read any books
Very religious
Very social

After:
Listens but NEVER talks about her problems anymore
not sad but not happy either (neutral) and never complains
LAZY *never wakes up before noon now*
Never watches tv anymore, always in room reading
Denies our religion and claims to be "Agnostic"
Brushes off ppl

Also, I don't know if this means anything, but my sister has always written a lot of poems. Before she used to write in FIRST person as in "I" and now she writes in third person constantly as in "she"

Answer 1

Actually most of those symptoms are identical to the effect that travel had on me (I was away for about 7 years).

> Listens but NEVER talks about her problems anymore

You start doing that when you realize just how many different kinds of people and opinions there are in the world. Things that maybe used to bug you now just seem so petty by comparison.

> not sad but not happy either (neutral)

That's emotional maturity. You're a LOT more balanced and less likely to lose control of your emotional state.

> Never watches tv anymore, always in room reading

Same here. These days I watch the news and documentaries, and that's pretty much it. Most other TV just seems like a poor substitute for what the real world has to offer.

> Denies our religion and claims to be "Agnostic"

I went from being a hard-core bible-basher (which is how I was raised) to being a very vocal atheist.

I wouldn't be too worried, and I wouldn't jump to any conclusions just yet. Travel can have an utterly profound effect on some people. She's probably the process of absorbing it all and figuring out who she really is inside as opposed to the person she's been raised to be.

Answer 2

My first guess is DRUGS. Your family needs to find out before it's too late.

Answer 3

Maybe its a phase, maybe this is who she has become.
Tell her how you feel about it, thats the least you should do.