An Update on my Brother

john316lover · March 2013

My brother successfully weaned himself off of heroin. He was still smoking pot/potpurri and doing various other things (or so I assume/suspect.)

4 days ago he stopped doing drugs altogether because "they're weren't helping." He has not eaten or slept in those four days. He has lost 15 pounds. He said he is so depressed "the sadness is like waves and I'm drowning."

In case you can't tell, he has mental health issues, as many addicts do. Fast-forward to yesterday: his girlfriend's parents take him out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. They are wealthy and paid for him to get completely inebriated after church (yeah, they're all winners.)

My brother sobers up (somewhat) and comes home and has a massive mental health crisis. Keeps saying he wants to kill himself, put his head and fist through a wall, was cutting himself, collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.

My friend who has been helping me through this gives me some info on hospitals that treat dual-diagnosis. My friend wanted me to call the police so he would be forcibly committed and they could run tests but my mother insisted to do it her way and bring him herself this morning. So, naturally I spent my morning mad at her. I told her that that there need to be boundaries ASAP and that after next month if they don't get help then there will not be a relationship.

He said he would go. Got up this morning, got dressed, went to the car. Figured out it was a hospital. Started screaming and we all argued a bit. Miracle of miracles, they talked it out a bit more and he went and got in the car and they went! Go figure! I wasn't privvy to that conversation to know how she convinced him.

Since he is sober and a legal adult I don't think they will forcibly keep him but at least it is the first step that I have been praying for. Maybe there will be a miracle and he will check in to the hospital!

fancefpp · March 2013

I'm sorry - I hope he continues to seek help. Mental illness is tough enough without having to battle addiction. It's all scary stuff. I have a sister with mental health issues, it's not something I'd wish on anyone. Stay strong!