Wellness

[LilacTree]

I have two "younger" brothers, ages 75 and 71.  The older of the two has always been a hippie.  In fact, he left us for 25 years and never contacted us the whole time.  We thought he was dead.  However, my youngest daughter found him via an online search and he came back from the west coast in 1995.

This brother is obsessive about marijuana and always has been.  He thinks it cures everything and talks about it constantly.  He also screams and yells at his computer, his truck, the TV, kitchen appliances and anything else he can't get to "work."

The latest is aliens.  He's convinced they walk among us and swears a flying saucer landed beside his ship in the Mediterranean when he was in the Navy.  He said the government still communicates with him every year to make sure he hasn't told anyone about that "contact."  (We have never seen any proof of that, he says it's "top secret" the way they do it.)

He also has increasingly severe anger issues.  Since he lives with my younger brother (absolutely the opposite in character, intelligence, etc.) I told my younger brother that he should try to get our brother tested.  He said he could never get him to do that.  Thing is, my poor younger brother is having to deal with this.

What would you do?

[Desertdi]

Buy him a ticket to Arizona...........nobody would notice him here.    If he is a taxpayer, that would be even better (!)     Only joking, of course........but at his age, he probably isn't going to change his ways.

[catwhisperer]

Yikes! I would just stay far away from that situation.

[DoneTryin]

Oh, my.  Is there any chance of getting him to a doctor for a thorough exam?  There may be physical problems causing his anger & other issues.  I know it may be a struggle to get him to go, but it's worth a try.  Good luck to you & your family as you face this challenge!

[hoosieroriginal]

Sometimes you do have to just let it go.  My sister was bipolar and was so hard to deal with.  After years of trying, I finally gave up and cut her off.  She died at age 58 and I know she is in a better place.  She was angry her entire life, yelling, screaming, throwing fits, or would call you and not say a word after "hello".  Mental illness is reallly sad. 

[LilacTree]

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@Desertdi wrote:

Buy him a ticket to Arizona...........nobody would notice him here.    If he is a taxpayer, that would be even better (!)     Only joking, of course........but at his age, he probably isn't going to change his ways.

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@Desertdi

LOL, you made me laugh!  Parts of this are amusing, I know.  But obviously I'm thinking dementia/Alzheimers.  My youngest brother says he's also very forgetful (but we all are at this age). 

[ECBG]

He may have to be declaired incompetent if he can't care for himself and put in care which would additionally be needed if he's a danger to anyone including himself.  

[LilacTree]

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@ECBG wrote:

He may have to be declaired incompetent if he can't care for himself and put in care which would additionally be needed if he's a danger to anyone including himself.  

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@ECBG

He is a veteran.  Hopefully if it gets worse, he can get help at the VA.  He's healthy as a horse physically.

[ECBG]

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@LilacTree wrote:

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@ECBG wrote:

He may have to be declaired incompetent if he can't care for himself and put in care which would additionally be needed if he's a danger to anyone including himself.  

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@ECBG

He is a veteran.  Hopefully if it gets worse, he can get help at the VA.  He's healthy as a horse physically.

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@LilacTreeMental health over rides physical.  I'd call them immediately before something unfortunate happens.

[LilacTree]

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@hoosieroriginal wrote:

Sometimes you do have to just let it go.  My sister was bipolar and was so hard to deal with.  After years of trying, I finally gave up and cut her off.  She died at age 58 and I know she is in a better place.  She was angry her entire life, yelling, screaming, throwing fits, or would call you and not say a word after "hello".  Mental illness is reallly sad. 

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@hoosieroriginal

That is so sad.  My former best friend had an adopted daughter who was bipolar (or whatever it's called these days).  I think there's a genetic component.  She was also an alcoholic, although I think she's been in AA for many years now.  She was a beautiful young girl, but I haven't seen her for years.

She had a son who shot himself in the head at the age of 19.  And I had seen him very shortly before that.  He was also tall and beautiful. 

Do you think there is a genetic component?