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Helping my brother with depression

M

mugwump

Well known member
My brother stopped school. He is 18 years old and started to manifest depressive symptoms. We are still looking into the possibility that he tried illegal drugs, but he would not comment on it. Right now, he is attending some psychological help, but there are times that he would not attend and just stay home. What other things I can do to help him?
 
Drugs can definitely mess with your mind, in my miss-informative years, when I was "experimenting" with pot during the summer of love, there were a few weeks of my life that were lived in a fog, especially when I had to turn in papers for college. I saw on the news that the druggy cartel advocates now want to make kali a sanctuary state for legalizing the sale of magic mushrooms for "recreational/spiritual" use. After driving 300 miles yesterday on the hi-ways of kali, legalized pot doesn't seem to have made drivers any better--many seem to want to go slow in the fast lane--the new fast lane is the slow lane now.

If your brother doesn't want to talk about using drugs, that means he probably did-- just speaking from my personal experience. Get him out of the house and exercising, to clear the crap out of his mindbody! Staying at home, locked up in his room all day, will not help him and only give him cabin fever. Since TMS is an affective form of TMS, consult with a TMS practitioner for advice.
 
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Bring him to a professional to help him deal with whatever he is experiencing, it's much better if you or any family member could accompany him. staying alone in his room is not good for him. always talk to him, entertain him, go out with him
 
Exercise, human contact and professional help, as you're doing and others have suggested. Take this seriously, and persist in your efforts!!
 
Thank you for your wonderful insights into my problem. I am now taking this responsibility in my hands. I feel that he listens to me than anyone in the family. Last night he told me that he feels broken. I hope I can get him to speak more so that I will know how to help him. Yes, I am also beginning to introduce seeking help professionally. Little by little, I hope I can gain his trust.
 
Good advices!
All drugs can mess up the balance between feeling good and happy and feeling like shit and unhappy. It may be that your brother is using it chronically to escape something that makes him unhappy or maybe he used something strong that really messed him up.
I want to give you some advice because I have a caring and loving sister that wanted to help me in times of depression, but I simply locked her out, in retrospect I think because I wanted to avoid having to face emotions of guilt, fear, despair etc.. I'd rather go sit in my room a smoke weed, which of course didn't help me, it only made things more difficult.
The best thing a sister can do is spend time together without giving him the feeling that he needs to talk about his issues (take a walk, make music, watch a movie, etc.). Him doing nothing and locking himself up in his room chronically is digging a deeper hole for himself; it won't help him at all, been there, done that. Tell him that you won't force him to talk but that you're there for him if he needs it or if he simply needs a hug. Hugs are always great, because you send a reassuring, loving and comforting message without having to use words. Every time I see my sister nowadays we always give each other a good long hug and I can tell you that it really feels good for both me and her.
For the rest I advise him to see a professional to help him further.
Take care!

I just hit the post button as you posted your last reply. Good to see you can reach him.
 
Gigalos said:
The best thing a sister can do is spend time together without giving him the feeling that he needs to talk about his issues (take a walk, make music, watch a movie, etc.).
Click to expand...

Yes, mugwump, if he let's you have contact, just be your natural human love, in any way it arises: companionship, a walk, a listen ---it is food for the soul, without having to "fix" anything.
 
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