My brother's behaviour

Errata

will tell the doctor what many of you have suggested (listing the behaviour and so on),

It might help to write everything down you need to tell the GP before you see them and take it with you. It's often easy to forget something when a consultation is a bit stressful and you're feeling anxious. Best wishes.

tomstickland

we know he does occasionally smoke skunk

From your description I suspect that it might be a bit more than occasionally.

ailuro2

Replace the coffee with decaff, don't tell your Mum you did it - she sounds like she has her head in the sand a wee bit there- not easy for her though, it's sometimes easier being in denial than facing up to everything that's going on.

Once he finds the right help for what is affecting him - be it drugs, mental health issues, or both, then he will be much easier to live with.

I would say though that drugs and mental health really don't go together, so for your brother's sake have you though about a quiet phone call or e-mail to crimestoppers...
http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/?gclid=CI3V05qgupwCFc0B4wod318WnA

If he can't get free skunk then that might get one problem out the way?

DVardysShadow

ailuro2 wrote: »

I would say though that drugs and mental health really don't go together, so for your brother's sake have you though about a quiet phone call or e-mail to crimestoppers...

Very likely to cause many more problems than it cures. Remember that the police will be charm itself to anyone brining a complaint, but their response to a suspect with mental health issues can be stupid beyond belief.

This can only be a damaging experience for Emma's brother - which might trigger the current mental issues going a stage further in the hands of the police - who will feel that they should overpower and force their will. This could in an extreme situation lead to his death. I don't think it is OTT to raise this, because his behaviour already shows some unpredictability and is outside the norms which police might tolerate.

Only involve the police as a last resort and only after warning him several times of the possibility - and giving him some instruction on how to handle nhimself with the police.

Savvy_Sue

Was the suggestion not more along the lines of reporting the supplier?

ailuro2

Yes it was, get rid of his free supply by getting the supllier out of the way, and then he won't be able to smoke 'occasionally' any more - if he's not addicted then you shouldn't see withdrawal symptoms - if he is, then you'll know when to look out for it and will be able to get him help.

SwitchyChick

emma_spaghetti wrote: »

We're hoping to book an appointment with the GP on Tuesday once he's back from holiday- I'm hoping the holiday will have calmed him down abit.

Might be worth checking with his friends what his behaviour was like while he was away?

Sounds to me like your brother has underlying mental health problems which have been exacerbated by the use of cannabis/skunk.

I have a friend with bi-polar disorder who uses cannabis and she had a really bad psychotic episode which led to her being sectioned for a few days. (She was a danger to herself and her child). I know she would never touch skunk and I believe that this can have a more damaging/long-lasting effect.

Whatever you do, persevere with the NHS. Try to get your brother assessed ASAP for his sake, and for those around him.

Good luck!

foxwales

I am no doctor, but this sounds like Psychosis and from the symptoms you describe it seems very likely.

courteener

I read the original posts to my Mum and she says nothing you wrote reminded her of aspergers or autism, but it did make her think of her brother who was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 24.

She says to see the doctor as soon as you can and get rid of the sword.

Pee

It sounds to me like it might be schizophrenia. I had a lodger who was on medication and the up all night and drinking copious cups of coffee sounds like him, although it also sounds a bit like me as a struggling Uni student.

I do like the idea of switching the coffee to decaff - i would put it in a caffinated coffee jar, and maybe half and half if you don't want him to get headaches from the sudden caffiene withdrawal.

Your brother is about 18/19, an adult and his behaviour is upsetting you but not your Mum. How do you get on with your brother? If you like him, get on with him, genuinely want to help him, be there for him, be someone he can talk to. If you have any issues that he has always been the favourite, he got to go to Uni and you didn't or anything at all along those lines, then I would remove yourself from the situation, because you are not going to help unless you are acting in his best interests and you have a huge capacity to hinder. I hope I am getting the wrong impression from your posts which seem quite detatched, I'm very sorry if they sound detatched simply because anything more emotional is too upsetting.

The friend who gives him drugs for free is probably growing a few plants, harvested before they come to the peak maturity (and potency) and basically fairly natural.

It is also possible that it is a nervous breakdown. Failing Uni exams is a big deal - although easily repaired.