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My brother tried "Bath Salts"
Hello,
My brother, 36 yrs old, tried "bath salts" a couple of times a year or two ago (a couple of times that he admitted to me trying), and now he has lost his good paying career and his family (wife and two kids) as of 2 months ago, and has no home or job since then.
He's been showing signs of paranoia, emotional depression, and aggression towards all of our family members and close friends of his. He shows no motivation to do anything but sleep and stay on his computer late at night. He's expressed that he believes someone is out to "get him", and is constantly changing his email addresses and phones over the last year. He's staying with my parents, and has no car or money to afford to go anywhere or do anything else. We all have been cursed out by him and blamed for ruining his life multiple times over the last two months. He was temporarily committed to a hospital for showing signs of suicidal thoughts, and even saying, "things would just be better if I wasn't around, and why not put a bullet in my mouth." The hospital psychiatrist released him after evaluating my brother, due to confirming that he was not a danger to himself or others -- that was a month ago.
He has never acted or said things like this before to any of us, and he's not willing to go to a mental health professional to try and seek help on his own. My parents are doing what they can, but I don't believe that they are willing to consider this behavior is a result of his use of bath salts.
I'm very concerned for my parents safety while my brother is staying with them.
2 Questions:
1- What legally can we do if he's not willing to go to see a Dr on his own to seek help?
2- What type of Dr should he go see to get the help he may need?
3- Does anyone have other suggestions of what else to look for an/or try to get him to go see the appropriate Dr?
Thank you so much,
BrotherLP
My brother, 36 yrs old, tried "bath salts" a couple of times a year or two ago (a couple of times that he admitted to me trying), and now he has lost his good paying career and his family (wife and two kids) as of 2 months ago, and has no home or job since then.
He's been showing signs of paranoia, emotional depression, and aggression towards all of our family members and close friends of his. He shows no motivation to do anything but sleep and stay on his computer late at night. He's expressed that he believes someone is out to "get him", and is constantly changing his email addresses and phones over the last year. He's staying with my parents, and has no car or money to afford to go anywhere or do anything else. We all have been cursed out by him and blamed for ruining his life multiple times over the last two months. He was temporarily committed to a hospital for showing signs of suicidal thoughts, and even saying, "things would just be better if I wasn't around, and why not put a bullet in my mouth." The hospital psychiatrist released him after evaluating my brother, due to confirming that he was not a danger to himself or others -- that was a month ago.
He has never acted or said things like this before to any of us, and he's not willing to go to a mental health professional to try and seek help on his own. My parents are doing what they can, but I don't believe that they are willing to consider this behavior is a result of his use of bath salts.
I'm very concerned for my parents safety while my brother is staying with them.
2 Questions:
1- What legally can we do if he's not willing to go to see a Dr on his own to seek help?
2- What type of Dr should he go see to get the help he may need?
3- Does anyone have other suggestions of what else to look for an/or try to get him to go see the appropriate Dr?
Thank you so much,
BrotherLP
An involuntary committment will only ever be temporary. The hospital (in PA anyway) can only hold someone against their will for 72 hours, and then there is a hearing. Usually, at that point, most people are either released, or their psych admission is changed over to a "201" (voluntary).
The other thing you are talking about is petitioning to court to have him declared incompetent, so you could have control over his decisions, including medical decisions. That is not realistic. It's NOT easy to have someone declared incompetent...and that's the way it should be. The people that are declared incompetent are usually instituionalized long term.
Unfortunately, there are people that fall through the cracks of the mental health system...and he sounds like one of them. He isn't willing to get help on his own, yet he clearly needs it. A "302", or involuntary committment is only a temporary situation, and usually doesn't "fix" anything.
Bath salt abuse has been known to lead to the exact kind of behavior you are describing...extreme paranoia, psychosis, even sometimes aggression and violence.
The best advice I would have for you is to continue trying to encourage him to seek help, at the same time...collect any and all evidence that proves the things you are saying. There are resources in the county you could turn to to ask for advice. Adult protective services would be a good place to start.
My thoughts are with you...it's a very difficult situation to be in. I sure hope your brother gets the help he needs.
The other thing you are talking about is petitioning to court to have him declared incompetent, so you could have control over his decisions, including medical decisions. That is not realistic. It's NOT easy to have someone declared incompetent...and that's the way it should be. The people that are declared incompetent are usually instituionalized long term.
Unfortunately, there are people that fall through the cracks of the mental health system...and he sounds like one of them. He isn't willing to get help on his own, yet he clearly needs it. A "302", or involuntary committment is only a temporary situation, and usually doesn't "fix" anything.
Bath salt abuse has been known to lead to the exact kind of behavior you are describing...extreme paranoia, psychosis, even sometimes aggression and violence.
The best advice I would have for you is to continue trying to encourage him to seek help, at the same time...collect any and all evidence that proves the things you are saying. There are resources in the county you could turn to to ask for advice. Adult protective services would be a good place to start.
My thoughts are with you...it's a very difficult situation to be in. I sure hope your brother gets the help he needs.
May I ask what are bath salts if you mean the scented ones how on earth would that get anyone 'high'
I don't know where you live but I am a cop in Louisiana and family CAN get someone committed here...in La all you have to do is go tell the Coroner for ur county or parish what you just posted and the coroner will issue an order for pickup for emergency commitment ...the police are notified from the coroner and they will physically take him to the hospital ordered by the coroner.....like I said this is how it goes on La....call ur coroner and ask
Power to you for knowing that no matter what brought about this change, it seems it is here to stay. And, yest, he needs to find treatment. Why the psychiatrist in the hospital did not mandate outpatient treatment is paramount to negligence. But i've seen it haopen in my own situation with Paranoid psychosis brought about by oxycontin abuse. Please take the above advice and continue to keep the faith, and find him the right help. Continue to post. Accept friend requests and make some of your own. It's nice to know that people are taking up the cause with you. There are no quick answers so pull up a chair and make some friends to help you. You are a great sibling, the very best.
All I know is all you've wrote, and this is what I say:
1- What legally can we do if he's not willing to go to see a Dr on his own to seek help?
Legally, there is nothing you can do to make him do anything at all. The only (as far as I know) official that would have the authority to make such a demand would be a judicial official. If he is ever in front of a judge, I would recommend requesting the chance to make a statement during his ruling. I'm not sure but I'm guessing that you would need to file something or other with the clerk beforehand. Another idea might be to petition the court?? You could look that up. I would be wary of sharing more than you need to, such as his use of bath salts, unless the question arises. Anyway, I wouldn't want for him to be written off as just another user, and using bath salts probably wouldnt incite a judge to do anything - providing he has the authority to do so.
2- What type of Dr should he go see to get the help he may need?
I don't know. I guess it would depend on what exactly he needs help with.
3- Does anyone have other suggestions of what else to look for an/or try to get him to go see the appropriate Dr?
In assessing what your brother needs, I think it is very important to know that a lot of the behaviors you described are generally broad when considering the myriad of variables involved. So be careful in heeding the advice (and intentions) of others. Leave it to the professionals, and get a 2nd opinion.
Imagine how it might feel if everoyne around you, including your support systems/loved ones, started treating you like there was something #wrong# with you. That's a serious insinuation to make - regardless of whether or not it is true. I would recommend timing it right - read your brother, not what's happening right then.
Maybe he could try therapy with someone like a LCSW first. Maybe his wife could entice him to start therapy as an ultimatum of some sort; if not for her, then for the kids? Or maybe you, she, or whoever could call it "coaching"!? Just be careful, and don't give up hope.
Also, from what I understand, there is a standard holding period when a person is involuntarily (and maybe voluntarily?) committed. Unless he (or she) is in immediate danger of harming himself or others, he will be released, I think.
Don't quote me. .
1- What legally can we do if he's not willing to go to see a Dr on his own to seek help?
Legally, there is nothing you can do to make him do anything at all. The only (as far as I know) official that would have the authority to make such a demand would be a judicial official. If he is ever in front of a judge, I would recommend requesting the chance to make a statement during his ruling. I'm not sure but I'm guessing that you would need to file something or other with the clerk beforehand. Another idea might be to petition the court?? You could look that up. I would be wary of sharing more than you need to, such as his use of bath salts, unless the question arises. Anyway, I wouldn't want for him to be written off as just another user, and using bath salts probably wouldnt incite a judge to do anything - providing he has the authority to do so.
2- What type of Dr should he go see to get the help he may need?
I don't know. I guess it would depend on what exactly he needs help with.
3- Does anyone have other suggestions of what else to look for an/or try to get him to go see the appropriate Dr?
In assessing what your brother needs, I think it is very important to know that a lot of the behaviors you described are generally broad when considering the myriad of variables involved. So be careful in heeding the advice (and intentions) of others. Leave it to the professionals, and get a 2nd opinion.
Imagine how it might feel if everoyne around you, including your support systems/loved ones, started treating you like there was something #wrong# with you. That's a serious insinuation to make - regardless of whether or not it is true. I would recommend timing it right - read your brother, not what's happening right then.
Maybe he could try therapy with someone like a LCSW first. Maybe his wife could entice him to start therapy as an ultimatum of some sort; if not for her, then for the kids? Or maybe you, she, or whoever could call it "coaching"!? Just be careful, and don't give up hope.
Also, from what I understand, there is a standard holding period when a person is involuntarily (and maybe voluntarily?) committed. Unless he (or she) is in immediate danger of harming himself or others, he will be released, I think.
Don't quote me. .
Sounds like he is showing severe signs of paranoia.Has he been checked for metal illness(bipolar/scitzophrenia etc).In most states it takes2bllod relatives to get him commited through the courts.He needs that.He needs to be evaluated for mental illness&other things like depression and paranoia.He needs a therapist/physcologist.Call the courts to c the process of getting him committed.good luck and he is lucky to have u.Not sure if the bath salts have anything to do with this cause we dnt really know the lasting effects of all those potpourri,bath salts etc. but very often drug use will bring mental illness to th surface which sounds like what happened.When I was15my best friends brother who was n his mid20's drank beer recreationally and was/is the nicest guy n the world.he tried pot)a usually pretty harmless drug n general) for the first time freaked out ended up stabbing a pregnant women.Went to prison,found out he has mental issues
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