NEED URGENT HELP!! for my friend.... please...

Hello. Well i am here not because i myself am being abused, because i am not, but my very good friend is. By her brother. He has a mental illness which my mum suspects it may be bipolar, but its just a thought. because whenever he gets angry and "loses it", he holds a knife to his mums stomache and to his sister's too. She only confessed to me today, there was a fear that he would get home and one day 'kill' his family. well anyway thats what my friends mum said. The problem began after the passing of their father. and i have convinced my friend to go and see a counsellor to help her deal with it. That will be happening soon.... but i was onky wondering if there was anything i could do to help her in any way. Her mum has talked about commiting suicide in the past and with thisnbeing one of the reasons... i know they need help. what can i do?

[PassinThru]

The only way to protect them is to remove him. Apparently no one ever called the police when he threatened them. Easy to understand. He is a son and a brother. But they cannot close their eyes and hope the problem will go away, and it is not within the ability of a therapist to protect them. He is the one who needs psychiatric care and, if he will not seek it voluntarily, he must be forced to by the authorities.

[Nighthawk61]

Oh my gosh, how awful for your friend and her mother, and the brother too? It's frightening to live the way he is, and he's really calling out for help when he acts out.  This can all go so wrong, and is so serious.  I think that this boy needs to be committed. Undoubtedly he will be diagnosed and medicated for his problem. I had to commit my husband, twice, to a psychiatric unit, for him to be assessed , diagnosed and medicated, it turned out he was paranoid schizophrenic.  He pretty quickly became controlled, and we live normally now. The mother should be taking charge, but may be suffering from her own depression, so she certainly needs to be under a doctor's care as well. I wish you all the best, in trying to help these people. God bless you for trying.

[mishymoshymarcy]

Thanks for your help. Yes i will talk to my friend about all this, but i am sure as soon as our coordinator/ a teacher is aware, then things will soon move along from there. It breaks my heart to see what she goes through yet she comes to school and she is smiling like anything. Her mother does have depression and takes medication. I mean after the passing of her husband, its understandable. Well anyway, thanks.