Brother is in Hospital.....lots of questions ....please help

[grcalver]

Hi, okay I am going to start with a little history here....my brother is the 6 of 7 kids the first boy. My dad was a drug addicted, drug dealer and extremely abusive to my mom and verbally abusive to us kids...very disfuctional family. My brother was very very close to my mom.

My mom finally after 25 years was very depressed and slept all day leaving the kids that where still at home to fend for themselves....then she got up and left.  Leaving all the kids behind but she was staying with other family members and then eventually remarried a year later and bought a new house with her new husband who is a great guy. My brother was kicked out of my dads house and moved in with my mom.

Here is where things get bad.....my brother was an all star at every sport he played he averaged 3.5 in his classes. He had a great big group of friends and like most boys got into a little trouble here in there.  But for the most part he was a good kid!! My parents split up and then divorced when my brother was 14 just entering high school...his grades slipped he started complaing he couldn't consentrate he couldn't remember any of the info he was learning.

He cried a lot telling my mom his family was gone why did she have to leave..... even though he had been telling my mom she should leave my ***** dad.  He started acting very bizarre......fighting and stealing things from his friends, getting kicked out of school, afraid to go place cause people where after him, eating very strict diets like all grape fruit for weeks at a time. Carrying a knife around because people where trying kill him. He said he could hear voices through the vent. He could see the future he knew what was gonna happen before it happened.  He believed that everyone was out to get him.  The pupil of his eye got very dark and big and he would glare at you.

Well we at first thought it was drugs...so after a turn of events he was put in juvenile for about 3 months....finally a doctor evaluated him and put him in a mental hospital which is where he is now.

Has anyone had any experiences like this??? Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

[ILADVOCATE]

Ask the psychiatrist what his exact diagnosis is. Also the hospital should have discharge plans as to where he will live in the community afterwards. For example if he needs supervision there is supported and supportive housing and other forms of community living. There is also benefits assistance. The psychiatrist could explain what medications he is on (probably antipsychotics and maybe mood stabilizers in addition) and how they are helping. NAMI has some helpful information in this regard. I myself have schizoaffective and have made a full recovery (read through my posts) but I haven't been through the forensic system but I've worked with consumers who have. See what supports and services the hospital can arrange for him when he is released as they are by law required to set up a discharge plan. Speak to the social worker who is assigned to him.