My younger brother is going through some tough times in his life and is convienced he is clinically depressed. He has been to a physcologist several times but refuses to talk about anything of substance about why he is depressed. Our parents are very understanding and caring. They support him in his quest for mental health. I have told him that he can call me at any time of the day or night if he needs to talk, and my boyfriend has extended the same invitation. Now my brother is convienced beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is he clinically depressed but he is also bi polar (because he took an online test that said he was). I want my brother to feel good but I feel at this point that he is only seeking attention. There is a history of mental illness in my family which is why we are all taking his claims seriously. His entire family has offered nothing but support and understanding but apparently it's not enough. Sometimes I just want to tell him to snap out of it and get over himself. I know that's not helpful but at 18 he still doesn't realize that everyone around him has their own lives and their own problems. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of situation?Thanks.
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Brother
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If there is a history of mental illness in the family there is a fair chance he has it too. Perhaps he should be seeing a psychiatrist rather than a psychologist, in case he needs medication?
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But if he doesn't speak with a psychologist then he won't speak with a psychiatrist. All they do is talk about movies he says. He is on his second psychologist. The therapist doesn't try to pull anything out of him so that he won't shut down but he's not forthcoming with information.It just seems like he's trying to get attention by being depressed because his two other siblings get better grades and more attention from the parentals because of it. But he gets attention by acting out and being depressed. But at the same time because of the family history of mental illness I don't want to dismiss it.It just seems sometimes that if he is depressed he doesn't really want to get better. I know that sounds stupid but does it make any sense?
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ive had the same problem. where i like being sad bc it gives me an excuse to be bitchy and and asshole all the time. and to put myself down.my dad used to have this friend, who had slight autism. he was an awesome guy, big cubs fan, fun to talk to. but he always had a problem with talking about his problems, and taking his medicine. one day he walked into traffic bc he was not on his medicine. got hit HARD. in the hospital in critical condition.after he was fine and all healed, we never saw him again. my dad never talks to him anymore so im not sure what happened. but he was depressed and everything. he didnt want to let us help him.maybe your brother is the same way. maybe time can be his savior. just support him. all you can really do.
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Nut docs have their own ways. .. And there are some out there that shouldn't be in that field but then there are some good ones out there too. I don't know why they do things they do but they have their ways. Mine is good at reading people - reading me. He knows what kind of mood I'm in when I walk in his office. He knows when to push and he knows when to pull back. He knows that if he keeps at me I'll blow up. And some times he just lets me sit in his office with my arms crossed and give him a hellish look. He also lets me come in and ramble. Sometimes I need nothing but to let what's in my head out. Some times he has to pull it out. It's not easy (and I doubt it's easy for them) but it's helpful even if you can't see it.
It depends on how long he's seen this 2nd therapist. And he might need to find a 3ed. I went threw them. The worst thing about that is you have to start all over.. I had to a number of times... I've had one tell my parents I was bi polar and put me on paxil. I visited one that had nude paintings. I've had a woman therapist and that was a no go! I've been in therapy since I was 15. I went form going every week to going twice a week for a long time. My therapist I have now used to see me every week and when I'm suicidal I could come in like a call in. I've finally at 21 years old been realest to once every two weeks.
Honestly I have mixed emotion about it. I know it makes me feel better some times and I know it makes me feel worse. There were many times I didn't want to walk into the building... seriously my dad had to drag me in. one time I took a hold of the car seat and my nut doc had to come get me. I wasn't; scared of him - I was scared at what I knew we were going to talk about. There are only two ways to not talk about something you don't want to talk about after he gets me in the office and that is.. To change subjects and hope he don't come back to it or to shut down. And sometimes the shutting down happens before he asks the first question. When he asks - how are you doing today Caleb, and I don't answer he knows I'm doing pretty bad. I bet he knows my answer tho before he asks it.That's something else about therapy - they've been trained to know people.. To read people. I don't understand it, I don't know how they do it but some how they know your answers with out you telling them. I been told that no answers is better than a answer. Like they read your expression and body language or something. Your temperament. My temperament is so much different when my ptsd is on.
Yea I got that shit... not bi polar like one of them tried to diagnose me as. He Didn't even take the time to talk and find out what was going on.. He just stuck a diagnose out and said give him this shit. He's been the only nut doc to put me on meds. Well I take it back.. The one I see now put me on sleep meds when I developed a dream phobia problem. Well I dk if it was really a dream phobia but he called it that cus I'd keep myself awake for as many nights I could cus I was afraid to have bad dream. Now I take it only when I need it... and I haven't; needed it in a few months.
I'm not sure if this is what your bro is trying to do by going online taking those tests. (by the way if I took one it would say I was bi polar or have some kind of depression). I do battle depression but it's caused by ptsd...so does the night mares and flashbacks and I knows that's why I have it. don't make it easr to deal with but ..... I mean I guess it helps know why I do some of the odd things I do (not having to do with the flashbacks or dreams or rage fits). It's things that are really embarrassing.
I hope this helps.. But when I first started going to my new nut doc (the one I have now) he got to know me some before getting into my head. And another thing I don't always tell my parents what I talked about with my nut doc. Your bros - we just talk about movies... who know what that means. I mean if I tell my parents we talked about the movies. It means he made me tell him about our movie visits when she made me do her in the parking lot, a hotel, or even at the movies...
I dk if your bro is into movies it might be a way in... my nut doc knows I'm into art so.. Art was his way in... or something like that.