How to approach a family about their son being possibly bipolar?

Hi,

i posted this yesterday in the mental health category but didn't get any response, i realized this category is more suited for my issue. so here it is:

My friend recently opened up to me about her family issues that she been dealing with for the past 7 years. One of her brothers (he's 27) became an alcohol abuser and when drunk he becomes super angry and a bit violent. if U don't know him U would think that he's just alcoholic with no deeper mental issues. But I've known him since High-school. We even liked each-other around the end of High-school but ended up in a fight that he initiated, and ever since, i noticed a weird behaviour about him. He has major mood swings, one moment he's happy and the next he's either quiet, annoyed, or angry. Before, he used to only show this sometimes at home according to his sis.

Things got worst after HS, he wasn't serious about his studies, he kept surrounding himself with bad people, he kept having mood swings and started drinking alot. I'm no doctor and dont know him that well so i kept my "diagnosis" to myself. Until after the conversation with his sis. she told me that he was always distant and always had mood swings in a manic way since childhood, but it wasn't very frequent and noticeable. Also, their father left them when they were young and he took it the worst out of his siblings ( they're 3 kids with a single mother, his brother is 26 and sister 24). She mentionned how the father and bro are similar but didn't give extra details about it. i'm guessing the dad might've been bipolar and didn't know it.

I asked if they tried bringing him to a doc or rehab facility but she said he refused (obviously). they only tried talking to him, they didn't take any drastic measures. and since he OBVIOUSLY refused any help, they gave up on him thinking that hes just being careless, but his behaviour is not normal. and i feel like he's in a state where he cannot see what's really wrong, or that he can't find a way out so he continues with this behavious. He can't open up to people, he can't have serious normal convos, he doesnt understand his emotions... and the drinking problem made me more sure of his possible disorder. this family don't believe in mental health due to cultural background So its hard for me to make them get him checked. i read about symptoms of bipolar disorder and he fits in most of them.

What can i do to make my friend understand that this can be very dangerous for him if they don't force him to get checked, and that it's not completely his fault for acting like this?

0 likes, 0 replies