My little brother is showing a lot of cult like behavior and I don't know what to do.
To clarify, my brother is 24 years old. He has always been highly intelligent and very promising, but he dipped into a depression and became distant, however, he had me as a confidant.
What I learned troubled me: he believes deeply in new age mythology (Anu-Naki, Pleidians, Reptillians etc.) and has expressed in these exact words: "I am an angel, on a level you will never know"
That alone is okay, he's just full of himself. But he's also said things like "I learned not to need anyone, the fact that you're family means nothing to me, losing all of you wouldn't make me feel anything"
Thing is, wether he believes it or not, it seems he is being drawn away and I don't know how to help him. He hardly talks to anyone anymore, his isolation is growing and I'm afraid something or someone's gotten hold of him, what do I do?
>>17350801
by saying this stuff it's obviously a call for help, by virtue that people will pay interest to the things he says
I'm not sure I'd call it cult behavior, more so general mental anguish behavior, nothing that can't be fixed and forgotten about, your brothers not permanently gone and doomed to an asylum or something.
Can you take him out places? He'll prob refuse, he'll say he'll "go out when he's ready", but we all know he'll never "be ready", he has to be forced to, which is the only way to help him.
>>17350813
I tried, but he's awfully difficult. He accepts no 'wrong' behavior from anyone. I try to adhere to his rules but it's tough. For instance, he can get into a rage if you show too much 'agressive breathing', which means whenever you breathe in through your mouth and exhale through your nose, he sees this as a direct attack on him, and he has called me a rapist demon because of it.
Added to that, he polices language very closely and allows zero 'agressive language' this means anything nonsupportive. On grounds of breaking those rules he bit me in the face once, and then said that is my fault for trying to argue with a real man.
He's gone far and is cutting all ties. I want to help him but he thinks I'm the devil. It's not easy.
>>17350834
He's way off the deep end, way more than I imagined.
If it was a benign illness he was having maybe it'd be salvageable, but this person needs expert help. Of course you can't tell him that or sound accusatory, so try to reiterate you're not sentencing him or anything, just a wellness check.
>>17350845
I'm mostly afraid his behavior will get him in some real trouble some day.
Biting me, sure that's fucked up but he's my little brother and I'd love him even if he kills me.
But he acts uppity to cops, says they hold no higher authority to their face and whatnot. Luckily we're Dutch, so he isn't getting shot any time soon but he's toeing the line.
But he believes all psychatry and psychology to be tools of the, and he means this, illuminati. He will never accept help.
So I feel like it's up to me, it's my duty as family and my parents have given up, and I don't know where to go.
>>17350834
Honestly, it sounds like a legitimate and serious mental illness. He's fully delusional and unwilling to hear reason. Schizophrenia and many similar disorders tend to show up in early adulthood, so if that's what's going on, he's at the right age for it.
You need to get him to a therapist so that you, and him, will at least know what you're dealing with and what the options are for treatment. You should never try to force treatment on him unless he's a danger to himself or others. Although, I mean, he did already hit you in the face for breaking one of his "rules." If he'd done that to someone other than his brother it could've been a real bad situation.
>>17350858
well keep him away from 4chan for starters, soon as he finds people to reaffirm his beliefs there's so turning back
He really needs help, I don't know of any colloquial or amateur way to help him. Maybe he's just really narcissistic? And lacks an education so these things are filling the void? If so those are small problems that can remedy this whole thing, but otherwise he needs professional help
>>17350858
You should look into public mental health services in your area, this is way beyond /adv/ ability to assist you with. Your brother sounds at the very least delusional at worst severely schizophrenic.
>>17350858
From https://www.government.nl/topics/mental-health-services/question-and-answer/help-for-mental-health-problems
>Someone in an acute crisis may suffer from acute depression, delusions, panic attacks or suicidal behaviour, or act violently towards others. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact your general practitioner (GP) immediately. The GP will contact the local crisis intervention team (available 24/7) if necessary.
This is way outside your ability to cope with. He's already shown violent behavior. Get a professional on this ASAP. He'll never get better on his own.
>>17350865
Ah, not hit, he literally bit me.
Thing is, a single incident is not enough to get someone admitted forcefully and even if we did, he might kill himself. He regards psychology and psychiatry as brain control so there's no chance of him going willingly.
>>17350875
I might want to try, but the laws concerning forced treatment are pretty strict. He hurt me, yes, but no one else so far, so it's not considered dire. Which frustrates me because, well, I can deal with a bite and I didn't hurt him in retaliation, but anyone else would, and gravely. It's worrying but the law is involved in cleanup, not prevention.
>>17350869
Oh I'm careful as shit these days. I used to try and surf his wave and introduce him to other people, but these days I just want him to stop watching shit like spirit science, bashur and all those other fucking lumatics, but he reveres them.
>>17350801
As a brother you have to realize that your brother doesn't care about a cult. He's just retarded. Maybe literally.
>highly intelligent
>Depressed
>full of himself
>new age hippie shit
>I am an angel
See? The only thing that doesn't fit is the intelligence.
As someone who escaped a cult because of a supporting spouse I can firmly say he needs family intervention. And a well researched points to show him how he's gone off the deep
>>17351980
*a family intervention
>>17351980
>>17351987
Lisa I love you
>>17351980
I hope that's possible. In spite of his still living with our parents he's openly hostile toward them, blaming them for most if not all of his ills.
He's already expressed and shown to have no love for our family, which makes it hard to intervene. At the moment I don't suspect he's a member of any group but the last few times I spoke to him about life he did state he feels the need to follow a strong leader.
So if he isn't being groomed, he's definitely susceptible.
Can I ask what cult you were involved in?
>>17351764
His grades have always been exemplary, I can't deny he has a high IQ.
And having said that, it's not uncommon for highly intelligent people to lose their minds or join a cult. It's not retardation, it's desperation.
>>17353186
You're making excuses for him. It's the trap of family.
Grades mean jack if you don't do anything with them. They're more of a means than an end.
He's alienated himself because of a problem he doesn't want to accept. He's making this worse so you should beat it into him that he needs to get out of this way of thinking.
Tough love brother.
>>17353194
I don't trust his coping mechanisms enough to risk getting real with him. As I stated earlier, last time I voiced my issues with him it culminated with him digging his teeth in face. I'm glad I have a beard so the damage was minimal (keratin actually makes decent armour it seems), but I lost feeling in my fingertips for a good couple of months from prying his jaw open to get loose.
I afraid that if we'd ever have a real man to man he'd either go lethal or go suicidal, he's approached me with a glass bottle before with the intent to strike me with it (he was drunk and I was not so I just took it from him, but it sets a bad precedent).
Worst thing I've done to him physically was slap him once, so I really don't know how far he can go if he thinks he's in actual danger.
>>17350801
I'm sorry your brother is going schizo. It will be tough trying to adjust, but try to accept him because he's your brother.
>>17353249
I'll accept him forever, he's family and if he ever accepts me again I'll be happy to help him.
And yeah, schizophrenia is what I was worried about outside of cults, he shows a lot of those symptoms too but I try to avoid diagnosing him as IANAD.
I just hope the combination of his erratic behavior and refusal of mental health care doesn't land him in jail, dead or missing. I'll support him if he goes to jail, I'll look for him if he goes missing and I'll mourn him if he's dead but I desperately hope it won't have to come to that.
>>17350801
Get your brother some shrooms and a copy of "THE DOOR OF EVERYTHING" by Ruby Nelson.
Will solve everything. BEST!
>>17353272
Doubtful, shrooms are a nice activity and a good eye opener for people with a grasp of reality. I do not think my little brother would benefit much.
>>17353223
Your brother's a nut. Get him to go to therapy.
