((((((Kimmy)))))),

I know the love for a baby brother. It's like no other relationship I lost my baby brother to suicide just over 40 years ago. It still whacks me upside the head sometimes

Is your brother a VISUAL person?? Can you get one of those plastic make-it-yourself buttons and put a picture of his son inside the button. Pin the button over his heart.

This society is so hard for young men nowadays. Even stable young men. Men with psychiatric problems and self-esteem problems have such a harder row to hoe

I don't have life experience with all the 'issues' that your brother is dealing with. My families problems have been depression and personality disorders.

See if you can get him into a clinical trial for "dialectical behavior therapy". I checked both clinicaltrials.gov and centerwatch.org and couldn't find anything in your area. I do know from personal experience that there are always trials going on in the teaching hospitals that are not always in the published lists. The DBT will help him reign in his thinking and understand that he really will be missed by his son and his family if he just lets go.

I've participated in a couple of clinical trials. I was in the original prozac studies over two decades ago. You're hooked up with a therapist. You get free drugs. And consistent monitoring. And a name and phone number to call if you start spinning out of control. Maybe this might be a way to help him.

Give this guy a call: http://www.ohio.edu/counseling/Groups.cfm and see if he can recommend anything. (About half-way down the page: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group, Contact person: Fred Weiner, Ph.D.)

Another idea of a way to regulate one's thinking is Recovery, Incorporated (http://www.recovery-inc.com/). One uses only specific speech to talk about one's problems. This is worldwide and is basically free except for maybe coffee and cleanup charges. You can get the books from the libraries. You can find meetings here: http://www.recovery-inc.com/meetings/midwest.html#ohio

I'm praying for all of you. Hugs.

Barb