thanks everyone for your kind thoughts. my brother was never one to ever take drugs or alcohol. he was very health conscious while we were growing up. but i believe he is bipolar and that it was undetected for a long time even from my parents and after a divorce he just snapped and said he turned to an addiction. he says he is not addicted anymore but his actions to me say otherwise. it is difficult to be sure because the symptoms of his addiction he said he had are similar to bipolar symptoms so i don't know if he is lying to me or not. i do know that he went from a well educated successful man with a beautiful home to an unemployed homeless man who is jumping from one friend to another and sleeping on their couch. i have begged him to go to a hospital with me to get help and then offered to help him get a place after he was better and he refused. i don't understand why he won't let me help him. he isn't happy right now but would rather be alone and homeless then have someone who loves him help him get his life back. i can only pray at this moment that he will find his way. and i always let him know i love him and will be there when he is ready to get the help he so desperately needs. i have never dealt with something like this before and am very sick with my own health problems with my rsd and i don't have alot of stamina or money to help him much. but i do my best. my mother and brothers have written him off and i don't want to be around them anymore because of this. they don't even want to deal with me because i am sick. it makes me very sad. i hope that he will find his way back to health and happiness. i pray for him everyday. thank you all so much for praying for him too. it means alot to me. you are really good friends.

Your brother is lucky to have a loving sister; but please take care of your health and try not to get too stressed.

I sent you a PM.


Gerry

RSD ME, I think that your brother is privileged to have a loving and caring sister like you.

I wish him all the best.

With care .

I have you in my thoughts and prayers daily.

Debi from Georgia

Just like Kiwi and Gerry said....you are a good sister and your brother is lucky to have someone like you by his side, when the rest of the family has turned away.

You are both in my prayers,
Diandra

i just wanted to thank all of you for all your prayers and kind words. you are all such awesome people and it means alot to know i have such caring friends. thanks again. i hope you all have a wonderful day today. take care.

dear friend

as a recovering addict myself
and after twenty year
and still the first thing i do
having my obsession lifted
does not mean i can entertain
anything that masked and took away
what i did not want to feel or address

what Gerry and others are correct in their assessment
you cannot be his save or anyone else
BUT, the most important thing I can offer as one
for your brother to know he can count on your
unconditional love
it is this kind of love needed
to know when he is ready to throw in the towel
YOU will be there for support
dear friend
operative word support
there isn't anything else you can do

i hope and pray
with what the real problems are
that take him to mask it
however insignificant it could be for one
it is so not the same for for those who do not suffer
addiction
so much bigger than the drug alcohol food sex gambling
and on and on
you are a precious sister
do not let go
do not stop giving him your unconditional love

you must take care of you before helping anyone else

i give you my love and a hug
to a very special woman
as things may be tough here
you can lean on me
love me

just wanted to say thanks again to all of you for your caring thoughts and kind words. my brother is still in denial of his addiction and won't go with me to see a dr. i don't understand why he can't see how much trouble he is in. his life is falling apart and he has lost everything and would prefer to be homeless then to come see me and go to a dr. its so frustrating and breaking my heart.

i will never give up on him though and will provide unconditional love and hope he gets the help he needs soon.

i also wanted to thank you eva for sharing your experience and advice on what to do for my brother. it made me feel better knowing that you got the help you needed and that you thought i was doing the right thing by sticking by him. i am so happy that you got help and got better. it takes a strong person to be able to do that and i am very proud of you.

i hope my brother can also find the strength he needs to get better too.
all i can do is be there for him and pray every day that he will.

thank you all again for being there to give me strength to deal with this. you are good friends indeed.