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Mentally ill brother has a drinking problem?

My older brother has been drinking since he was 21. At that time, our dad was alive and used to go with him to the bar for a drink. That's when everyone believes it started.

I don't discredit that, however our dad has been dead for 8 years. His drinking has only got worse. My brother is a paranoid schizophrenic, and his nurse is always telling him not to drink so much, as it's clashing with his medication. There have been times where his medication didn't work, and they had to change it. I know a person can become immune over time, but is drinking speeding up the process?

He constantly lies, asks for money (he becomes moody if he doesn't get it, repeatedly asks, etc). He has said that drinking makes him feel good, and that he doesn't look good if he doesn't have a drink. He has said he wants a drink to settle his nerves. He has become tolerant to alcohol, as he no longer gets hangovers.

My mum and brother are now becoming secretive, she being secretive about giving him money, and him lying that she never gave him any. They do this because I'm the only one who believes that she shouldn't encourage this behaviour. He asked for money yesterday, bought six cans of beer at 10:30 AM. They were gone by lunch.

I've warned him today that I will call his nurse tomorrow, and tell him about the money, and also that I suspect a drinking problem. My brother turned around and said: "Don't tell him. Tell her not to mum! Don't tell him, I mean that."

So, I don't know what else to do. Risk calling his nurse, and having my brother get angry, or let him carry on this path.
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SW-User
Wow he's proper alcoholic he needs help..
My mother was an alco, it killed her, she was drinking by breakfast also😢
Snuffy1957 · 61-69, M
@SW-User I agree... He does need help but if he does not want to accept that help that causes a problem in itself :-(
WishfulCreations · 26-30, F
@SW-User It's scary and sad. It's splitting us apart, and becoming toxic. I hate to use that word to describe my family, but I can't bear to say positive things at the moment.
SW-User
@Snuffy1957 I know right... I went through that with my mother..
WishfulCreations · 26-30, F
@SW-User I'm sorry about your mother :( I wish there was more that could be done in the world about alcohol. Sometimes I wish they would just stop selling it and only sell non-alcoholic drinks instead
Snuffy1957 · 61-69, M
@WishfulCreations they tried making alcohol illegal once before and it just caused more problems....
People have to WANT to stop drinking.. No one can make that decision for them !
SW-User
@WishfulCreations nobody is helping him, my mother stole my money and blamed my sister, she had excuses to get money from her own mother, excuses and lies, she forged documents and got allowances from benefits that she was not entitled to: this we only discovered when she died, she also pawned all of her jewellery and anything that had any value, she even sold or pawned an antique dolls pram that belonged to me that I got from Santa as a child... There was no room for sentiment when alcohol was needed.... My sister and I moved out to live with our Dad, after that she went to rehab a few times once she escaped and went to the pub immediately.. Every time she was released first thing she did was get alcohol... Her mind went, once I went to visit her, I brought a friend who she had never met before and she thought the friend was my sister (her child).. After that I realised it was only a matter of time that she'd be around