Is my brother mentally disturbed?

[zululami]

Long story short. I think my brother is suffering from some kind of mental illness or disturbance. I don’t stay with him due to the fact that I work in GP and he stays with the family in KZN. He is a few years older than me and I have known the guy since the beginning of time and I believe no one knows him better than I do.

Since February (when I was home and recently during Easter weekend) I have noticed something very strange about him. He talks too much, but not only that. He says things out loud that most people would often keep to themselves. E.g: If a friend pitches up with a fat chick, he would say that the chick is fat in front of everyone and that’s not the brother I know, and that’s just one example, there are plenty more embarrassing ones.

ALl these years I have known him to be the guy who only speaks when spoken to.

Now he goes on and on: e.g. when I am driving with him in the car, he talks about my driving and tells me that the robot is gonna turn red, I must stop and observe and give like a commentary for hours on end.

He does not drink. He is not employed, so I can't get another opinion from someone who spends more time with him other than family. My mom has also noticed that he’s not the same guy. But on the surface he seems fine. If you don’t really know him, you won’t see anything wrong. Do you know where I can take him to have him evaluated by a professional? Do you think he would agree? Do mentally disturbed people know that they are not okay?

 

[Fulcrum29]

He seems to be too honest

 

[zululami]

He seems to be too honest

I wouldn't have any suspicion if he'd been always like this. He's transformed.

 

[Beachless]

Maybe just speak to someone qualified first about the symptom and what to look out for and then see if your brother is willing to go for a evaluation.

A friend of mines brother started acting strange basically overnight asking the weirdest questions and was diagnosed with schizophrenia a week later. Once he was on his meds he was back to normal pretty quick.

 

[Musiclover08]

A psychologist is your first stop who should be able to to do some tests to analyse if it is a disorder or not.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

I hope this does not offend you, but could drug use perhaps not be involved here?

 

[Picard]

My first thought as well. Sorry.

 

[GreyBush]

Or he's just coming out of his shell and hasn't quite adjusted to the big wide world of socialising...

The fact that he talks non stop when he's around you probably just means he's pretty excited to be around you, since you don' tstay close together.

 

[zululami]

I hope this does not offend you, but could drug use perhaps not be involved here?

Not offended at all. He is not the drug type. He can't even take a ciggie puff without coughing all over the place. He can't even afford drugs.

 

[zululami]

A psychologist is your first stop who should be able to to do some tests to analyse if it is a disorder or not.

I will take him to the psychologist. I really hope he is not offended because I really believe that there is something terribly going wrong

 

[Venomous]

take him to a nerologist first, then take this from there.

 

[Garson007]

Has he had a head injury to the front of his head?

 

[Stefanmuller]

Depression perhaps? I have seen first hand how depression van make a person socially inapt. Say things they are not supposed to ignoring other peoples feelings to babbling on about xyz and jumping to random topics. He is living with family and unemployed...

 

[Flowerhat]

Depression perhaps? I have seen first hand how depression van make a person socially inapt. Say things they are not supposed to ignoring other peoples feelings to babbling on about xyz and jumping to random topics. He is living with family and unemployed...

+1

Also how old is he?
Lack of self confidence can turn a person inside out. Also try not to make a big deal out of this imo

 

[Wasabee!]

What age is he? Maybe his balls dropped?

I would say a Psychiatrist, GPs just prescribe meds one after the other if they don't work.

 

[DerpiesFreud]

Agreed, go see a psychologist, we don't have enough information to make an effective recommendation

 

[Patty]

Did he bump his head at all? Dont call him dusturbed it will ruin your relationship with him. Does he have seizures or fits?

 

[KleinBoontjie]

brain tumor?

 

[-Prismo-]

Or he's just coming out of his shell and hasn't quite adjusted to the big wide world of socialising...

The fact that he talks non stop when he's around you probably just means he's pretty excited to be around you, since you don' tstay close together.

I agree, perhaps it's a personality change which may be dependent on a transition age or something like that.

I used to be all quiet and reserved, but now I talk a lot and make sure my opinion is heard. I don't call people out on their weight or blurt out things that are rather embarrassing to myself or other people by pointing out flaws but then again I can recall saying things I probably shouldn't have that hurt people that I thought would be funny at the time, etc. As far as I know that's part of being (or trying to be) social and happens to everyone. Unless it's just me and I'm unstable (no offense) as well (I hope not).

 

[MrGray]

Has he had a head injury to the front of his head?

My thought/question as well. Not filtering your speech and just saying whatever comes into your head regardless of social appropriateness is a classic symptom of frontal lobe damage. It's common after car accidents - even though the head may not have struck anything the high speed whipping forward and back of the skull basically squishes the frontal lobe.