My Brother
Please help.
My 19 year old step brother who first began partying at a young age of 16 is now out of control. He first began abusing alochol which led to marijuana, which then led to trying the new drugs. I believe he truly has an addiciton problem. I live with my step mom, and my dad, where there is a total of 5 children. My step brother is the baby of his own brothers and sisters.
His problem is now affecting the family not only extremely emotionally but financially. He has been in jail twice now. 1 time for under the influence of coke, 2nd time for assaulting an officer and both times my step mom refuses to leave him in a jail and bails him out. We are not a wealthy family so a couple thousands of dollars is a big deal. He has strangled his girlfriend, caused $2400 of damage to his friend's car, punched his friends tooth out. I heard from old friends of his that my brother is now taking valuum (spelling??) and drinking heavily, as well as, staying up all night to find some coke or other harmful drug.
The most difficult part of the situation is that technically I'm not his sister, although I love him as though he were my own brother and not "step related". My step mother believes he is suffering only from depression, which I am afraid to remind of the lows that are associated with these extreme highs my brother does to himself.
No one wants to just turn away, but no one in my family knows what to do. My brother is now threatening to kill himself. He has been going to people's houses searching for his "friend" and has had the cops called on him several times.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I'm being a bystander and that I should be doing something to help him. But I feel as though if I try to help him, he may get angry and physical with me which scares me. My step mother believes when she got her divorce, my brother was about 8 years old, and believes that this is the deep root to his problem.
Help, ANYONE!!!
Sad Blue Eyed Sister