My brother Mario, has AIDS since 1995, his life has been very difficult since. His emotional stage has change a lot. He had been doing drugs and drinking alcohol during this years on and off. The last time he told me he used drugs was a month ago. A week ago today he drove himself who knows where, he did not call my mom and he came back to my parents home 6 day later. He told my mom he was in a ranch. Probably doing drugs. My mom took the car keys away from him, and at night he told her "I am going to give you a surprise". Next morning my mother found all his medications in the Trash can. My mom rescue some of them from the trash. I called Mario yesterday and he told me that he is no longer taking his medications and that he is not going to take them anymore. He is suppose to come and visit me here in West Lafayette, IN in January. I ask him if he expected me to bring him over with me if he was not taking his medications. I asked him if something was wrong.If I could help him in anyway. He said he was fine. I insisted him in taking his medications. He ended the conversation by telling me "I'll see I may or may not take the medications ever again". His Dr is Fernando Garcia from Harlingen since we are unable to speak with him or see him. We need help. I really do not know what to do, my mother (64 yrs old)and my Dad(70 yrs old) are in emotional pain (specially my mom), because my brother is 40 years old, he lives with my parents and it has been very difficult to see him in negative reactions. my mom has diabetes, high blood pressure and I am very concern for my parents health as well as my brother. I believe that my brother is in depression, since he can not sleep easily, suffer from insomnia and then sleeps all day. All he does is to sleep all day and watch TV, and when he gets lost for days, he drugs himself. He had sale a lot of his belongings things and pawn some others. I gave him a digital camera last Christmas and he went to the pawn shop got cash and drug himself a month ago. He has been doing this since 1995.

How can we help, he has an appointment on Monday with Dr. Fernando Garcia and we do not know if Mario is going to be willing to go. My mom is the one who drives him. I do not believe that Mario tells Dr. Fernando Garcia that he has been mixing drugs and alcohol with his medications. My brother Mario needs help. I am not there to help him and my parents are tired and clueless on what to do. I would appreciate if you help our family. Thank you in advance for your prompt response

Your brother needs help with his drug abuse. Unfortunately, it is difficult, and probably not possible, to help him unless he acknowledges the problem and agrees to go for treatment. His throwing away his medications and threatening to stop them is provocative behavior and must be very painful for your parents and you. He needs to know that there is some limit to what your parents and you are willing to tolerate as acceptable behavior from him. This requires some discussion and the may require the help of a professional drug abuse counselor to decide how best to handle this difficult problem. It may be possible to help him, but he needs to be part of it and he needs to want help.