angrymissy
06-17-2002, 06:13 AM
This is going to get very long and complicated - that's the only way I can explain it, so if you don't care, don't read. But I would really appreciate everyone's advice.
I have an uncle named Jeff. He's 45, abusive and has not had a job for as long as I can remember. He has had a serious drug problem (heroin, cocaine, crack) for over 20 years. He also shows signs of having psychosis and hardcore obsessive compulsive disorder. He lives in a dream world where EVERYTHING he says is right. He's been arrested many times. He stole $10,000 from his brother 10 years ago. He stole all of my aunt's jewelry. All this time he's been living with my grandfather and grandmother. I lived there for a year when i was a teenager and he tried to attack me physically twice. He's gone after everyone in my family at one point. My grandmother enables him and says he's sick. He has brainwashed my grandmother over the past 10 years. She believes everything he says, and drives him down to the city to get "methadone" (I doubt its methadone, because he's been getting it for over 10 years) and buys him a six pack of beer EVERY MORNING. He turned my grandmother totally against my grandfather (a WWII Veteran who would do anything for his family). That's the background on my uncle.
Well, my grandparents recently bought the house they were renting for 20 years and soon found out they couldn't keep up with the mortgage and the taxes. They had to move out last weekend. It was rough on everyone. My aunt has a beautiful rental house upstate, and offered it to my grandparents for free. My grandfather is up there now, enjoying the fresh air and nice quiet retirement. But my grandmother wouldn't go. She got a 1-bedroom apartment with Jeff (the uncle). We were helping them move, and I went to put her boxes in the bedroom - when Jeff told me "NO that's my room put the boxes in the living room, that's where grandma is staying". He's making my grandmother (72 years old) sleep on the couch. It's totally sick. My grandmother told my cousin she'd like to move upstate and write a book, but can't because she won't leave Jeff. On Friday, Jeff attacked my uncle, threw a wheelbarrow at him, and punched his new truck so hard that he left a dent in it. My cousin told me that Jeff used to beat him in his room (when my cousin lived there), and that when my cousin was 14, Jeff would make him drive him to the city to pick up dope. My cousin is a pretty tough kid, but is terrified of Jeff. My grandfather is upset that my grandmother wouldn't go upstate with him, and is scared that Jeff is going to hurt her. The man is out of control. When I was 15 he threatened to kill me and chased me down the street with a bat.
The bottom line is, everyone in my family has ignored this. My cousin, sister, uncle and I want to act on it. At first ****** decided against that. Then we were going to try and get him arrested, but we think my grandmother will just spend all her money to get him out of jail. Then once he was out, he'd probably come after us.
My cousin and I have decided the best thing to do would be to try to have him committed. He's obviously insane, and it's compounded by his long-term drug addiction. We're afraid that he's going to put my grandmother in a dangerous situation and/or hurt her physically. I know that to be institutionalized, you have to prove that the person is a danger to himself or someone else. Can anyone help me figure out where to go from here? My cousin and I were going to go meet with someone at the hospital to discuss it, but we don't know where to start. My grandmother would try her best to not have him committed, but I have 5 people who can vouch that he's a danger. What do we need to do? This is literally tearing my family apart, and I need to do something soon. It broke my heart to see my grandfather alone in the new house (my aunt lives 5 minutes away from him now though so he'll be ok) I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone who managed to read this far :)
<img src="http://www.ihatecheese.net/
I have an uncle named Jeff. He's 45, abusive and has not had a job for as long as I can remember. He has had a serious drug problem (heroin, cocaine, crack) for over 20 years. He also shows signs of having psychosis and hardcore obsessive compulsive disorder. He lives in a dream world where EVERYTHING he says is right. He's been arrested many times. He stole $10,000 from his brother 10 years ago. He stole all of my aunt's jewelry. All this time he's been living with my grandfather and grandmother. I lived there for a year when i was a teenager and he tried to attack me physically twice. He's gone after everyone in my family at one point. My grandmother enables him and says he's sick. He has brainwashed my grandmother over the past 10 years. She believes everything he says, and drives him down to the city to get "methadone" (I doubt its methadone, because he's been getting it for over 10 years) and buys him a six pack of beer EVERY MORNING. He turned my grandmother totally against my grandfather (a WWII Veteran who would do anything for his family). That's the background on my uncle.
Well, my grandparents recently bought the house they were renting for 20 years and soon found out they couldn't keep up with the mortgage and the taxes. They had to move out last weekend. It was rough on everyone. My aunt has a beautiful rental house upstate, and offered it to my grandparents for free. My grandfather is up there now, enjoying the fresh air and nice quiet retirement. But my grandmother wouldn't go. She got a 1-bedroom apartment with Jeff (the uncle). We were helping them move, and I went to put her boxes in the bedroom - when Jeff told me "NO that's my room put the boxes in the living room, that's where grandma is staying". He's making my grandmother (72 years old) sleep on the couch. It's totally sick. My grandmother told my cousin she'd like to move upstate and write a book, but can't because she won't leave Jeff. On Friday, Jeff attacked my uncle, threw a wheelbarrow at him, and punched his new truck so hard that he left a dent in it. My cousin told me that Jeff used to beat him in his room (when my cousin lived there), and that when my cousin was 14, Jeff would make him drive him to the city to pick up dope. My cousin is a pretty tough kid, but is terrified of Jeff. My grandfather is upset that my grandmother wouldn't go upstate with him, and is scared that Jeff is going to hurt her. The man is out of control. When I was 15 he threatened to kill me and chased me down the street with a bat.
The bottom line is, everyone in my family has ignored this. My cousin, sister, uncle and I want to act on it. At first ****** decided against that. Then we were going to try and get him arrested, but we think my grandmother will just spend all her money to get him out of jail. Then once he was out, he'd probably come after us.
My cousin and I have decided the best thing to do would be to try to have him committed. He's obviously insane, and it's compounded by his long-term drug addiction. We're afraid that he's going to put my grandmother in a dangerous situation and/or hurt her physically. I know that to be institutionalized, you have to prove that the person is a danger to himself or someone else. Can anyone help me figure out where to go from here? My cousin and I were going to go meet with someone at the hospital to discuss it, but we don't know where to start. My grandmother would try her best to not have him committed, but I have 5 people who can vouch that he's a danger. What do we need to do? This is literally tearing my family apart, and I need to do something soon. It broke my heart to see my grandfather alone in the new house (my aunt lives 5 minutes away from him now though so he'll be ok) I'd appreciate any feedback from anyone who managed to read this far :)
<img src="http://www.ihatecheese.net/