Brad Watts

So on one hand, yes, you do ultimately have to let him figure this out on his own, in his own time, if and when he's ready. On the other hand, because his decisions and mental health are affecting you and other people in his life, it's absolutely fair and appropriate to speak up and to try to help him. So the answer to your question is more art than science, more process than solution.

I think you need to keep building lots of trust and rapport with your brother if you aren't already. I think you need to make him feel understood by you, empathized with, not in a performative way, and it sounds to me like you do have some genuine empathy for him, even when he drives you a little nuts, and it's important that he feels that.

I think you need to keep building lots of trust and rapport with your brother if you aren't already. I think you need to make him feel understood by you, empathized with, not in a performative way, and it sounds to me like you do have some genuine empathy for him, even when he drives you a little nuts, and it's important that he feels that.

I think you need to keep building lots of trust and rapport with your brother if you aren't already. I think you need to make him feel understood by you, empathized with, not in a performative way, and it sounds to me like you do have some genuine empathy for him, even when he drives you a little nuts, and it's important that he feels that.

And I think you need to invite him to talk about where he is these days, not just the circumstances of his life, but the feelings that come with it and his overall worldview. Because what you're up against with your brother, oh, it's a lot of things. You're right. He's probably depressed, which might be the result of losing your mom. It might even predate your mom.

And I think you need to invite him to talk about where he is these days, not just the circumstances of his life, but the feelings that come with it and his overall worldview. Because what you're up against with your brother, oh, it's a lot of things. You're right. He's probably depressed, which might be the result of losing your mom. It might even predate your mom.

And I think you need to invite him to talk about where he is these days, not just the circumstances of his life, but the feelings that come with it and his overall worldview. Because what you're up against with your brother, oh, it's a lot of things. You're right. He's probably depressed, which might be the result of losing your mom. It might even predate your mom.

He's grieving your mom, which is probably contributing to the depression, or maybe the depression is a response to the feelings that the grief is bringing up. It also sounds like their relationship was complicated. You kind of mentioned enmeshment. There's a whole other layer. to your brother.

He's grieving your mom, which is probably contributing to the depression, or maybe the depression is a response to the feelings that the grief is bringing up. It also sounds like their relationship was complicated. You kind of mentioned enmeshment. There's a whole other layer. to your brother.

He's grieving your mom, which is probably contributing to the depression, or maybe the depression is a response to the feelings that the grief is bringing up. It also sounds like their relationship was complicated. You kind of mentioned enmeshment. There's a whole other layer. to your brother.

which I think there's probably so much more to know about that. I'm sure there's an aspect of that that's self-protection. There's also probably a lot of fear. There's anger. There's cynicism.

which I think there's probably so much more to know about that. I'm sure there's an aspect of that that's self-protection. There's also probably a lot of fear. There's anger. There's cynicism.

which I think there's probably so much more to know about that. I'm sure there's an aspect of that that's self-protection. There's also probably a lot of fear. There's anger. There's cynicism.

He might also be so wounded by what happened with those executives, and understandably so, that he's just not even about risking that happening again, which, okay, super unlikely to happen again, but more just going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, being vulnerable to people and systems that have the potential to hurt you again. I get it.

He might also be so wounded by what happened with those executives, and understandably so, that he's just not even about risking that happening again, which, okay, super unlikely to happen again, but more just going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, being vulnerable to people and systems that have the potential to hurt you again. I get it.

He might also be so wounded by what happened with those executives, and understandably so, that he's just not even about risking that happening again, which, okay, super unlikely to happen again, but more just going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak, being vulnerable to people and systems that have the potential to hurt you again. I get it.

Exactly. She's really up against his nihilism here.

Exactly. She's really up against his nihilism here.

Exactly. She's really up against his nihilism here.

Right, that sounds a lot like, oh man, what is the word for that?