thanks for the responses, I was stressing quite a bit before.

I just saw him recently djing for a show and he seems very grateful that I actually am taking an interest in helping him with his condition (unlike his other 'friends', who he meets through the nightclub he works in, who don't seem to know what being a good friend entails.)

I myself have had to go through treatment for a bout of mental illness back in the day, so he does seem to really appreciate the fact that I understand how frustrating treatment can be and how hard mental illness is on your self-esteem. He recognises that he needs help. How long it will be before he'd be willing to try meds again is a whole other story, however.

But if his case goes to court, and his disorder is recognised, they'll probably make him take meds anyway. I just really hope it's not coercive this time around, as opposed to when he was too young to understand what all the meds were about. Nothing ruins compliance more than when doctors prescribe things and then don't listen to how the patient is reacting, or adjust dosages accordingly.

Does anyone have any advice for how to get someone to open up to meds, and or how to reduce side effects? He says that stuff like Ritalin and Cylert made him feel so twitchy and 'cracked out'...

M