When I was 11 and my little brother was 9 we were pretty much on our own. We had to figure out how to get food, shelter and all the normal stuff a kid needs. We were close for a few years. I tried to protect him and he tried to protect me. I think when you go through trauma together, you get pulled closer together—it forms a real bond. I can understand the struggle of watching somebody you care about have a tough time. My little brother has pretty much gone over the deep end—he never recovered from our traumatic childhood. I feel for him and it is difficult to think about everything he is going through…I wish I could have done something to change his life.

I don’t have any real answers for you…I hope you know you are not alone. Watching a little brother suffer is difficult.