How do I get it back to normal?

I’ve been debating whether to start a thread here or not, but here we go. (If there’s already a group discussion going on about this stuff, mod, please move this)

It’s about someone incredibly close to me. He’s an adult "man," but honestly? To me, he’s still just a little boy.
He’s always been trouble. Since he was a kid, it was nothing but bad behavior—cruelty to animals in early childhood (I actually know he killed one), stealing money from the house (though let’s be real, most of us have probably nicked something at some point), then moving on to phones and much bigger things. Disobedience, being a total jerk, you name it. He was physically punished for all of it, and half the time he was being blamed for stuff he didn't even do, which we found out later anyway.
Basically, he’s the family black sheep.

It’s not like we haven't tried talking to him. We’ve spent a million hours trying to get him to open up about his feelings, his thoughts, why he does what he does... but he just refuses to engage.

My parents have completely given up. They say there’s nothing they can do, that he won't listen to them and they're just lost.
I’m reaching my breaking point because I don’t even know how to show him a better way anymore.
He only finished middle school. He’s bounced between two jobs, working just a few days at each, because he can't stand people. He can't deal with anyone who is... whatever, I don't know.
He’s been smoking weed for ages. My parents used to be the type where they wouldn't even let you touch a cigarette, thinking it was basically the same as shooting up, but now they've just accepted that he smokes. They don't approve, but they've surrendered.
He dealt drugs too. I don't know exactly what, but I know he did. Maybe he still is.
He even "attempted" suicide over some girl once. He spent the night in a psych ward, but they didn't even officially admit him because they brushed it off as just a "momentary whim." They figured he was fine and didn't want to create hurdles for his future life.
Then he ended up in the hospital because of a cocktail of light drugs.

And after every single crash, he "wakes up" and swears he’s going to change. He claims he finally sees everything clearly now—how he lives, how he lacks the strength to stay away from it all.
He’ll even claim he’s going to convert his friends to the right path because he "sees" where it leads. This happens over and over again. It lasts maybe two days tops.
He’s converted to some religion, or maybe it's just some New Age nonsense; I can't tell because his interests shift every single day.
He lectures me about healthy living, love, justice, peace, happiness, and all this positive garbage, while he himself lives in total darkness. Mentally, he's checked out. He says he’s from a star—he read some article and decided that’s who he is—and he tries to convince me it's the absolute truth.
Look, I like the positivity he throws around (just not this obsessive version), because at his core, he isn't "dark." I know he can be a good person and achieve great things, but this drug stuff and all these stories about saving the world is just too much. He's unraveling at the seams and refusing to admit it.

He’s young, he’s smart, and he is incredibly naive. And I have no idea how to pull him back to reality. I suggested seeing a psychiatrist just to talk, but he shot me down. He says he doesn't need it—why would he see someone who's just going to slap a fake diagnosis on him and pump him full of pills? He thinks he’s "saved." He’s happy, and he doesn't want anything to change.

I don't know if I'm overreacting or what, but this feels wrong.
What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do? We’ve talked about this a thousand times. It’s always the same: "Yeah, yeah, you're right, I won't do it again, now that you mention it, I see it..." He's just saying whatever it takes to get me off his back. I don't know. I'm not smart enough for this. 😢

Look, if he’s an adult and he just refuses to listen—well, there isn't much you can do about it at this stage. You're stuck. The only move left is to grab onto those few fleeting moments when he actually shows some motivation and immediately pivot into starting something positive together. It really doesn't matter right now whether he thinks he's some kind of messiah who just descended from the heavens to save the world. I've read plenty of stuff on that specific brand of delusion, so I get where he's coming from. Honestly? He needs some kind of positive momentum in his life, and if this helps nudge him toward a better path, then it's a win for him.

Man, he’s just one of those highly imaginative types—an atypical personality that shifts around like a flickering flame, constantly needing to find itself in all sorts of different scenarios.
So you mentioned he went to a psychiatrist and they didn't really pin anything down? Honestly, it sounds to me like he’s dealing with some serious identity fragmentation issues. If you want to get through to him, maybe try steering him toward a psychotherapist, but you gotta frame it right—maybe lean into that whole New Age vibe, like he’s "visiting from another star" or something, and suggest hypnosis. I don't know, just give it a shot; there’s always a way in. You basically have to learn how to inhabit his headspace. Also, that constant smoking is a bit sketch—if he's hitting the weed too hard on top of that pseudo-spiritual persona, he might end up drifting too far into his own head, totally lost in his subconscious. If he keeps going down that path, he could easily spiral into believing in prophecies or destiny and just... vanish into himself. On the flip side, that energy could potentially be channeled into something darker, like occultism—which is pretty heavy stuff, but hey, there's always a way to help. Come up with a strategy. Be the catalyst for his parents to step up.

A textbook case of poor parenting. Seriously, how can you possibly claim he’s a good person? Just because he says so?
Character is defined by actions, not by endless clucking and noise. Unfortunately, his track record speaks volumes—it always has, and it always will, at this exact same pace. Nothing is going to change.
He isn't responsible for the root cause, but he is absolutely responsible for the consequences of everything that follows. He knows exactly what kind of nonsense he's pulling, and of course—if we actually believe in justice—it's high time he pays for his mistakes. Someone else has already paid enough for him.
There aren't any mental health issues here; it’s simply a total lack of self-respect.
By failing to raise him properly, his parents have unintentionally dumped a massive burden on their own shoulders, not to mention the crushing guilt.
The man just doesn't know how to process emotions. He wants to, truly, but he lacks the tools. He misinterprets what real life is like because he constantly compares it to his own narrow reality, which hasn't budged an inch.
You’ll pour all your strength and energy into him, and what will you get in return? Not success—just a disaster and a series of inappropriate, volatile reactions. He's impulsive; he doesn't think even seven minutes ahead. He doesn't care to.
It's unfortunate, as harsh as that sounds.
What exactly are we supposed to be treating when there isn't even a disease to begin with?!

He just spent the night at the psychiatric ward to let his nerves settle down. Honestly, I’m not even sure how deep the doctor actually went with him during the evaluation; otherwise, you’d think they would have slapped him with at least some kind of "temporary" disorder diagnosis. Which makes zero sense to me, considering he actually attempted suicide.🤷

I don't see how I'm going to get him to see a therapist if he refuses to admit there's even a problem.

Maybe I didn't explain myself right. It's not like he has an issue expressing emotions in general. It's not that he's cold or distant or anything. He just flat-out refuses to talk about these specific issues because he won't even acknowledge they exist—and to him, we're all just being annoying and exhausting.
He loves talking about his little theories and visions (read: 😳whatever nonsense he picked up on some internet forum), but listening to him just leaves me feeling depressed. And it's not because of some superstitious crap or because certain descriptions happen to fit and make him feel like he's "special" or "destined to save the world." It's because he genuinely, truly believes this stuff. Maybe I'm the crazy one, but this doesn't seem normal to me at all.🤷

I haven't seen him in a while, so I have no clue what stage he's in right now. I'll try bringing up the psychologist thing again, but I seriously doubt it'll work.😢

Thanks for the replies.

Look, it’s not even about some weird superstition thing or matching up descriptions—like he thinks he’s somehow "destined" or chosen by the stars to be the next big hero or save the world or whatever with . It’s just that he actually, genuinely believes it. Maybe I'm just losing my mind here, but honestly? That doesn't strike me as totally sane.

Man, this is getting pretty heavy if he’s being for real about this. Like, maybe it's just a passing phase—kind of a daydreaming thing or half-joking around—but if he truly, deeply believes this stuff? Then we’re looking at a psychological situation that needs some actual thought. Seriously, just try to reconnect with him and get a better read on where his head is at... otherwise, nobody can really tell you what's going on.

Here I am again.😢

Things have hit rock bottom. And honestly? That’s an understatement.
Basically, shortly after my last post, he was at the psychiatrist with his dad.
His dad was laying out all the facts, but he just denied everything, accusing his old man of lying through his teeth.
The doctor actually said the kid is perfectly sane and sharp.😕

Now, things are a complete disaster. We've officially crossed the line into pure madness.
He thinks he's God. He's a healer, a leader, a powerhouse—he thinks he controls the entire universe and that everything happens only because he allows it.
He claims we aren't even blood relatives anymore; he says he's just trapped in a shell he chose, just like me and everyone else. To him, his name doesn't matter—he is just "I."
He hears these voices... these different versions of "I"... the good ones, the bad ones, the "earthly" ones...
I get completely lost trying to follow his train of thought. It's impossible to make sense of the pattern because it’s just a chaotic, disconnected mess. It's bad. Really bad.

Sometimes I wish he was just being incredibly lazy and parasitic, you know? Like, someone who offers nothing to anyone and just sucks everyone dry—from their energy to their money.
But unfortunately, one look at his eyes and his movements tells me his mind is totally unhinged.
He claims he has schizophrenia. And I believe him. But he refuses to see a doctor because he keeps quoting that he feels "too good and too happy."
He won't take responsibility for his actions either. It's not him; it's the devil sitting on his left shoulder—that other "I." It scares the hell out of me because he's capable of anything.

Please, is there ANY way to force him to go to a doctor??