OP did not allude to it, but many other posters have brought up drugs and alcohol.
I don't want to be a public service announcement on a Pontiac forum but I encourage anyone that thinks a drug or alcohol problem is a choice to seek medical help before assuming.
Mental illnesses often surface in late teens and are commonly "self-medicated", especially in men. Expecting anyone with an illness to have the ability to make good decisions is foolish. Saying "they need to want help" is true but those with severe illnesses may simply be incapable of it. Expecting someone who has no insight into their own illness to seek treatment can be unrealistic.
Unfortunately, even knowing someone has a mental illness does not allow a parent nor the courts to easily force them into treatment. The resources are too scarce and the "freedom to be ill" is often the law. Unless someone is threatening suicide or harm to others, it is difficult for the courts to hold them longer than 72 hrs. This may be enough time to get them sober or off drugs but not even close to what it takes to diagnose an illness, let alone treat it effectively.
The result is jails filled with people that need to be in psych hospitals that don't exist and streets filled with people who are gravely disabled and incapable of taking care of themselves. Lots of sad endings.
If there is any question at all, find a local chapter of NAMI, seek help for yourself and family, get educated, and be cautious about assuming others are capable of making a change.
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