My family needs advice re: our schizophrenic/manic/depressive brother
We are currently seeking advice from the VA medical center at American Lake Washington but frankly we just don't know what questions to be asking.
My brother Jeff served in the Navy for two years, 77 thru 79 I think, but definitely NOT during war time. While in service he had a surgery done to his nose and almost immediately came down with scarlet fever type symptoms. He describes how he had a fever OVER 109 degrees sustained, that the doctor told him it likely caused brain damage. He further describes how his skin all peeled off, that he was force fed intravenously and had to sleep on a bed of cold water. A few months after he recovered from this he was mysteriously discharged from the navy for "Other Good And Sufficient Reasons When Determined By The Secretary Of The Navy", a discharge that we think is of the Under Honorable Conditions variety.
Since his discharge my brother's mental state has deteriorated to a point that those who spend any time with him can easily see that he has little grasp of reality. He claims that he is 'Space', that he is 135 billion years old, that there are "decoherent beings" in a constant dialog with him (that won't shut up), that he wants to go home, (um...your guess where home is is as good as mine here). Furthermore he wears leg wraps made of sticks, wires, empty butane lighters and dead batteries. Around his neck he wears a typical household smoke detector which has fastened to it bits of glass, more empty cigarette lighters, bits of rocks and other whatnots. His yard is equally bizarre, which annoys the hell out of his neighbors, and rocks, trees, sticks and bits of glass all talk to him. That's my brother, we tell folks that Jeff sees life in a way nobody else I know of has access to.
It seems likely to me that the Scarlet Fever triggered all of this. Jeff's doctors at the VA acknowledge that he is schizophrenic but they won't go any further than to prescribe him medications that Jeff utterly refuses to take. Jeff claims that these doctors can not treat him for being 'telepathic', that treating him for schizophrenia is a waste of everyone's time. His doctors are now threatening to withhold any further meds from him, they want him instead to report in for shots but my brother refuses this too.
At this point we are considering taking Jeff to civilian doctors because we feel that the VA may be unable or possibly unwilling to help.
The advice we seek:
Is there any way we can get help upgrading Jeff's mysterious discharge to a medical one and if so would it grant him any additional medical disability benefits? IMHO Jeff should be institutionalized or at the very least our government should be helping us take care of him. We have his medical records, sketchy as they are they do confirm much of Jeff's story. That said, we can not find out why Jeff was discharged from the Navy, nor does he have any idea why it happened. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I have no idea about the VA angle on this and his benefits.
Generally, in the public healthcare system, you cannot force treatment unless he a danger to himself or others.
I hope someone here can get you the answers.
I work at the VA. we do everything we can to help our Vets 
All I can suggest is getting in touch with an organization called The National Alliance for Mental Health or NAMI. This is a grassroots organization made up of people who are dealing with family members with mental illness. My daughter has been diagnosed with major depression and I started going to Nami support groups in October of last year. It has been an enormous help. Just to know that you're not alone is an enormous help. Was your brother in his twenties when he first became ill? I ask because that's the usual age of onset for schizophrenia. My mother was schizo--affective, schizophrenic with a side of bipolar, so I know that they can be very resistant to treatment. My mother denied she had any problems. It was everyone else. Toward the end of her life she was convinced the government was trying to take her house.
Some caregivers in my group have had good results with the shots for their family members. Maybe you could tell him they're vaccinations or something. It's very difficult to deal with I know and not enough help out there. We should be ashamed that we don't do better by our veterans.
As for Jeff's service separation, a letter signed by him and sent to his service branch inquiring about the basis for his discharge is the best bet, but be prepared because that kind of discharge is likely based on negative reports about him..
I really feel for you and your family in this position. But I'm impressed by what you and your brother are doing for Jeff. Best of luck to you.