Original Reddit post

I’m 21F and my little brother is 14. We live in different states, and I’m really worried about him. He’s become incredibly insecure about his appearance and has been sharing a lot of hopeless content. I think he’s lonely, has very low self-esteem, and I’m scared he’s heading down the red-pill/black-pill/looksmaxing pipeline because he’s looking for answers. I occasionally give him girl advice & buy him cool clothing he likes. He also goes to a PWI as a minority which adds another level. He’s very introverted and keeps everything to himself. I suspect he may be autistic (I’m autistic myself), so I know how isolating it can be to struggle socially and feel like something is “wrong” with you. I had a really difficult adolescence and never had someone I could turn to. He does have me, but I can’t seem to get him to open up. He has even said he wishes he had an older brother, and I wish I could fill that role somehow. So I wanted to ask: Men: What did you need most at 14 that the adults in your life didn’t give you? If you struggled with self-esteem or loneliness, what actually helped you thrive? If you had an older sister, what could she have done to help? Older siblings: What role should I be playing here? I don’t want to lecture him or control him. I just want him to know he’s worthy, that he isn’t ugly, and that I will always be someone he can come to. I love him so much, and I’m terrified of watching him become someone who hates himself because he believes that’s all he’s worth. Please, help me. submitted by /u/barelytheremodel

Originally posted by u/barelytheremodel on r/AskMen