After my parents divorced, my younger brother was diagnosed with clinical depression and moved out of the house. He stayed rarely in contact with anyone from our large family. In 2016, he played guitar at my wedding and that was one of the last times I ever spoke to him. He cut off contact with everyone except my father. He never responded to any messages, not even when he became an uncle.

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I noticed on Facebook that he gained a lot of weight and joined a stand-up comedy group that toured across America. He would only visit my father on holidays. When my father passed away this year, he finally replied to one of my emails, took my father's ashes and ghosted me again. So we spoke once in six years.

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I do not understand a lot about depression but I want to learn more and be able to sympathize with his situation. I cannot understand why he won't talk to anyone in the family. Is he happy with what he is doing now? How do depressed people find happiness in their lives? I don't think he wants my help, but I'd still like to be prepared if he one day decides to renew our connection.

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Does anyone who knows about depression have an idea as to why he would cut off communication with our entire family and start a new life somewhere else? It probably had to do with the divorce, but since he hasn't spoken to me, I really can only guess.