Possessive And Protective Little Brother.
I have a little brother who is younger than me by 2 years. We were originallly very close as kids I remember running around with him on adventures and what not and kissing cheeks and holding hands.
Recently though he has gotten very possessive and protective of me. He won't let me go outside of the house by myself, even if it's just retrieving mail from the mailbox, and he has serious issues with me talking to other people in general, not to mention guys. He also had a serious fight with my boyfriend which ended up in violence, pain, tears and broken hearts.
When I try to confront him about this and ask for privacy, he breaks down crying, and I just can't bear to see him cry. He sometimes ask if he can sleep in my room because he feels insecure and scared and fears that his nightmares will keep him awake the whole night if he sleeps by himself. Reluctanly, I let him sleep in my room. But I want him to be more independent and all, seeing that I won't always be with my little brother.
Is this normal between siblings? How can I possibly get my little brother to be less attached and more independent?