Families & Friends Of Addicts Support Group
Addiction affects more than just the individual. This community is dedicated to the families and friends of individuals suffering from any form of addiction. Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and are enabled by family systems. Family members react to the addicted person with particular behavioral...
I think when it comes to having a sibling with an addiction you are basically damned if you do damned if you don't. You try to do the right thing...be supportive or back off if need be. Go to meetings and seek support. Try to do the best you can. My sister and brother are heroin addicts. My brother who had been clean for 5 years, hung out with my sister. She got him high he od'd a two weeks ago and the paramedics were able to bring him back to life. My father and step mom decided not to tell my other brother and I that this happened, yet we found out. I am speechless...I am numb and utterly helpless to what is happening. My addict sister said don't you have anything to say? I just said this needs to stop. I ended up miscarrying last week to top it off. I just don't know...but I think I am done with this.
My advice is to put yourself first. Let your sister/brother know you love them and are 100% with them if they are sober and otherwise you are done. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Everyone's boundaries that they need to set are different. For some, they only deal with the addict family member when the family is together, for others its never.
I went through a bit of both when dealing with my brother and his addiction. For me to have a happy life and raise my son, I had to step away from it and keep him and the enablers in my family far from me.
You need to choose what is best for you...but do set some boundaries. For your own well being, its important you are healthy!
Hugs to you and what you are dealing with.