Pinky has two cousins who are about the same age that Pinky is. All three of them have been druggies since their teenage years. In fact, Pinky's cousins were her "best friends" and they all used together.

Here's where things go into different directions.

The cousins' mother, "Barb," has always allowed her son and daughter to come home and live rent-free in between prison visits. Each time she claims that her kids have stopped doing drugs. Each time, her son and daughter rip her off -- stereos, cash, jewelry, you name it. They live at her home, steal her stuff, get caught, go back to jail, and the cycle repeats itself. "Barb" still believes that her kids are successfully fighting their addiction each time they get out of jail.

When Pinky was deep into her addiction, we all cut her off. Only one brother continued to give her money now and then. EVERYONE else turned their backs on her. We said that she would either die or straighten up. We'd had it. We were raising her kids -- we would do nothing else for her.

Pinky has in been in five rehabs, and so far she appears to have been straight for at least a year -- maybe two, with one slip last Christmas. Her cousins have never gone to rehab, NA, AA -- nothing.

Pinky tells us over and over again that if it hadn't been for the "tough love," she would probably have never tried sobriety again. She said because we refused to help her, she found herself all alone, hooking on the streets, with nowhere to go but dead.

She says that tough love may not have turned her cousins around. But she is absolutely sure that "Barb's" help is prolonging their addiction and other problems. Pinky is actually thankful that we were so tough on her, and even though she'll never be mature enough to raise her kids, at least she's straight for now and holding her own. Sort of :-)