What to do with a drug addict

LabR@t

LabR@t

LabR@t

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My brother had been fleecing money out of my mum we have just found out. 30k so far he's had of her, she has spent her life savings and more. She is due to retire in a couple of years. We confronted her and she said she would stop funding him. She hasn't and he is threatening suicide all the time unless she hands over more money.

What do I do, give him a kicking? It will make me feel better, but wont stop it will it?

Anyone had to deal with similar?
It's making her Ill but she won't listen to me, she thinks she can/is helping him.
 
Tough one but mum first and work with brother to get proper help is all I have.

If he won't help himself, protect mum and if needs be, get social services or police involved if he is becoming a menace.
 
LabR@t said:
Heroin, crack, cocaibe as far as I know.

I have no time for him, it's mum I am worried
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The solution is to get him help, regardless of how loathsome he has become. He won't stop getting money from your Mum or kick the habit on his own and your Mum will likely never stop helping him score.

This comes from first hand experience.
 
Addiction is a terrible thing. Get him on-board and get him help; forcibly or otherwise. If he rejects; cut ties. It’s harsh and cold but life is short, whether they’re blood or otherwise. Coach your mother, bluntly if needs be.

The drugs aspect is somewhat irrelevant; addiction blights all it touches.
 
Your mum is doing more harm than good to be honest and she needs to see that.
I feel sorry for OP and their mum but the brother sounds like a real idiot. I mean sucked away all that money and threatens suicide to get more? Have they no shame, consideration for their mum?I realise drug addicts are run by the addiction but for gawd's sake. If he was serious about suicide probably would have done it by now.
Put them on a guilt trip, push them as far as they'll go and this will sounds like a movie but make them choose life not death. You and your mum need to focus on getting them professional help, not a drip feed of money.
With drug addition comes with a self-imposed risk to life. harsh but mum needs to realise her son is half-dead already - getting out of the addiction is the only way.
I wish you all well with the situation, including your brother.
 
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LabR@t said:
My brother had been fleecing money out of my mum we have just found out. 30k so far he's had of her, she has spent her life savings and more. She is due to retire in a couple of years. We confronted her and she said she would stop funding him. She hasn't and he is threatening suicide all the time unless she hands over more money.

What do I do, give him a kicking? It will make me feel better, but wont stop it will it?

Anyone had to deal with similar?
It's making her Ill but she won't listen to me, she thinks she can/is helping him.
Click to expand...


I've not dealt with anything like that personally, however I have had friends who were drug addicts. Both used to steal from friends and family to fund their heroin habit. One of them got clean after a family intervention, but soon returned to his old habits. Ultimately, an addict has to want to get clean. If there's even a modicum of reservation, it's just not going to happen; at least not on a permantant basis. Both are now deceased, and as morbid as it may seem, there was an element of relief expressed by both families.
 
Get your mum to talk to someone too unless you have a way with words. No matter how much you try some people just can't see that they're being taken advantage of and if you try to point this out you can really ruin your relationship with them.

Not sure about your local area, but there's tonnes of services for mental health, addiction, carers etc etc. It's usually best to safeguard the people around an addict first, then try and get them to seek help, it's a long and slow process and you need to be very level headed and patient to get them to start helping themselves. If you're the only one trying to help maybe speak to someone yourself cause it can take it's toll on you.
 
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