by R.L Hanlon

Created on: November 03, 2007

We all have read how recreational drugs effect the person who is using, but how about how it effects the family of the user.

My brother is a drug addict. Has been using recreational drugs from his early teens, and has battled with his worst poison heroin for the past ten years. My brother is an addict.
And it has torn our family apart. We each have our different views on his addiction, we have each had a hand in his addiction, but worst of all we've had to live with the addiction.

My brother and I were born into a family that had three other half brothers and sisters too. We never wanted for anything as we grew up, we went on international holidays, had the best of everything, attended private schools, lived in nice houses and drove in luxury vehicles.
But out of the five of us, my brother just went off the rails.

My mother holds a lot of guilt, thinking whether she should have done this or whether she should of done that another way. She supplied him with a childhood that others would have been craved. But there was something missing, he was always the odd one out.

I have enabled him for about nine years of this decade long addiction. I have given him shelter when he needed it, food when there was none. Support throughout holidays when he may be feeling left out. I put up with abusive messages left on my phone. I gave him a bed to sleep in, support in his work endeavors. Rescued him from absolute squalor. I attended his detox program with him, searching one out and paying for the entrance fee to get into the program. I gave him money to purchase the methadone. Was the only family member to visit him when he spent six months in a rehabilitation centre. Every weekend.

My older brother was there for him too. Took him to hospital when he had a psychotic episode. Fed him meals when he was hungry. Gave him money when he asked.

My oldest sister lives in another state and has her own problems to deal with, she kept her distance, nodding her head when I wanted to vent my spleen.

My other sister took him out and got him drunk after his rehab stint. She then gave him a room at her house as I had wiped my hands of it.
He is still an addict.

My mother still tries to make me talk to him each time I talk to her. He tries to contact me at times he feels lonely, or times he needs something. My brother still gives him meals.

I tried in vain to make us work against the addiction together as a family. But was let down at every corner I turned as my family are still enabling him.
Now I have been ostracized from my family due to not helping my brother.

Family politics. My brother is twenty seven years old. He is an adult.
As long as the rest of my family keep enabling him, this will continue until he dies. And I have no doubt in my mind, that I will feel awfully guilty when that day happens, and my family will also make me feel guilty.

Drug addiction effects everybody, it is like the ebb and flow of the tide, keeps rolling and making waves.

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