My family is going through a difficult time, as my brother-in-law at 58 years old is a meth head. He was once a multi-millionaire but now a broke,brain fried, toothless, scabby drug addict that you would not recognize who is has been in jail at least 4 times in the last few years. He has now moved close to my 87-year-old mother in law who lives in a semi -retirement community.

She is a true codependent who will never change at her age. She continues to protect and make excuses for him and continues to give him money. Probably more than we know about. He also works at this community doing errands for elderly people. I am sure he is somehow stealing off them but we cannot prove it.

At 62 and I do not want to deal with drugs and drama but we feel as though we need to protect her and her community from him. Has anyone else dealt with a meth head in their family? Did the same happening to you? What are your thoughts for options on dealing with this family crises? We have tried to get him in a rehab program but he will not go.

I can only offer prayers....hope things work out

My family took in my wife/s nephew once. He was about 19-20 and on cocaine. We helped him get his GED, and took him to meetings of all types; I spent a lot of time with him and taught him some things a 10-year-old should have known how to do. He stole from me. Lost every job we ever got for him and was finally arrested His mom came for him. He continued downhill and went to prison twice I think. He is now in his late 30s and has only ever worked in restaurant kitchens. He lives with his mom and does a few chores. He has no income, no ambition, and no future. He has a kid out of wedlock and can't support it.

I feel sorry for families who have loved ones who are controlled by drug habits. I will send prayers for your family.

Sorry. I tried and failed. The drug addict and the enabler would have to be split up. This scenario is hard on all. I offer my prayers for you and yours. Maybe you could get a pastor or yourself to offer him the Lord's hand. This type of addiction needs Divine intervention. Take care

I know the feeling.Wife oldest son and her brother are both on meth and heroin.

No matter how much you care, some people are just jackasses. Forgive me if this is bluntly put, but I learned never try to teach a pig how to sing, . . . it wastes your time . . . and it annoys the out of the pig.

I've lost a couple friends a cousin and a brother inlaw and 99.9% was from family enablers. And you can plan on him never changing and I'll bet the Bank he's steeling more then you can think of. Hate to say it but it seems a overdose is the only resting outcome.

The truth.

Sad Truth

It's the people around them that are hurting.

Sometimes ya just gotta let them go for your own mental and physical wellness.

Sure wished the wife could.

Have experience with this and it's not pretty, like been mentioned.
Had a close friend who was an addict, could not talk to him about anything that was to fix or straighten him out, he stole, lied, begged and was physical to get his fix.

He used every connection for a dollar there was to get a fix, he enabled by friends, his family and any one who felt sorry for him and they were taken for more than they ever expected they could be.

He passed of an over dose one day and was found several days later, not a pretty way to end or be found.

You should prepare to be taken advantage of, lied to, begged from, threatened, stole from and more, if you show any type of care for him he will take advantage of it for some sort of return in dollars, family does not make good caregivers of addicts, it takes people with have no connection with them, can't be emotionally tied to them, and are there for only one purpose thats to straighten them out, usually a very low turn over.

I can tell you one thing though, no addict can overcome this addiction with out truly hitting the bottom of life as they see it, not until then can they have a chance of being clean, they have to accept this is the end and they wish to live, some choose to live, others can't decide and pass away, and sometimes it only takes a second for them to relapse.
I wish you Gods blessing for understanding things that you will learn to regret trying to help !

I would do what I could to get him busted and sent to prison. It would save his life and the family.

Good idea but the Prison don't want them.They just let them back out.

Finster,, it may save the family, it won't save him unless the holding area has a very strict and regimented control in place, seen it more than once since my friend passed !

That would not solve the problem. It is sometimes better to allow the Tiger to run the full length of it’s chain and stop itself, rather than stop it short and have the passion continue.

It continues anyways.They get the stuff in prison and out.

Bruce T, did you miss the point?

Prison does drug testing and if you test positive, you get another charge and usually sent to a higher security. eventually, he will have no choice but to be clean or at least clean most of the time. Enough time for reflection. It may help him, it may not. However, this isn't really about him, it's about the people he affects. With him in prison, the rest of the family can live their lives. That's what it's about. He made his choices in life, no need for the family to pay.