by: Debbie Wicker

Dear Mallory,

Having a sister addicted to heroin is a tragic and dangerous problem. Tragic because you love your sister and want more than anything in the world to help her. But dangerous because a heroin addict will do ANYTHING to get the heroin their body is now craving.

Drug addiction changes people and makes it IMPOSSIBLE to trust them. Because you sister is using again, you will not be able to trust anything she says. She will tell you she isn’t using and she will be lying. Because you can’t drug test her, you will have no way to know what’s happening. Sadly, you are in a no-win situation with your sister as it relates to living with her. No one can or should live with a heroin addict.

So your immediate problem is you need to get your sister off of your lease or move out. It sounds harsh but heroin addiction is very harsh. Trying to discuss it or reason with your sister is, in my opinion, a complete waste of time. Addicts are incapable of telling anyone the truth.

So your first step is to stop living with your sister immediately. Once you are living separately, then I would recommend an intervention that involves your entire family. Work with a treatment center (call your doctor or local ER for a recommendation) and enlist their help to plan and execute the intervention. Do everything they say and get your sister into treatment where they can drug test her to determine if she is using or not.

It’s hard to believe but many people don’t know that heroin addiction is a fatal disease, so you truly must help your sister but you can’t do it while your living with her. She will steal from you, ruin your credit, and bring other addicts and drug dealers into your home. Allowing her to live with you is only ENABLING her addiction. She must feel the most severe consequences as quickly as possible in order to save her life.

Join Al-anon and they can give you local support so you can understand and process what I’m saying. If this woman wasn’t your sister and you found out she was a heroin addict would you continue to live with her?

Good Luck and I hope you and your sister get the help and support you need.

Debbie