by: Debbie Wicker

Your sister has a fatal disease that MUST be treated in order for her to survive. The three things she must do is: Detoxification, inpatient treatment for at least six months and join a 12 step program where she works the steps for the next 10 years.

You can help her immediately be attending Al-anon meetings yourself, working the steps and finding a sponsor with experience helping someone recover from drug addiction.

You should attend at a minimum three meetings a week and tell your sister what you’re doing and learning. Encourage her to also begin attending meeting even if she is still using. If you attend stats show that she will begin to attend meetings also.

Once she starts the recovery process keep going with her and encouraging her to work the 12 steps. Research has shown that steps will work if you work them.

If she is unwilling to begin her recovery you must not enable her addiction in any way. She MUST feel the full ramifications of her addiction including jail as a last resort.

Good Luck and I hope you can help your sister. Don’t give up on her, try to love her and hate the drug that is killing her.

by: Anonymous

Please never give up on an addict!!! They chose the drug/alcohol but they never chose to be an addict. There is always an answer to addiction if the addict wants it bad enough (believe you me this is coming from an alcoholic)

I have been clean after just a little over 6 years. My family begged and pleaded for me to stop, my children would cry for me to stop and I just couldn’t because I didn’t (at the time)want it, when I finally did it was horrible (withdrawal) for 3-4 days but I’ll tell you it was worth everything to me.

I’m watching my daughter go through a heroin addiction withdrawal and my heart was killing me. She hasn’t used since Wednesday (3 days and that is huge) very few people can understand addiction until they have gone through it.

I have a sister whose son was addicted to heroin and for the life of her she just couldn’t get it, and I’m sure she still doesn’t.

Enough on that, but my comment to you is to NEVER, NEVER give up, stand by her as if it were you trying to quit. Learn all you can so if she does ask a question you can guide her down the right path, but please don’t give up.