[kt7]

My sister moved in with me and my young family 6months ago. I was aware that she had PTSD and a drink problem, I just didn’t realise how bad the drink problem was. She has had severe problems with it since her early 20s she’s mid 30s now.

Before she moved in I spoke with her about her drinking, she assured me it had gotten bad as a result of the break up, she would often call me early on her days off, and be drunk, I told her this would be unacceptable in my house.

Over the time she’s lived with me I’ve had to make various requests about her drinking, mostly around my children. Due to the PTSD she would withdraw to her room and drink, on her days off, this would start early, it’s the weekend so my boys are in the house, when a I asked her to stop this she did for a while by going out all weekend, but I don’t think she could keep it up, plus the people she was meeting up with most likely didn’t want to start drinking at 10am. So she started lying to get access to her room. I had no issue with the withdrawal as that was a PTSD thing but I’d specifically asked her not to drink.It was then I decided to ask her to leave.

I am desperately trying to minimise the effects of her alcohol abuse on my children. If she stayed surely alcoholism would become a norm to them and my family would become dysfunctional. This has torn me in two but my kids come first. I just worry I’ve not given her enough opportunity to change, although in honesty I feel if I did give her more opportunity I was probably just delaying the inevitable.

She was never violent or abusive. She is unhappy staying with me, she’s told me this, I think it might even be making the problem worse.

Any thoughts on if I’ve been out of order would be appreciated. I feel like I’ve given up on her

Thanks for reading

[deedee]

You do have to think of your kids. Until she admits she has a problem and wants the help then she wont stop. Having an addict in the family is really hard but you need to look after yourself and your kids

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