[bex]

My brother has come to me today and opened up saying that he has a drug and alcohol addiction, along with an eating disorder.

He has battled with drugs and booze on and off since he was 19. He is now in his mid 30s.

I told him that I am so proud of him to recognise that he has a problem (after many years of denial). We also talked about the eating disorder and he is so greatful that he could talk to me. He hates that he is putting our parents through all of this and wants to be “normal”.

He is drinking every day in our parents home where he lives and started to not show up to work. He has an appointment booked for January to see someone which is the first step but we are worried that he might not see it through. It is the earliest appointment that they could give.

I told him that I understand that he won’t be able to just stop drinking and it will be a long road to recovery but try to limit how many beers you have a night could be a start? I don’t know!

Unfortunately he’s just drinking and drinking, cocaine as well. He says he knows he’s to blame but I told him he is not. It’s an addiction that is taking over, it is an illness.

I went onto AA chat online, and asked a recovering alcoholic, would it be OK to put an alcohol ban on my house this Christmas for when our bubble visits or is this the wrong way to deal with things? She said from experience shielding an alcoholic away from temptation does not work. He wants to bring beers over but wants to stop all of his habits. So I don’t know how we can help?

I don’t know what to do to help! I have sent him the link for the AA chat in hope that he can talk to other people to relate to.

He has an addictive personality but don’t understand the root cause of it all.

I’m worried that he isn’t going to live long with the abuse he’s doing to himself.

Can anyone help with how their families are coping with a similar situation? How do we help him?

Thank you x

[debc]

Hi Bex,

Welcome to the Forum, it’s a great place to share your story and hopefully find some good advice and know that you are in a place with many people in the same situation.

My Son is an addict, alcohol and cocaine, he is doing ok at the moment, but I have lived with his addiction for over 10 years, it is very draining and like living in hell sometimes.

Your Brother could join Zoom meetings on line, AA, CA both do lots of meetings, do you think he would do this? Has he tried stopping drinking? The drink is usually the trigger for the cocaine, which is an evil drug.

He obviously wants to try and give up because he reached out to you, which is really good, hopefully he will try for both your sakes.

Read other stories on here, keep in touch on here.

Take care.

Dx

[Author]

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