My mother (son, aunt, brother) has a bad drug problem. What can I do?

It's hard to be worried about someone you love. Everyone has an opinion about what you should do. You've been told to practice "tough love", to withdraw support until he or she "hits bottom". But that just doesn't seem right. You don't want to go along with his or her drinking or drug use, but you don't want to abandon your loved one either.

Maybe you have been silently watching and worrying, afraid to confront your mother, brother, or child for fear of their reaction. If so, a conversation - not when you are angry or upset and not when they are too high - is probably a good place to start. Express concern and ask them to talk about their use so you can understand it better. Wait a while to give your viewpoint. You want to open up the conversation, not shut it down.

Or, maybe you've had more talks than you can count and still can't get through to them.  You're not on the same page. You're getting pretty angry, frustrated and about to give up. You've been looking into doing an "intervention", forcing your loved one to go to "rehab".

Wait! Let us help you figure out the best approach to take. Interventions can cause a great deal of harm to the relationship and don't necessarily lead to lasting change. We can help you think it through, we can meet with you all together, and we help you prioritize and make decisions.