I'm here because I have a problem the thing is I was almost 100% recovered from my depression anxiety and depersonalization and Derealization then I had some good news about my mum who has beaten cancer and some bad news about my brother he is a drug addict he's been in hospital twice and we had to move him out to help him and us as we thought a fresh start would help him turns out he is still on drugs as he ordered opiate drugs off the internet to his new home/work and honestly I'm angry I thought it was all over I'm sick of keep having to rebuild myself honestly I am really starting to lose hope him doing all this made mum in in the first place the fact that his carrying on is tearing me up the last thing I want is my parents in pain they have been through so much and quite frankly so have I I honestly don't know what to do I feel like all of my problems are just coming back I don't have the strength anymore
Sam
Hi there,
Having a family member with a drug addiction is really difficult. It can be tough to know what to do to help them. Its important to remember than it's not your fault that hes not getting better. Your brother is the only person who can decide he wants to change. And he has to take responsibility for his own actions. Its normal to feel angry at him as this is placing a lot of stress on you and your family.
I can understand how difficult it is to keep rebuilding yourself, for something to happen which makes it feel like your problems are coming back. Youve put a lot of work into helping yourself to recover, and this is something to be proud of. Its also great to hear that your mum has beaten cancer.
Talking about our problems with someone we trust often helps. It sounds like you care a lot about your parents. You could speak to them about how much this is affecting you. By doing this you will be getting support from people who care about you and understand the situation. That way you can support each other which may help you to cope.
You said you had some mental health issues, depression anxiety and depersonalisation and derealisation. If you have support for this from someone like a counsellor it would be good to let them know what is going on with your brother. This will let the counsellor know how best to help you. If you havent had any support from a counsellor, it may be a good idea to speak to your doctor so you can get some help.
Youve got a lot going on, so Id encourage you to take some time for yourself and do things which you enjoy. This will help you to relax and distract you for a while. You can always speak to a ChildLine counsellor for support. You don't have to deal with things on your own, they are here for you.
Take care, Sam
Need help straight away?
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
Ask me a question
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
