Hi there,
Thank you for contacting me. I can tell that youre feeling responsible for helping your cousin to stop taking drugs. It can be difficult to help someone who is so far away from us and sometimes this can make us feel very worried, as you describe. Whats happening isnt your fault and it might not be possible for your cousin to stop without getting support from professionals or adults. How do you think youd feel about telling a trusted family member?
If you wanted to suggest to your cousin about getting help for himself, he and his friends or family could take a look at Drug Free. This is an organisation for people in America only. When someone we care about lives abroad it can be important to stay in touch and there are many ways to do this, like email. Regular contact and support can also be important at a time like this.
If youd like more information about drugs, theres a UK website called talk to Frank which has lots of information and advice about drugs as well as support for people using them and their families who are worried about it. There is also helpful information on the ChildLine website about drugs.
This sounds like a difficult time for you both and if you feel as though youd like to talk about it a bit more, youre always welcome to talk to a ChildLine counsellor through our 1-2-1 chat or by sending an email.
Thanks for getting in touch.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
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.
