My mother keeps helping her 2 male cousins ages 40 and 42.They are alcoholics and have been on drugs for years

Question by Hannah B: My mother keeps helping her 2 male cousins ages 40 and 42.They are alcoholics and have been on drugs for years
My mother keeps helping her 2 male cousins ages 40 and 42. They are alcoholics and have been on drugs for years.
They have been in jail in prison for DUIs and drugs(meth and Marijuana and others) running from police, don’t pay child support, fighting, assault and just about everything else for almost all of their lives. Both of them are in jail (one’s in a rehab/prison again and I told her she shouldn’t help anymore. She says it makes her feel good. One lived in their camper and busted out some windows and they still help. The oShe leaves a bible open and she believes maybe one day they will read it and change. Am I wrong for telling her that she should stop helping them or should I mind my own business? The one in prison hasn’t been around for awhile but he will be getting out soon. The one in jail will probably be out in a few days. She says that he doesn’t come around that much more but he is welcome to sleep there when he doesn’t have any where else so I shouldn’t be worried.

Best answer:

Answer by Kyle C
Your mother is enabling the 2 of them, which is co dependent. Until they hit “rock bottom” they most likely will not change their behaviors, and your mother giving them a place to stay is not helping them hit wrong bottom. In the recovery communities for alcohol/drugs..Tough Love is what is best in this situation. You can love them, but not support them until they truly desire to change their behaviors and drinking and drugging. You might want to get some pamphlets for your mom on how to handle family members who have addiction problems. There is also a great documentary on TV called Intervention, that could help her understand about addictions and how to handle people who have these disease.

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