My sister is using again

So my sister and I used heroin together for a long time. I have been off of it for over 3 years and she has relapsed multiple times since I got clean. This last one has been at least a couple months, probably more. I finally got the courage to tell her she can’t see my daughter until she can pass a drug test off all illegal substances. This wouldn’t be so hard except my sister lives with my parents who are great with my daughter. I now have to stop letting. My daughter go over to her grandparents house :sweat:

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You did the right thing. Can she go to Narcotic Anonymous? A.A. got me off booze and I felt I was a hopeless case.

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Thanks. She has been to N.A. in the past, but it didn’t take. She wont go back. We’ve tried to tell her.

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I’m sorry to hear about your sister. My brother is also addicted to heroin, and has been struggling with it for years. Have you heard of suboxone or methadone? My brother went on suboxone so he could get clean without having such a terrible withdrawal. He said it helped him a lot.

I want her to get on Suboxone but unfortunately she is at the methadone clinic now for a year and she is still relapsing. She went against doctors advice on lowering her dosage to quickly. She soon relapsed and has been at it ever since. She is on my mom’s insurance and will be off it in a year and a half so no more methadone clinic after that.

I’m sorry @Saywhaat. That sucks. You are doing the right thing even though it is hard. I hope your parents are being strict with your sister, too. Inconsistent behavior only teaches an addict about what they can get away with.

They are just starting to be strict but not strict enough. They need to kick her out until she can pass a drug test but I don’t think my mom can bare that. I didn’t go well for me when they did that to me many years ago. But after years of ■■■■ I got it together.

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Does your sister’s drug addiction affect your daughter? how does your sister’s life affect your daughter? Surely, it is something you could teach your daughter against.

Does it motivate your sister to not use heroin, and that is why you are are doing it? If so, family never can compare to addiction.

Are you fighting a battle using your daughter as fodder when a chlld cannot understand addiction in any form?

That is not understanding, or helping. Another stategy is needed to help your sister’s addiction.

I honestly just don’t want my daughter seeing her aunt like that. She is unstable and in afraid it’s going to spark her mental illness again.

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It is the same for a child seeing a drunk Aunt or any other family member at a gathering than it is seeing them gouching.

You carefully explain what it is and enlighten them against it. Just like any other parenting.

My daughter is two. Sorry but not explaining to a two year old her aunt is a junkie

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Yeah, no. That may work for a teenager, but not a little kid.

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That’s too bad. Congrats on getting and staying clean. Maybe your mom and dad can visit with you daughter somewhere else. I hope they can understand your decision, you are only trying to protect your little one.

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Thanks for the reply. Yeah my daughter already doesn’t want to be around my sister. She always says go away auntie and I hate auntie. Don’t know why that is though.

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Thankfully my mom was the one who told me to tell my sister that she can’t see my daughter anymore and my mom wants to start taking her to the park instead. I just know it’s still going to be less often they see each other and that saddens me

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But seeing a drunk at a family meeting is exactly the same to a two year old seeing a gouching heroin addict, but that needs no explanation. what is the difference to a 2 year old?

They neither understand alcohol or heroin, except a 2 year old sees an adult ingesting alcohol but in your situation never heroin.

I wouldn’t let my kid be around drunks either. Why is that just assumed to be okay?

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Thank you. I am not giving that comment the time of day since I feel like its a judgement on my parenting. I’m just making the best decision for me. I don’t feel comfortable dropping my daughter over there anymore. That’s that lol.

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The one time I saw my grandfather drunk was traumatizing. He was an angry drunk and tried to pick a fight with my dad. My sister and I were terrified, and that’s how we learned my mother grew up in an abusive family. I was 7 or 8 years old when that happened. I agree; keep your kid away from the addict.

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I also grew up in an alcoholic home. My parents know not to drink when my daughter is around. My husband is also in recovery from alcohol so I don’t know and we don’t go out where people drink in excess.

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