[Wildchildnsc2]

I have a friend who I've known since I was 13 and I am now 20. We've been best friends the entire time, and even though we've had our fights, we've always ended up being friends again. Well, this time there's a problem. She has a drug addiction. I tried to talk to her about this and when I did she flew off the handle. She's getting to the point where if she doesn't quit doing drugs then she's a goner for sure.

She steals to support her habit, she is constantly messed up, and she doesn't care about anything but drugs anymore. I'm so afraid of losing her completely and I'm not ready to bury her. I want to help her but she just pushes me away.

We stopped talking about a month ago and my life has been less hectic since. I'm actually making friends that care about me and so on. I want to be part of her life, but I'm worried that I'll lose my new friends because of her. I'm happy now, happier than I have ever been before. What should I do? Should I try to help my old friend, or stick with my new ones? Happy or Hectic? It's not a fair choice.

[Darkangelism]

Get her help, her life is more important then the friendship, she will thank you for it later, I did nothing to my friends addiction and he Overdosed, you don't want to have to bury your friend.

[EnigmaXOXO]

It was my daughter's three best friends who came to me one day, and right in front of my daughter, confronted us with her heroin addiction.

My daughter ranted, screamed, called them liars and disowned them as friends. The girls cried but held their ground. They apologized for tattling, told my daughter they loved her, and hugged me goodbye before leaving at my daughter's request.

Those were three of most wonderful young ladies I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. They loved my daughter as much as I did...enough to risk their friendship. The years have passed and my daughter came to understand exactly what it was her friends had done for her, and they are all still tight till this very day.

What a wonderful world this would be if we were all fortunate enough to have friends like that...

[Wildchildnsc2]

Thank you so much for that story. You've made me really see what I need to do. I really appreciate your help.

[EnigmaXOXO]

'Tough Love' doesn't mean 'tolerance' wildchild, and doesn't apply to just the immediate family.

Find someone who cares and TELL.

And they don't call it 'tough' for nothing. It's as hard on family and friends as it is on the addict.

If *you* need support, come back here. There are plenty of caring folks who have been through this and will be happy to lend you an ear and good, solid advice. Distance yourself from the chaos if it gets to be too much. Caring about you friend does not mean tackling the problem for her.

Loving the person, does not mean accepting the disease. But you must learn to know the difference.