Do You Think My Sister is Addicted to Drugs?

by Sarah
(England)

My sister had mental health issues in the past and was on medication for this. I believe she was taking Olanzapine. She met a new boyfriend in February of this year & she more or less moved him in straight away. Her behaviour towards her family including her 3 year old little boy changed.

She became very very aggressive and abusive. She has also lost about 3 stone in a matter of about 3 months. She was never a tidy person but now she lives in total filth. I wouldn't let a dog live in her house. My nephew is now staying with my mum and has been for the last 5 weeks. She has never called my mum or attempted to see or ask how her son is in 5 weeks.

My mum has called at her house a couple of times to see if she wants to see her son and she says no everytime. It's like she has excluded him from her life. It's like she does not care.

Before this she was the most timid person you could wish to meet. She never swore, she never drank alcohol and she definitely was not a nasty person. She has never been an aggressive person. It's like she has had a total personality change.

We have found out recently that her boyfriend is on Methadone which makes me wonder if my sister is taking drugs too. We are all at our wits end. We are really concerned.

Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com Answer

Hi Sarah

Extreme and unexplained changes in behavior are often a telling sign of drug addiction or developing a drug problem. So the isolation, mood swings, weight loss and the fact that she's suddenly showing no interest in the well-being of her own son - are very worrying signs.

We also tend to be most greatly influenced by those that we spend a lot of time with ... so if your sister is living with a possible drug addict, her going down the same road, especially considering her past and more vulnerable nature ... makes it a strong possibility.

You as a family need to try and arrange some kind of intervention. Try and get your sister out of that house for a while, and talk to her. Try and find out what's going on. It may be difficult, but see what you can do, because you do need somehow to get to the bottom of what's going on. And if all else fails and it means having to get the authorities involved, because you suspect drugs are being consumed, then do so.

You're right to be concerned. Find a way to get your sister alone so you can talk to her. Then once you know what you're dealing with, we can plan the next step.

Best of Luck

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