Oh, (((((Outsider)))) I am so sorry you have that challenge taking place with your younger brother. I am sorry he has been struggling with a Heroine addiction too. Any addiction is something that is extremely challenging to deal with when it comes to a friend, relative/family member, or spouse. It's understandable that you are trying to be supportive, understanding and cautious.

Yes, unfortunately when it comes to children, living with a parent that has an addiction problem can be dangerous for them so protective services often remove children from the care of someone who has the challenge. Cocaine can be very addictive as well and when I was younger (I am 62 now) there was a real problem with Cocaine addictions in my peir group. If my husband was with his friends, often they wanted to use cocaine along with drinking. His friends tended to ONLY think about using and did not think about the risk they put me in if they snuck it into our home when they came to visit. Back then they were arresting anyone who was in possession of cocaine. It got so it was too risky for me to have these individuals come to my home because I had a baby and I wanted nothing to do with people that would put that in any kind of danger. I moved away just to try to get some distance from them, yet, my husband still chose to drink and use cocaine at times because he had a problem with alcohol and he would do cocaine if others were doing that when he was with them. People with addiction challenges have to work on staying sober their entire lives, it's always part of who they are too. My husband goes to meetings just about every night and helps and supports others in their effort to live their lives sober.

It's hard to live with someone that has a problem and knowing they might go off the wagon and use again. It's always a worry that I have had my entire marriage. Sadly, I know of people that have lost friends and siblings even their children to Heroine and overdose. That also happened with individuals who used cocaine and overdosed.

I didn't want to scare you off with my frank post but at the same time I am compelled to be honest with you as that is what a friend of mine ended up helping me recognize years ago who was divorcing her husband because of his drinking and he actually died young from alcohol. She told me "if you have to discuss it at all there IS a problem" and she ended up taking me to an alanon meeting. It really scared me and I did not know WHAT to do.

How old is your husband?