mlour

My father has been an addict my entire life (and still is). After my mother passed away a few years ago, even though my parents were divorced my father used the opportunity to engage in more drugs as a coping mechanism. This is something that I have worked very hard to be at peace with. I do not participate in his addiction, I do not speak with him, and I do not see him.

Very recently my father lost his business, his license was revoked and he put people's safety in danger and committed lewd acts. It was a business that he and my mother started quite some time ago. The enabling on the part of my father's family has allowed the business to remain open for this long (and that is shocking).

When I had read about what had happened on the internet, half of me was filled with horror and the other with relief. The relief half felt: "finally, now everyone will see he is a sick, sick man and let's allow him to take responsibility and get help". And, of course, my family is getting him help alright- in the terms of lawyers and financial planning but they still refuse to believe he is an addict. And we can't talk about it and certainly I can't mention it.

This is making be feel absolutely crazy. I know he is addict, he is sick, he needs help and he needs to do it on his own.

As an only child with a very small family on my mother's side, I tried to maintain a relationship with my father's brothers and sister in laws. But this makes me so angry and really tears open old wounds, I'm not sure if I should walk away from them too and leave them to their charades.

I feel selfish and scared for wanting to walk away from my family but they are just as sick as he is.

Does anyone have any similar stories and if so, may I ask how you have dealt with the situation and how do you feel?