Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

BILs drinking

55 replies

123teenagerfood · 01/01/2026 01:13

My BILs wife left him a few years ago for another man and is now remarried. His family all pretend it was an amicable split. He has since blown all his divorce money (house sale approx 100k) rents and is barely getting by. He is a big drinker 3 bottles of red is normal. Other BIL and him drank 9 bottles of red between them on Christmas day both still standing. Turns out BIL has a coke addiction. His family have their heads in the sand. BIL is a mess, lost weight, is not eating, i've raised issue with MIL, she thinks he had an overactive thyroid. What can i do to get through to them and him. BIL and I are not close.

OP posts:
GinToBegin · 01/01/2026 01:20

You can’t save him, don’t even try. Personally, I’d put a lot of distance between me and anyone who knocks back three bottles of wine in one go, but I find heavy drinkers exhausting to be around.

RegretUnavailable · 01/01/2026 01:19

Bluntly, it’s not your problem. And no addict will change anything until they want to. Just back off.

SkinnyOatFlatWhiteForMePlease · 01/01/2026 01:15

Honestly if they don’t want to see it or address it they won’t. If you aren’t close put your DH on to it.

PurpleLovecats · 01/01/2026 01:15

You can’t do anything if he doesn’t want to change to be brutally honest.

IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour · 01/01/2026 01:15

Nothing to do with you?