(Trigger warning) To only see my sister without my children

[LadyBumps]

...whilst she is using heroin?

She was sexually assaulted aged 11 and has understandably struggled ever since. She's had periods of self-harm, prostitution, prison & psychiatric hospital.

We've wanted to love her through everything & have always kept contact, she's lived with us twice. My children are now 8 & 6 and love her loads. We have tried to explain in an age-appropriate way & it's worked until now.

Just found out (tonight) that she's started smoking heroin & I'm ashamed to say that my first reaction is to think that I don't want my children anywhere near her.

I am terrified for her but can't bear the thought of how this could all end & just want to protect my kids. Don't want to 'punish' my sister though & I know that her relationship with her nieces & nephews is one of the best things in her life.

What would you do?

Emma - it is hard to say she can only see them when she's not high, as heroin addicts are on something pretty much all the time - in fact this is the only time they will appear vaguely normal. If she was withdrawing or had no drugs in her system she will be a sweating, shaking mess and very scary for a child to see.

That is what gets to me. How is someone who is off their face on a powerful mind-altering drug safe to be around a small child? Every time my botherspicks her up dd to hug her, I am hovering worrying he is going to drop her, and if I say anything he gets defensive.

Sorry don't want to make this thread all about me, just trying to identify with the op's concerns to make other posters understand what it's like.

Maryz - You're right , but in my case, as soon as my sister discovered that her nephews knew that she was an addict, she made the decision to go into rehab. She would have continued plodding along if I had stopped them seeing her. She needed to see them looking at her with sadness iykwim. She was completely clean for seven years and did it for them (until she fell in love with another unsavoury character and went back to square one).

Totally torn on this one. Completely understand the instinct to keep them apart. But also perhaps they need to see it so they know first hand the effect. I have an alcoholic father and we do let our children see him. But never at his house (it's disgusting). My 4 year old already knows there's something not quite right about him. She doesn't see him as a grandfather. Personally I would stipulate not being high when she sees them and that you leave if she is. Meet not at her place so no risk of them finding her equipment. Horrid situation. I wish you all the best whatever you decide.

IME she will end up a ghost of who she used to be and steal your stuff. Nothing matters apart from getting the next hit and she will not stop unless she wants to herself and gets a lot of help. It will confuse your Dc's seeing her doped up and jittery and the mood swings won't help either. Unpredictable selfish behaviour will start and it won't be long before she's injecting it.
I was 19 when I got in to a relationship with someone like this and when I found I was pregnant I ran for the hills finally seeing I had a way out. The man in question died shortly after.
Sorry for the depressing story but this is so serious what yor sister has now got in to. You need to step back and think what you want your kids to see.

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the replies. So sorry that I am by no means alone in these dilemmas.

Had some good news today, she's called my Mum & asked her to go round. My mum said she said she knew she'd made a big mistakd & she wants to stop, apparently gone 5 days without smoking. So hope it's true. Going to pop over to see her tomorrow to see for myself how she seems.

Best wishes to all of you & your relatives also going through this x

I would probably only allow kids to see her occasionally, when as sober as possible, with me there. Perhaps if she knew that she would have more contact with them if she was clean, it could add another + on her list to sort it out, so it could be a positive thing to look forward to. I probably wouldn't cut her off completely, but not allow unsupervised company with the kids, incase she fell ill from the drugs or was high etc.

5 days clean is a great start :) fingers crossed for you and your family

Thanks Littleen

Great news

Thanks Corrina.