My brother’s addiction

[PinkPavlova]

I have a brother who I’m not particularly close to. He has alcohol addictions and drug problems, and because I have two young kids (a 9 year old daughter and an 8 year old son) we don’t visit him that much, but sometimes me and my husband go by ourselves to see him, or just me. He hasn’t had to go into rehab yet, and we thought he was getting better, but today I’ve got a phone call saying he’s now in rehab. I have to pick the kids up from after school care in half and I can’t face it. My husband knows. My brother is the only sibling I’ve got and I don’t know how to do this.

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Im not sure i understand. Are you not pleased that he's in rehab?

This is good that he is in rehab

It sounds like he's getting a chance of treatment for his addictions. It is no guarantee of course but it sounds like a positive development?

I’m quite sad he’s in rehab, because we can’t see him, and they said he might have to spend about a year there, which means he’ll miss family Christmas, the only occasion I let my kids near him, at a safe distance. Plus they’ll ask where he’s gone and me and my husband will have to sit them down and explain.