My Aunt Options

[acid_rain_child]

My aunt's been a heroin addict for a while now, I'm not sure how long, maybe 5 or 6 years on and off? It's family secret hush-hush, so I don't know exactly. She's been in rehab an awful lot, and whenever she needs help, money, a place to stay, our family has been very supportive toward her.

Recently she went back to rehab, but our family was sort of fed up with her always screwing up and taking us for granted, so we sent her to a halfway house. There she was doing great, she was clean and met other people who she'd be able to get some support from when she was released.

She went on a date with one of the alcoholics from the halfway house, but never came back. As in, for the last 12 days no one's known where she is. We tried to file a missing person's report, but the halfway house was responsible for that, and never even contaced the police. She never came back for her things, she hasn't called. This may not seem like a big deal, but this girl calls no matter what kind of trouble she's in, no matter her circumstances. She ALWAYS finds a way to contact us. But we haven't heard a word from her, and the halfway house isn't giving us any answers at all. I understand that their reputation is on the line, but this is our FLESH AND BLOOD and they won't even lift a finger.

We're afraid she's dead, just another one of the many murders that will happen in Baltimore this year. Or maybe she overdosed. Or maybe her old boyfriend has her. Or maybe god-knows-what! If she'd decided to run off to California and shoot dope all day long, she still would've called us so we'd know she was okay.

I'm so worried, and I've been thinking about it all day. I don't know what to do, but it doesn't seem like a lot I CAN do.

[Mata]

I really don't know what can be done in that situation. That's a really bad combination of elements there.

*big hugs and good wishes*

[Ashbless]

Phone the police yourselves with a missing person report and to blazes with the halfway house's reputation. If she returns safe, and I really hope she does, then you can all laugh over the 'overreaction' in the future.

I really hope everything works out well.

[Museum Girl]

Phone the police yourselves with a missing person report and to blazes with the halfway house's reputation.  If she returns safe, and I really hope she does, then you can all laugh over the 'overreaction' in the future.

I really hope everything works out well.

I agree about filing a missing persons report but you should also report the half way house to the relevant authority for not filing a report. If they haven't filed one after twelve days for your aunt theyn they don't sound as if they are very concerned for the safety of the other people staying there either.
Hope she's OK.

[acid_rain_child]

The reason we couldn't make the missing person's report was because my aunt was in their custody. The police said that only the halfway house could file the report, and since they refused to, we were basically SOL.

She called last night. After missing 20 days she called to say she'd been on a heroin binge with the alcoholic she'd gone on the date with. At least she's alive, right?

Even though we know she's okay, some how, it's even more unsettling to know where she's been.

[maxxmann81]

She called last night. After missing 20 days she called to say she'd been on a heroin binge with the alcoholic she'd gone on the date with. At least she's alive, right?

Even though we know she's okay, some how, it's even more unsettling to know where she's been.

Glad to hear that she's "okay", but that just means she's still back into the heroin. I hope your aunt will figure out that she can not keep on like she has been.

I know it's hard when it's a family member. You can only be a helper, she needs to decide to really kick the stuff.

I can't believe she was actually allowed to date someone else having his own problems. Glad to she that someone (you) is caring about her. Sometimes the love you show can help her see the way out.

Let us hope for a great outcome.

[damned and dasta...]

There's no easy way out of this kind of situation, you just have to take things as they come. In the mean time I offer you tea, biscuits and plenty of hugs.