[Berkley]

I have a 21 year old sister who just recently got arressted with possession heroin.This was no shock to me as I have known for two years now that it was either meth or the latter.She lies,refuses help.Claiming she can kick this herself.She has snowballed her boyfriend and her whole family.She has done terrible things to all of us and worst of all to herself.The next stage in her life is going to be that, it is over,and no one wants that but I feel helpless because she doesn't want the help and I cannot force her? It has gotten to the point though that if I can I will have her committed,I don't know what else to do.I'd rather her be alive and not talking to me ,then dead and can talk to me at all.My question is can I have her committed? Or no because she is an adult and not my child or under my guardianship? What is the process,if I can do this?

[Fr_Chuck]

Sorry no, you can not force her to get help unless she wants it.

The best thing now , maybe she will be convicted and forced on probation and drug testing.

[twinkiedooter]

One bad thing about her being arrested is when she does get out of jail her system will be cleaner than it's been in months and she just may decide to start in on her habit again. Theoretically she goes to jail for say a few months or even weeks. When she gets out and wants heroin she is going to overdose on her first time out of jail. This is quite serious and a lot of junkies do not realize just how clean their system is and they think Oh, it's okay I used to do that much and more a day so I'll be okay taking this much again. Wrong. A lot of junkies end up very dead within a short time of getting out of jail due to this.

I don't kow what legally you can do for her, but I do know that you need to start praying now for her to never go back to that habit again or get help for her habit.

[mishelly3]

If I were you I would get help from your local alcohol and drug treat meant places and as them for help. They have so many resourses. THey will help you with and intervention. If you ever get a chance watch that show I thinks its on mondays on a&E its intervention aesome some and will give you ideas on what do to. But talk to someone who has been through this and plan it out and tell her if you don't go to treatment today she can nolonger live with you if that's the case. Also you can write the judge a letter explaining what is going on and ask the judge to send her to treatment and then a sober house for 6 months out of treatment. The judge will listen to anybody that's trying to help some one else.

I wish I could walk you all through this but you have to put your foot down on her as much as it hurts. Remember your sister has a disesase that has a hold of her and want to keep her where she at she can change it all about her will. I think you can have her committed if you and all your family members agree you need to get a lawyer to get power of attorney over her and once the juge greants that you have all the contol where she goes and for how long. Just have to prove her addiction which doesn't look that hard...

Again Iam sooo sorry for your pain. I once was your sister with the love of my family I finally turned the corner, it hard but a whole lot of love helps..

Best wishes