And the choices are difficult. Your parental instinct is to help, but defining help is the trick. Having someone close but not an actual parent is very helpful as in the case described.  It is pure parental instinct to save your child, but in fact, that usually only serves to exacerbate and prolong the agony of both the addict and the family. It is tough to resist that knee jerk reaction.

We are waiting for my stepdaughter to decide she has had enough.  We spend endless energy keeping track of her so we can sleep at night.  We have our hand extended for real help when she makes her decision and we communicate to  her as often as possible that we love her and pray for her. With that is always the reminder that we have a treatment center eagerly awaiting her road to recovery.