You can't make someone get help

My whole family is filled with people who are addicts. Addicted to drugs, to pain, to being unhealthy, to a lot of things. For as long as I can remember there has always been someone in my life that I was trying to save, trying to make better, sometimes the same people. I think I have tried to help my sister so many times, hoping that she gets better, hoping that she realizes just how great a life that she could have. It has taken me a long time to realize that you can't make someone be better, you can't make them want to have a better life.

It toke me having my daughter to really look at my life, to reexamine what really mattered. I looked at all the people around me. At how unhealthy they were for a variety of reasons. Addiction, overweight, stressed out, angry. You really do start to become whoever is around you. And I refused to let that happen. I refuse to have my daughter's only parent not being her best. So I decided to do something about it. For the first time in my life I started to get healthy, doing things to make sure I was in a better mood, I started to lose weight, started to be better with money. Slowly I felt like I was becoming a better person. Of course I wanted to do that for those around me. I hoped that I could make them better. But I had to accept that you can't make someone better if they don't want it. I tired to help, but I felt like no one was listening. Which of course made me angry and frustrated.

No matter what I did they won't listen. Someone can't want to get better unless they want to. I watched my sister have another relapse, I watched as my family were all getting sicker and they got angry as they let my sister self-destruct. I know how frustrating that it is to watch it go so badly. But just remember you can only control yourself. Only give advice when asked, as that is the only time that they will really be listening. Put your energy into your life, into what you know will make a difference. Find your peace and your joy, what makes your heart sing. If you have a happy life then maybe it will go to someone else. Know that you are not alone in this, find someone else that will have the same attitude about life that you do, that will try to make your life better.