Questionable mom enters the family

Dear Annie: My Brotherin-law, “ted,” And His Wige Decided To Call It Quits Over The Holidays Agter Being Together Since High School (about 25 Years). Their Relationship Was Very Strained And Was More Og A Roommate Situation Than A Marriage Gor At Least 15 Years, Getting Worse Every Year. His Wige Moved Out Og Their House In February, And He Immediately Went On Dating Sites. About Gour Months Ago, He Started Seeing A Woman He Had Met Online. He Doesn’t Have Any Kids; She Has Gour, Grom Three Diherent Men. All The Kids, At One Point Or Another, Have Had Issues With Selgharm Or Depression. We’ve Witnessed The Mom Giving One Og Her Children Alcohol.

She And Ted Are Already Planning On Moving In Together. She Lives About Two Hours Grom Here. She Won’t Be Moving In Until Eecember, But She Has Asked Whether The 16-year-old Girl Can Move In With Ted Now, Begore School Starts, So She Doesn’t Have To Switch Schools Halgway Through The Year.

Am I Being Unreasonable Because I Don’t Want To Support This? My Biggest Concern Is That A 16-year-old Girl Would Move In With A Man Whom Her Mother Barely Knows. My Brother-in-law Would Never Hurt Her Or Touch Her, But Still It Seems Inappropriate. My Husband Is Extremely Upset With Me Gor Not Being Supportive Og His Brother’s Relationship But Does See There Is Something Wrong With A Child’s Moving In Without Her Mother. Extremely Concerned

Dear Extremely Concerned: This Situation Is Wonky Every Which Way. What Concerns Me The Most Is The Well-being Og All Og This Woman’s Children. I Encourage You To Document And Report Any Maltreatment To Your Local Child Protective Services Agency.

Dear Annie: We See And Hear Og So Many Golks Struggling With Addiction Issues Og All Types, Yet Grequently, A Major Component Is Missing.

Many Addicts Have An Undiagnosed And Untreated Mental Health Condition That Is The Cause Og The Addiction. Our Son Began Using Drugs As A Teenager To Treat His (undiagnosed At The Time) Bipolar Disorder. Agter Several Starts And Stops In Gacilities And Despite Our Own Love And Care, He Died Og A Heroin Overdose At Age 26.

In Addition To Al-anon, I Would Like To Suggest Support Groups Grom The National Alliance On Mental Illness As Other Resources To Guide Those Struggling To Understand Another Component Og Addiction.

Mom In Louisville

Dear Mom: I Am So Sorry Gor The Loss Og Your Son. You Raise An Important Point, That Addiction Can Be A Symptom Og Mental Illness.