I don't know what to say. I'm sorry to hear about that Exo.

Butt you've been a great sibling and a great friend to him even throughout all the times he didn't deserve your support. I can't pretend that I know the right course of action here but I hope you're able to remind yourself that you're not to blame and that you've proved to be incredibly strong throughout a ****storm of unfair conditions. We all love you here and wish nothing for you but the best.

If he's never been in jail before (which I'm kind of doubting at the moment), it should be an eye opener for him to say the least. For some it would be "Rock Bottom", but then again some people don't have a bottom at all. The one constant for addicts, is a cliched saying, but rings very true... Jails, Institution, or Death. Those are the only ways out unless the person tries to get some sort of help, whether from AA, NA, Counseling, or the like. You've been solid through the whole ordeal from what I've read, and Donner said it very well in that you're of course not to blame, so try not to tear yourself up too much. I know it's easier said than done, but stay strong and know you have good friends here waiting to lend you an ear or a shoulder.

He just tried calling us from jail. The call cost $15 and required a credit card so my dad hung up the phone. He didn't get to say a word. We can't afford $15 phone calls every day.

He keeps trying to call. He's called eight times now and we just listen to the answering machine of him asking us to pick up when it says "you're receiving a phone call from ____".

This is tearing me up.

Yay congratulations!

I'm really sorry to hear that. I wonder too if jail is the right thing. Maybe psychiatric hospital would be better because jail may not provide him with the help he needs. But you know what he needs better than me, so whatever happens, I hope things improve and that this is rock bottom.

The machete part is seriously scary. :(

I got a text from my cousin today saying that "it's 1 degree outside today and absolutely freezing!!! This is so bad!" So I invited her out here to enjoy the balmy -20 C and snow. At least we get real fucking winters.

Let him ride it out on his own. Seriously, it's the most loving, and important thing you could do right now regardless of what others might think.

My dad cried all day. We finally gave in and paid the $15 and he wasn't doing well at all. He's claiming the jail doctors aren't giving him his medication. He was begging us to go and get him. He didn't understand that he's in for armed robbery with a deadly weapon and that we can't bail him out of this one. Literally we can't bail him out. We'd have to mortgage our house. He's going to have to toughen up.

^The doctors aren't going to give him the drugs he wants. He'll have to withdraw. It's a sad thing but it has to happen. They won't let him die. I'm definitely not a proponent of AA/NA but I think it has some value. Your family should consider going to meetings to learn how to lovingly distance yourself from the addict. Thousands of people everywhere know what you're going through, and they want to help.

Maybe your parents will be able to meet with the judge and get him released on his own recognizance, so he can get better help with his problem, other than jail and the prison systems provide.