I don't believe in blaming the people around an addict or drug or alcohol user when that person gets really sick or dies. Yes, addiction is a disease, but it is one that one at one point did go into willingly. People are responsible for what drugs, alcohol etc they put into their own bodies. Their friends, family etc are simply not responsible for "stopping them or doing something." Ever try to stop an addict from getting high? It's like trying to nail Jello to a wall. And the Jello has teeth and fingernails, and maybe a weapon. Or force one into rehab? It almost never works and then the person blames you for harshing their buzz, never speaks to you again... and then dies anyway eventually. OR simply quits on their own (seen that one more times than I can count, yet the money making "Addiction Centers" never talk about self cured addicts, yet I know at least 20 of them.)
My step sister died from a drug overdose. Not a damn thing anyone could have done to stop her. She chose the lifestyle and then it got out of control.
We ALL have angsty depressive times. Few of us die from it. Self destruction is a path people usually willingly go down. Then it gets out of control and sometimes others expect those close to the addict to have "done something."
Yeah, it's sad. So was.... Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and thousands and thousands of not famous people... like my sister.
It's sad. But, it's no one's fault for not "doing something." Self destructive people.... self destruct. It should be no surprise to anyone.
Sad as it is, this shit happens to self destructive people. Assholes like Dr Drew and "Dr" Phil give us the unrealistic hope that "you can do something" when in actuality, only the addict him or herself can decide when to get clean. If you push them, they get high again the day they get out of rehab. I don't think there's a damn thing anyone OTHER THAN the addict him or herself can do to stop the problem.
People get clean when and only when THEY want to. If they don't want to, they are responsible for each and every pill, powder, potion and liquid they put into their body by any orifice. The dealer, friend with dope, doctor etc who supplies the drug isn't responsible (because most of us would have simply not taken that drug if in that situation) the family isn't responsible, the friends aren't responsible. Only the addict is responsible for what he or she puts into her body and what results from that action. It's sad disease, which in many people simply doesn't have a cure. When it does have a cure, it comes FROM the addict him or herself.
This is MY mileage. Yours may be different.
