My Nephew was an addict. He started doing drugs at age 19. He had a very high IQ but by the age of 26 his brain was burned out. He took his own life by breaking a Natural Gas pipe line in the apartment he was renting. In his suicide note, the line, “I’m not smart anymore” stood out. His mother and father still grieve after 7 years and still blame themselves. They had 4 kids, 3 of them are fine, one failure but not their fault IMO.
It was not their fault.
Sad. Some of that damage would have been reversible had he asked the right people.
The addict has to decide to take the risk that life will be either more livable or just plain better without the drugs and/or alcohol. Sometimes it may seem to take awhile to comprehend that it is not only much better but life (as opposed to the distorted reality of the drunk or drug addict.) I have been where your nephew was at more than once and God intervened both times to save my life. May your family find peace. It has to be so painful.
That’s why I’m not quick to blame parents. I know way too many families that have raised two or three great kids, and one bad one. It seems to happen with great regularity.