I had a friend that I met in middle school (we are 26/27 now) and we were always close and involved in each other’s lives. However, this friend had some bad drug/alcohol habits that I never had. I ended up getting married and having a baby and that’s when things really changed for me.
She had gotten a DUI (not the first), and at the last visit to her apartment her garbage can was full of beer cans. Any time we would see her she was drunk or high (or both).
I realized that this was not a person that I could keep in my life or around my child and I stopped all communication really abruptly after the DUI. Prior to this, I had tried talking her into getting help and talking to a counselor, etc. but she never wanted to help herself. I know that me cutting her off hurt her, but I knew trying to talk to her about it would’ve made her angry and the situation worse.
For my family, I don’t believe I did the wrong thing but I still hold some guilt over leaving her hanging. I tried to be a good friend for MANY years while she floundered through various jobs (getting fired repeatedly) and through her habits. And to preface, I graduated college and now have a career (and family). Not that this makes me BETTER than her, but we lead totally different lifestyles. What do you all think?