I am at my wits end. Last year my son moved back in with me. He’s 37. For context I have enormous guilt because when my my marriage broke up I felt so guilty I allowed my husband to take the children to Scotland because he was struggling with the fact I wanted out of the marriage. I didn’t anticipate he would do everything in his power to stop me seeing my children. The youngest son rang me when he was 15 asking to come and live with me. We drove up to Scotland (350 miles) straight away and brought him home. Since then I have done everything I can to make it up to him. I homeschooled him because he didn’t want to go to school. I supported him in finding a job when he wanted one. He met a girl aged 18 and they moved in with me. They got their own place and after a few years they announced they were having a baby. I looked after her so that her mum could work. I looked after her overnight several times so that they could have unbroken sleep. They had a second daughter and I continued to have them overnight on the odd weekend. Then I had my dad move in because he was struggling on his own and pretty much dying slowly. Suddenly after this my son turned up and said he was leaving his wife. He moved in for a few months and then rented a flat. He got into a new relationship and although it’s been a few years he is still besotted. She is absolutely lovely. But he got back into the nightlife and unbeknownst to me he developed a cocaine habit. They lost their home and car and he moved back in with us (I have an autistic son). I reported that he lived here to the council and Universal Credit (I’m a carer for my son and also have a modest business). For five months he’s paid me what I have lost from these benefits and the increase in bills. £50 a week to begin with and then £60 because of a council increase. I have had to nag him the whole time to pay me. He denies that he still uses cocaine but he has now not paid me for two weeks. I literally cannot afford to not have this money. I confronted him yesterday and he said he ‘hadn’t used for ages’ and that my money was coming. But I know he is lying. I can barely look at him. But I don’t know what to do because I carry the guilt of not being there for him when he was younger. I am stressed, worried that the stress will give me a heart attack (I’m 60 and overweight) and I need to be here for my youngest son who completely depends on me. I have been thinking I should ask him to leave but the guilt is crippling, At the same time I feel angry. His children stay here alternate weekends and all he does is sleep. I know that his ex and his girlfriend’s family know what is going on and it’s embarrassing. But I also know that addicts lie and he is definitely no exception. If he stays here without paying me we will all end up homeless. I guess I just need someone to tell me to be tougher.
WORD PAIRS -APRIL 2026 (Old thread full )
WORD ASSOCIATION - 9th May 2026
Sometimes it’s just the small things that press the bruise isn’t it? 😢


