Gary is a recovering addict. He got hooked on heavy drugs some years ago, but he's now on a drug treatment program and is working hard to walk away from his past lifestyle. What he's struggling with most at the moment, though, is the broken relationships with some of his family members as a result of his addiction.

A number of Gary's relatives are giving him the silent treatment and have told him not to call or come around. Gary feels hurt and feels his family should stick together no matter what.
He says he never asks for money or accommodation, and is never under the influence of alcohol or drugs in front of them... yet every time he wants to call or connect with them, Gary feels his family won't let him forget about his addiction.

Gary admits he shouldn't have gotten involved in drugs in the first place and has to face the fact that he's dug his own hole here, but feels he's being treated unfairly. What can he can do to try and repair these relationships?

• If you're a family member of someone who has been addicted to drugs, I'd like to know your thoughts on what families go through. That might help Gary to understand why his family are keeping the barriers up. Perhaps there are other reasons that family members feel they need to keep him at arms length, things he's just not seeing?
• Have you been through addiction and out the other side, and been able to repair the relationships that broke down as a result of your addiction? How did you begin to reach out, make amends and repair those broken relationships?

Share your experience and advice for Gary now!