text: drug addicts? a friend has been on and off drugs since he was 13 now 27 he's just gone off the rails again. parents have now given up. is there hope for him. has anyone really beaten the addiction. he's done everything heroin,pills. now we hear he's had ice. is there hope or should we all wipe our hands off him. his parents say he's severly depressed . i think that was caused by all the dope he smoked. anyone got advice on how to handle this. as long as he is alive there is hope, however minute that may be.    the only known cure for addictions is consequences, do not try to stop them, let the addict face the music.    one of the consequences is loss of family and friends, it is horrible to watch someone go through addiction, heart wrenching, as is the same with many illnesses.   you can be supportive and loving from a distance if that is what you choose.  treatment helps, but often treatment needs to be repeated over and over again.  which is a tremendous drain on resources but worth the effort.   there are many, many people who have sucessfully dealt with addictions.  ask any one of them how they did it and you will most likely get many different answers.  i used 7 rehabs (that i remember) and a 12 step group.  i wish you luck.  peace.