Hello my dear @cthkrn :) How have you been?

When you told me about your family's internet addiction I remembered this 'scene' I saw in a restaurant last month. I went out for lunch with my husband and just at the table next to us a family sat down to have a meal. Father, mother and three teenagers. Between the moment they ordered their food until it arrived they were all on their smart phones! 😲 No family interaction, even during a meal out! I wanted to take a photo of them, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I am sorry to hear about your friend. As a friend this is an overwhelming situation to deal with because it involves things beyond your reach - his family financial means. However, whenever I come across people with some sort of emotional distress, I try to help them to rationalize it. Explaining to him how resorting to substance use to alleviate stress can actually cause him, and his family, more stress in the future. Sometimes I go as far as to inform people what goes on in their brains to let them know how it all works and how, if they have the will, they can change bad habits and behaviours.

You friend need to be reminded that there are other means to deal with stress, which are healthy and are not going to put him, his physical and mental health in danger in the future, and these are things he really needs to preserve in order to be able to help his family.

I wish him all the best!
Lots of love to you my dear. You have such a big heart!
:*