Woman Sending Brother to Rehab Instead of Sharing Inheritance

A woman on Reddit revealed why she would rather send her brother to rehab instead of share the hefty inheritance their late mom left behind.

"My mom passed away recently and left behind a substantial amount of money. She left everything to me to distribute as I see fit. It’s just my brother and me. My younger brother, who is 39 years old, has had a troubled life—struggling with a severe drug addiction, in and out of jail, and so on—for the last 20 years. His life has been a constant cycle of sobriety and relapse. He’s currently living on the streets, deeply addicted to opiates. He didn’t visit my mom for months before her passing because he had stolen things from her home and avoided going back," she began.

The woman explained her mother had already given her brother significant financial help over the years in an effort to address his addiction.

"While going through my mother’s belongings, I found several journals ... detailing all the money she had given to my brother or spent on his behalf—lawyers, vehicles, private rehab, etc. Just one journal covering 2010–2014 totaled over $47,000. That doesn’t even include the private rehab she sent him to in 2013, which cost around $25,000," she revealed.

The woman doesn’t plan to split her inheritance with her brother, as she feels he has already used his share and more, writing, "I feel my brother has already spent his inheritance 10 times over. I know if I were to give him any money now, he would either die from being robbed or overdosing. Overall, it would just be a terrible decision."

Still, she loves her brother "deeply" and wants to get him help.

"It breaks my heart that he’s suffering from this addiction. He’s such a great guy when he’s sober, and I want to help him. I’ve been thinking about sending him to rehab again—if he agrees—which would cost around $40,000 to $50,000 for the level of care he needs. However, my entire family is against it. They say my mom already tried, and it didn’t work, so it would just be a waste of money," the woman explained.

"I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to him, especially when I have the resources to potentially help. Sitting on a pile of money while my brother suffers doesn’t feel right," she concluded.

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Users in the comments section sounded off, with many siding with the woman.

"It’s clear you care about your brother and want to help him, but you've seen how giving him money in the past didn’t work. Sending him to rehab could be a chance for him to turn things around, and you’re trying to make the right choice for his well-being," someone commented.

"Don't give him the money. If you feel you have to do something for him with that money, find him a cheap apartment and pay the rent and utilities for him out of the money you would have given him. That way he's not homeless and has shelter. That's the best you can do for someone who doesn't want to help themselves," another chimed in.

"You’re trying to give your brother a chance at life, not a death sentence wrapped in cash. Like, if you handed him the inheritance, it’s basically loading up his addiction with premium fuel. Rehab might not be a guaranteed fix, but it’s a step toward helping him get his life back together," someone else commented.