The cardinal error in "helping" addicts is to try and fix the addict's problems for them. As you said, that's impossible. Even being available to provide suppor

The cardinal error in "helping" addicts is to try and fix the addict's problems for them. As you said, that's impossible. Even being available to provide support rarely makes any sense, because addicts try to divest themselves of their problems instead of solving them — so they might ask you for help on something they could do themselves, or on something they think you could fix but actually can't (e.g. "Can you keep an eye on how much I drink tonight?" This just pits my will against yours.) Detoxing, preventing withdrawal symptoms, transportation — addicts often can't provide these things for themselves, so if asked, they're good ways to help out. But addicts have to choose themselves to stay on a path that leads away from that addiction. That will be the case even if that path ends up being as simple as a pill you can take.