Financial problems almost always arise when someone in the household is a drug user.

There have been many wives of prominent men who have discovered that the nest egg that they thought was safely in the bank has vanished. Likewise an average family with a drug user may find that they have things, including cash, missing. Drug addicts can be very underhanded when it comes to getting their fix. Things may vanish to be sold or exchanged for drugs, and the user often has a smooth and plausible reason why the items are gone and the family is struggling with financial problems.

Family Valuables.

Make sure all the valuables in the house are accounted for. Are things in the right place? If you have a jewelry or coin collection, for example, is it where it is supposed to be? If a shoe box in your closet holds family valuables, are you sure that the box is not empty? Many folks have found that things have vanished - who knows when! - and the container is still sitting there giving the illusion that all is well.
Please do not underestimate the drug user and their ability to rationalize why it would be ok to remove stuff. They are unable or unwilling to deal with the resulting financial problems.
When they are in the clutches of a drug, most common sense and family feeling has already fled.
If you have items that can be marked within engraver for example, why do not so while still have them. Alternatively, maybe a safe deposit box?

Money and banking.
Who is in charge of the money in the household. Do you have access to bank accounts or are you at the financial mercy of the person who does and who is also the user? Do you know what money comes into the household each month? These are hard things to deal with. There can be quite a bit of financial abuse if the drug abuser also controls the family money. The money will go on the drug habit long before anything like mortgage/rent is paid or food provided. Do you have any money of your own? Even a few dollars hidden away might be helpful, especially if you need to leave the house suddenly. See my escape plan. for more on this.

Credit Cards. Most households have at least one credit card and credit cards are responsible for many financial problems. Consider the following:

• Do you share a credit card with the drug user?
• Does the user have access to any of your cards?
• Do they know your card numbers?
• Can they get to your wallet or purse?
• If you share a credit card, do you know what the balance is?
• Do you know what things are on the card?
• Are there a lot of cash draws from card or bank account?

• Is the user getting money or stealing from another family member?
• Are other family members having financial problems due to the drug user?

• Does Grandma have anything of value?

It is also not unknown for a drug user to scare another family member into providing money. It may be an older relative or a sibling. It is wise to keep an eye open for this type of abuse which is often actual blackmail or threats. If items of value have gone it is probably a matter for the police, although I know it is hard for many families to be forced to do this.

If you can get enough support from the rest of your family then a family intervention could be the next step. Make all the participants understand the need for you to work together.

What if you are short of food or clothing, especially if you have children? Try a local food shelf or local Church food bank. There may not be enough money for food from the user, but food is seldom sold or exchanged for drugs, so if you find enough food for yourself and your children, you should be able to keep it. Same with clothing - try Churches that have a clothes closet or thrift stores. Also remember that many areas have free things on Craigslist or a freecycle (Yahoo) group. Put in a request for the things you need and often people will help out. I do not suggest this as a long term solution. The solution is obviously to deal with the drug use. Short term, finding a winter jacket for a child is urgent - dealing with the financial problems of a drug user will take more time.

Finally, if your partner is the income producer but is also the drug abuser and particularly if you have children to support, you may need visit an attorney or go to Legal Aid.
It is important for you to understand your legal position - consider who owns what -

• Is your name on the house deed or the rental agreement?
• As mentioned above, are there joint credit cards and bank accounts?
• What about a vehicle - is it owned jointly?
• Do you have a vehicle of your own?
• If so, who pays the insurance?
• Is there in fact any insurance? Some women find out too late that they have no insurance (after the car is wrecked).
• What about life insurance? Have any policies been cashed in?