For years, Robert saw his brother Evan struggle with addiction.

What began with alcohol eventually progressed to opioids following an injury. Evan had once run his own successful business, but as his addiction progressed he gradually lost everything, including his home.

Eventually, Evan entered treatment at Renascent. His treatment journey also included a concurrent disorders program at CAMH before returning to Renascent, followed by a move to a post-treatment residence.

For Robert, Renascent offered something important, too: support for the family.

He remembers attending Wednesday evening family sessions while Evan was in treatment. There, loved ones could share their experiences, learn about addiction and talk honestly about the difficult decisions they faced.

“What I got most out of it were the Three Cs: I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it and I can’t cure it,” Robert says.

The idea helped him understand that loving his brother didn’t mean protecting him from every consequence of his addiction. Setting boundaries – and learning not to enable him – was often difficult, but Robert came to understand that he couldn’t recover for Evan.

He also learned from other families. One mother’s story about setting firm boundaries with her own son had a profound impact on Robert, showing him that it was possible to step back from someone’s addiction while remaining ready to welcome them when they were ready for help.

Over the years, Evan continued to struggle, but Robert saw that treatment had given his brother tools he could return to. During a particularly difficult period, Evan recognized that he needed help and arranged to enter detox himself.

“He knew where to go,” Robert says. “Renascent gave him that extra chance, and a few more, too.”

For Robert, that experience reinforced an important truth: treatment is not the end of recovery. “It’s a lifelong battle,” he says. “It doesn’t end the moment you walk out of Renascent. That’s just the beginning.”

Earlier this summer, Evan died following an overdose.

His death does not change what Robert learned through years of loving and supporting his brother. If anything, it has strengthened his belief in the importance of families getting support of their own.

“Without Renascent, the weight on me would have been much heavier these past years,” he says.  “Addiction is a complex issue, so much so that even drug and addictions counsellors must work the program of recovery to maintain their sobriety. That’s how profound it is.”

Today, Robert encourages other families to remember the Three Cs and understand that setting boundaries does not mean abandoning someone you love.

“You didn’t cause it. You can’t control it. You can’t cure it.”