I am a 27 years old, and am the only child of my mother. Money was always tight growing up, but we made do. About 5 years ago, she had a boyfriend that emotionally abused her, and eventually stole all her money and put her in huge debt. Years later, once I was already married, she lost her house, cars, and has been living with friends for a while, and more recently at a Women's house.
I keep a long story relatively short, she has basically stolen all of her elderly mother's life savings, and steal's from anyone she can (purses, checks, whatever). I can't believe no one has pressed charges, but she is still doing it, and always denies it whenever questioned. I put her on my cell phone plan so she would stop asking my grandma for money for minutes, but she just ran up my minutes and I had to suspend the account.
I have this overwhelming guilt for not being able to do more to help her in the situation, but she takes advantage of everyone and what they do to her, and constantly makes me feel guilty about it. But then I feel like I'm enabling the situation, and just want to completely cut her off and out of my life.
I worry, because I know she's depressed, and I'm worried if I stop talking to her completely she will kill herself, since basically everyone in the family ignores her, but she needs to wake up and take some responsibility for her accounts and how she has lived her life recently.
It's terrible--I really want someone to just put her in jail...any input would be really appreciated.