My crack addicted dad is threatening to harm himself unless I give him money, what do I do?

My dad is homeless again. He’s 74, addicted to crack and I feel powerless in helping him. Seeking advice from the Medium community.

I mean this as an actual request for advice right now. I am feeling lost and confused as to what to do next and haven’t shared this story – writing always helps.

Let’s start a little back story…

My dad, who is actually my step dad, but he has been around since I was 2 years old (so he’s dad) is now a crack addict.

Ever since I can remember he was addicted to cigarettes, alcohol and cocaine – but he was very functioning.

Until of course, he wasn’t.

He was a stock broker for decades and started to really slip up at work until he eventually got fired. It was all downhill from there, his health deteriorated, his broker licence was taken away and he had to file for bankruptcy.

As his money dwindled as his addiction got worse, so he switched from cocaine to crack. It only took a couple of years before he was on the streets. 70 years old and homeless.