Rebuild the missing context
Assume the recipient will not remember every date, promise, or earlier conversation. For a message about how to support a family affected by addiction, use this factual base: use the person's own language for recovery, name the practical concern, and distinguish a lapse from what you do not know.
Say what needs to happen next
State the decision, information, or practical action you need and include a real deadline only when one exists. Offer a specific sober or practical support option and encourage connection with qualified help. Make the immediate next step clear enough that the recipient can answer without reconstructing the entire history.
Avoid making urgency into pressure
Do not shame, bargain, lend money without limits, or make your relationship the reward for recovery. For overdose, dangerous withdrawal, suicidal intent, violence, or immediate risk, contact emergency or crisis services now. Do not make the other person responsible for reducing the discomfort that prompted you to write.