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How to help an addict
Everyone around an addict knows he or she needs help, but often
the addict can't see it. Many die exactly that way. Our goal is to try to provide the family with as much information as possible
relating to the intervention process. If at any time you would like
the advice of an experienced counselor, please give us a call on
1-800-893-7060 and someone will
assist you. Very often, an addicted person will know deep inside
that he or she needs help but be unable to break the cycle long
enough to receive the needed help. An example that is very common is
when an addict encounters some major problem (e. g. arrested, kicked
out of house, loses job etc.) and at that point is completely
willing to discuss the addiction with loved ones. Unfortunately, if
this opportunity is not quickly seized, the drug cravings and
overwhelming environment will force the individual back into using
and it will be some length of time before he/she will encounter
forces that again yield cooperation towards rehabilitation efforts.
What is the Ruin of the Addict?
The addict has things in
his or her past or present that seem like devastating events and
that have something to do with drugs. One example is a person that
has lost his best friends due to his addiction. Another example is a
person losing his wife and child over drug abuse. A family member
can look at an addict's life and see hundreds of reasons why he/she
should quit using but unfortunately these reasons are not REAL to
the addict. There are, however, problems the addict encounters that
are real or significant in the addict's life, which he/she sees as
reasons to quit using drugs. These are important to identify because
they can be used during the intervention to remind the addict why he
or she must seek help. What Pressure Does the Addict Feel Now?
The addict doesn't necessarily have the same reality about their
addiction that non-addicts might. For instance, he or she may have
semi-serious health problems, no friends and no job or income but
feel like they are "doing okay". Many addicts have actually
overdosed on drugs coming very close to death and are right back
using drugs the very next day. This may appear crazy but in fact is
only part of the pain for the addict. With this in mind, the
addict from time to time will encounter added pressure, which forces
him/her to make an actual decision about whether to seek help or
continue to use. Pending legal charges that could easily lead to
jail time, threat of losing spouse, pending loss of job, all are
possible situations where a person has enough pressure to fight the
addiction and seek help. Although any one in particular may not work
in your situation, there are pressures that can come to bear which
will help prod the addict into a decision to seek help. It is easy
to assume the addict is "only seeking help to avoid jail" or some
other evaluation which in many cases is true. The fact remains that
an addict will only seek help when someone or something pushes him
out of his " addiction comfort zone" and forces him into a decision.
Addicts with access to money, a place to live, people who agree with
their usage and no legal issues rarely seek help. They "don't have a
problem". This is very important to understand and will be crucial
in any attempt at intervention. Who Should be There to Help?
One of the major considerations involving intervention is selecting
who will be there. This matter should be well thought out
beforehand. The number of people there is less important than who is
there. If at all possible, the person in the family whom the addict
respects the most should be there. This person is an opinion leader
to the addict and needs to be there fully supportive of getting the
person help and informed well about the actual agenda. As many
family members as possible should be there as long as each and every
one are completely in agreement about the fact that the person needs
help and supportive of the general agenda. If someone in the family
is antagonistic against the addict and is not capable of restraining
themselves from arguments and blame then you might consider leaving
that person out. Usually, the addict has many enemies and has done
wrong to most of the family but arguments and upset will not benefit
the cause of getting the addict to seek treatment. In fact it will
usually result in stopping this from happening because the focus of
attention gets placed on the argument and not on the matter at hand.
The overall goal is to bring the addict up to a point where he or
she realizes there is a problem and is willing to seek help. When
this has been achieved, be prepared to get them to treatment without
any delay.
A word of caution:
Today, with alcohol and other drug addiction interventions being
broadcast on television, participants often believe they do not need
a trained person and they can do it for themselves. The danger in
this is there may be one and only one opportunity to approach the
sick person and get them to proper help. Untrained and unskilled
participants do not want to blow this chance. Trained, credentialed
professionals are capable of assessing the situation, dealing with
their denial and resistance plus determining the model of
intervention that will have the best out come for each person. We
are qualified and experienced in drug interventions. For more
information see How we
approach drug intervention.
See also What is a drug
intervention? Call
1-800-893-7060
for help with drug intervention.
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