INTERVENTIONS: WHEN AND HOW SHOULD I INTERVENE ON A LOVED ONE
According to the Addiction Center, approximately 21 million Americans have at least one addiction. More shocking than the total number of American’s ensnared in the clutches of addiction is the fact, that only 10% of addicts seek addiction treatment. In order to bridge the gap, people struggling with addiction need loved ones to bridge the gap towards addiction treatment.
Drug addiction has impacted the lives of millions of Americans. There is new hope though, as we are able to destigmatize addiction and identify it as a treatable disease. State-of-the-art addiction treatment programs like Grace Recovery in Hollywood, California are filled with people eager to help you or your loved one combat drug addiction with compassion, care, and expertise.
One of the questions asked most frequently by people who have a loved one who is struggling with drug addiction is this: When do I stage an Intervention?
TIMING IS KEY
There is no simple answer to that question. However, as loved ones, we can develop a plan by being informed and knowing that early intervention with an effective plan and a committed support group can save a life. Remember, only 10% of addicts seek addiction treatment, largely due to the fact that most addicts don’t know they are in crisis. They need your help. So here are some sobering signings that it is time for an intervention.
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR
People can change in healthy ways, however, a person struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism may exhibit many alarming behavioral changes. Some of these changes may be mild, such as changing eating routines, eating less, arriving excessively and profusely late or lying. Most of these behaviors will exacerbate over time as the addiction worsens. An addict also is likely to build a tolerance for certain drugs or alcohol and require more to achieve the same high.
Other alarming behaviors include refusals to eat, a haggard appearance due to a lack of care for their own self-image. Drug addiction and alcoholism affect the brain to be focused on the next high which can make people more prone to volatility where they lash out and lose control. The grip of addiction can rip your loved one away from reality leading to mental fatigue and memory loss which snowballs into financial trouble.
When you see these behaviors taking their toll, you know it is time to stage an intervention. However, your chances of success will increase if you are able to form a support group focused on getting your loved one into addiction treatment safely and effectively.
Remember, your decision to stage an intervention can directly save your loved one’s life. In 2018 the Los Angeles Times reported, “the death toll from drugs has doubled every eight years” from 1979 to 2016. Your intervention and the path to addiction treatment can help change that number.
STAGING THE INTERVENTION
Once you have made the commitment toward staging an intervention to help your loved one battle drug addiction, the next step is forming your team and your plan. This is going to be an emotional experience. Different people view drug addiction from a different lens. Some people still view addiction as a choice. People in your group may be personally outraged or hurt due to the choices an addict has made. Your intervention will have the highest odds of being successful if you are able to create a support group who acknowledge addiction is a medical disorder, are committed to helping and have a plan of action to get your loved one to receive addiction treatment.
You will also need to assign someone to be a leader and mediate while your group navigates through their own emotions. Remember your loved one with an alcohol or drug addiction may have committed acts that are hard to forgive. Healing the group can lead to forgiveness. Forgiveness can lead to belief in a common goal: To help a sick loved one receive addiction treatment.
It is also okay and necessary to share what the consequences will be at home and with relationships if your loved one struggling with alcohol or drug addiction doesn’t seek treatment.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
You are not in this alone. There are people who have dedicated their lives to helping people receive the support they need to confront their alcohol or drug addiction. An intervention specialist can be the perfect person to utilize in order to give your loved one the best chance at receiving the addiction treatment they need. It’s okay to have questions and to feel like you need help. Luckily, people like Greg Holden and Joelene Knight the co-founders of Grace Recovery in Hollywood CA have people ready to help regardless of where you live. Just pick up the phone and dial 1-866-330-0049 or visit gracerecovery.com and they will be happy to guide you.