Intervention for addiction: If you are a friend or a family member of someone who is either abusing drugs or already addicted, you’re probably wondering what you can do to help.Addict ALWAYS says: “Not MY problem, it’s YOUR problem!”The biggest problem you face is that the abuser or addict thinks this is YOUR problem, or you’re making a fuss over nothing. “I can handle it.” The last one in the room to know there is a problem is the one who has it.There is help if you need an intervention for addictionYou’ve seen what’s going on and you are thinking of ways to stop the behavior. Maybe you’ve decided to do intervention for addiction that person you care about and “get real” with him or her. The biggest problem you face is that the abuser or addict thinks this is YOUR problem, they don’t need drug addiction help, and you’re making a fuss over nothing. You probably need the assistance of an interventionist, someone who is trained in drug and alcohol issues. You are not going to be left out of the room, as the interventionist will work with the family and friends to plan the best approach to the abuser or addict, based upon his/her history of use. The interventionist will plan according to the user’s drug of choice, make the proper analysis and map out a specific strategy based on the information gathered. Each intervention for addiction is differentInterventions will vary, depending on the user’s history. For example, if the person is already well into addiction, the interventionist must make that adjustment to the strategy. That’s where friends and family come in. Moreover, the interventionist will understand the approaches to handling addicts with alcoholism, cocaine abuse, heroin addiction, or those who are abusing inhalants or methamphetamine. Regardless of the drug, trained professional help is available for a intervention for addiction. They are the ones who can give an accurate and objective account of the user’s behavior. If someone has just moved from being an occasional user to a frequent user, that requires a different approach than the one for a person who is a long-time abuser. Friends and family are vital to this process.Most people under estimate their problemPeople who are caught in addiction do not realize the severity of their problem. The only thing that matters in their life is getting the drug, regardless of the consequences. Health problems are not considered. Legal problems are not considered. The person who used to be rational and law-abiding has been swallowed by the drug. That’s why the intervention for addiction step is so vital. Don’t enable and go to Al-anon to find out how to avoid it! There is no room for enabling, no room for being the good guy, because the life of the addict may be on the line unless something is done on their behalf. It is sad when family and friends no longer matter. It is even sadder when life does not matter. Don’t be a hero. Get help from a trained professional. That person knows what questions to ask and what information is necessary to make a proper assessment and an effective strategy for battling the problem.What is an Intervention? People who are addicted to drugs do not believe they have a problem, and if there is a problem, it’s your problem. That is a key idea to remember when trying to help a friend or loved one who is in the clutch of addiction. Just telling that person you are concerned for their health and well being isn’t going to change the addictive behavior. It’s like me telling my dog “Moose” not to chase the rabbits in the back yard. His brain tells him to chase the rabbits.Depending on the situation, a person might come to the conclusion that their drug use needs to stop and in some cases there is success. But the majority of people can not just stop using, so they need help. If you are concerned about a loved one, it’s hard for you to be the messenger, because you are too close. You may be WAY to closeYou have an emotional attachment and history with that person. A good example of being too close is found in the wonderful play “The Miracle Worker” when the parents of Helen Keller interfere with the professional help they are receiving from Anne O’Sullivan. Mom and dad feel the therapist is too harsh, or moving too quickly, or too inexperienced, or even too unfeeling.They are too close to Helen and cannot see the entire situation from beginning to end. They do not know what is in Helen’s best interest or how to proceed. They just react emotionally. They are not objective.If you care, you need help. A trained intervention for addiction counselor is your best friend. Where you are likely to fail, the professional will succeed over 90% of the time. Drug addiction is serious and life-threatening. If your loved one is addicted, you need to act immediately. Their situation is not going to improve, because addiction has taken over the love one’s life and does not want treatment. It’s like having a monkey on their back that controls and directs their life. The monkey isn’t going to let them go.Intervention for addiction can really help! Another important point to keep in mind is that an intervention, however brief, may make all the difference in the world to getting the addict back on track to restoring his/her health. Even a short encounter with an addiction specialist can prove instrumental in helping someone along. Those short visits may lead to putting them into a rehab program, or at least getting in to see a physician. Once in the throes of addiction, addicts will no longer be the person they used to be, and as a result, the intervention stages may be difficult for you to witness. Our affection for the person, our feelings get in the way and it is difficult for the family member or friend to remain objective. The interventionist is key to putting the addict back on the right path to a healthy and successful life.If you think you need an intervention call a local treatment center and start the process NOW! Waiting won’t help this problem is no going to go away on it’s own, it only likely to get much worse!For more about Intervention for Addiction visit our home page.

SYMPTOMS…

CAUSES…

EFFECTS…

TREATMENT…

Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot Addiction to Drugs in: Yourself… Your Family… Your Friends… Your Community…The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail.

Finally don’t miss the Spiritual and 12-step sections to fully explore how understanding THE SPIRIT can lead to recovery! Bookmark & Share