Looking for professional interventionist for mother.
by JEANIE
Hello,
I am looking at getting a professional interventionist for my mother. She’s been using prescription drugs, speed/meth for about 40 years and has never gotten real help.
My sister and I tried by ourselves one time. She freaked out. Now it’s time to try to do the real thing.
However, everyone in my family is saying it is useless. What can I tell them to
pull through on this with me?
Do you think that someone who doesn’t want help or even denies every using drugs after 40 years of abuse is capable of being coaxed into rehab?
Have you seen it work?
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You Need Information and a Plan
You have quite an uphill battle on your hands. Your mom is in denial, which is the single most powerful enemy of the addict, and your family is not on board with your idea of forcing the issue on treatment. You and your sister are it. I have a couple of thoughts and it’s going to require some work for both of you. You can call a local drug treatment center and explain your situation and ask for some counsel. I don’t know about an intervention, because most of the time it isn’t like the ones you see on television. However, if you can get the family behind the idea, that is an option. Your mom, of course, will look to manipulate and exploit the weak link in the chain, so everybody has to be on the same page. You might want to call Al-anon and meet with the members, who will understand your experience and can offer sage advice. They have been through this and they know what to do. It also gives you an opportunity, if you allow it, to receive love and support while you are going through the battle. Someone who does not want help will present a problem, because even if you isolate them and dry them out or clean them up and rid their system of the drugs, all you have is a person with a substance use disorder (SUD) who is not using. Treatment, followed by a solid recovery program, is essential. There has to be consequences for your mother’s choices. Sometimes “tough love” means setting boundaries and limitations on the relationship. Your mom may have to make a choice between her drug use and her family. Left unchecked, and it sounds like she is completely out of control, a user may well choose drugs because they have no choice. The drugs own them. The fight to save your mom might be messy, but it’s worth it. Do not sugar coat the situation and try to be objective. Make the calls and start formulating a plan to work from. |