There are times when people get into doing things, thinking they can easily get out of it as easy as when they got in. Most of the time, they’re proven very wrong, especially in the cases of substance abuse, or drug and alcohol addiction. Quite a number of depressed or troubled folk get into drug use as a means of forgetting their problems, of course; at the beginning, this somewhat works for them, using drugs and drinking alcohol only when they need to. Then eventually, they start using and drinking, even when they don’t need to, until it the cravings become so overwhelming; they start drinking alcohol and taking drugs…to just experience the physical reaction brought upon by the substances.
This is the time when the casual intake of drugs and alcohol, become an almost daily process. These individuals only used these substances to make them momentarily forget their problems…now, it has become THE problem. It has become an addiction.
• A chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and abuse and by long-lasting chemical changes in the nervous system/brain.
• Strong emotional and /or psychological dependence on substances such as alcohol or drugs that has progressed beyond voluntary control.
• Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by symptomatic behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving.
These definitions of addiction, taken from various sources of drug rehabilitation resources, indicate the severity of the disease of substance dependence. The stereotypical notion that people who have addiction to drugs and alcohol are individuals with weak morality, uneducated, and set with the wrong life values have resulted in many cases of denial. The addicted individuals do not accept that they are actually addicted, and keep the dire situation to themselves. In some cases however, people do seek help when they know they’re stuck with the disease and have no other way out.
The people who have a very strong denial over having the illness still have hope in recovery, and that hope is represented by the people around him, the family members and friends who love and care for their welfare. All they need is an “intervention”.
What is an Intervention?
An intervention is a properly orchestrated meeting where concerned family members and friends confront the person with the alcohol and or substance abuse problem, in a loving, and caring approach. An intervention is a structured process of getting help for a person who is in complete denial or refuses to get the proper help for alcoholism or substance abuse. It is a structured, solution-focused process comprised of a small group of close friends, family members or even co-workers who come together in a caring and non-judgmental manner.
Keys to a successful intervention:
• the element of surprise
• thorough preparation
• consequences to be leveled (only if necessary)
• having a treatment facility ready to admit the person
How Intervention Works
Each of the participants in the intervention takes their turn in expressing their concerns and how they see the problem person’s behavior is adversely affecting them and the individual concerned. There should be a rehabilitation center already lined up and prepared to admit the person with the dependency problem immediately upon the completion of the successful intervention. The participants are each given the chance to present their observations and help the problem person see how their behavior is affecting both them and the people around them.
The Goal of an Intervention
The primary goal of an intervention is to get the person with the substance dependency problem to consent in going and to complete a rehabilitation program. The purpose of an intervention is to enable the prospective patient's admission into the right treatment program. Before meeting the prospective patient, an interventionist works with the concerned parties, objectively educating them about the illness, the treatment plans and the intervention process.
Professional Interventionist
Interventions are best proceeded with the assistance of a well trained professional, known as an interventionist. They add an extra dimension of professionalism and greatly assist in the smooth transition of the intervention.
If you would like further information about “intervention”, or need an interventionist, please call this 24 hour toll-free help hotline: 1 800 784 6776.
While choosing the drug rehab it has to be made sure that all the aspects of what caused the addiction problem in the first place have to be addressed.
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