Denial is manifested in several ways - fear, anger, blame, even playing the victim. Along with the refusal to acknowledge their drug problem, ego and pride usually have the substance abusers convinced that they would do just fine if only they were left alone.

For the family, friends and even co-workers of these abusers, witnessing the devastation brought about by the addiction and not being able to do anything about it is indeed very tough. Some of them may want to help the individual put a stop to the addiction, end the denial and to put a plug on the self-destructive cycle of drug addiction, but do not know how. This is where the difficult but critical decision of seeking professional help through INTERVENTION comes in.

If someone you know and care about needs help and you think you have to do something about it, give us a call at (949) 444-8393 or (877)224-9838. Intervention may be your best choice, before it is too late.

Lead interventionist Scott B. Ludvigson CAS, CATC. CNDAI, is a highly qualified intervention specialist with over fifteen years of study and training about addiction behavior and individual and group therapies to his credit. He attended training from the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine at U.C. San Diego and earned a 4.0 GPA rating from Saddleback College's Drug and Alcohol studies program... Read More

What is intervention? Basically it comes down to confronting the alcoholic with how his drinking has effected everyone around him. The alcoholic's family, friends, and employers tell the alcoholic in their own words how his (or her) drinking has been a problem in their lives.

But it is not as simple as that.

Interventions should be carefully planned and developed by professional substance abuse counselors who are experienced in such procedures. The only purpose of an intervention is to get the alcoholic to go into a treatment program.

Most alcohol and drug treatment centers have counselors who are trained to help families prepare for the confrontation, which always takes place in a "controlled" environment, specifically selected to put the alcoholic in a position in which he is most likely to listen. Many times these interventions take place at the workplace, with the full cooperation of the employer.

Sometimes, the intervention comes as a total surprise to the alcoholic, but recently new techniques have been developed in which the members of the intervention team tell the alcoholic that they are talking with a counselor about his drinking problem several days prior to the actual intervention.

Does It Work?

With the new method, the alcoholic realizes that the most important people in his life are meeting about his problem, and when he is finally invited to the discussion, he does not feel as "ambushed" as with the earlier intervention techniques.

If the alcoholic does decide to enter the treatment center, he is more apt to be less angry than with the former procedure of surprising him with the confrontation. He feels less manipulated and usually enters the program with the attitude of trying to get better from the start.

With the old method, many times the alcoholic agreed to the treatment, but started the recovery process with an "attitude."

Some Risks Involved

Professional intervention is an option for any family. The decision to choose the intervention path is one that should be made carefully and with the advice of an experienced counselor. There are some potential risks.

As one health care professional puts it, "Substance abuse treatment centers may or may not totally achieve the desired results. Families who wanted to save a member from drowning in alcoholism must also prepare themselves of a possible relapse. The patient must also build a strong will to break away from alcoholism."

"The intervention may fail if the alcoholic doesn't make some important transitions during and after formal treatment, but the alcoholic identified patient may very well storm out of the intervention session. In this scenario, a family needs to strive harder at understanding a family member. Despite from these outbursts, the support of a family is a valuable aspect in intervention.

There are others who believe no intervention can be successful in the long run, because of their experience that most alcoholics can't be helped until they are ready to reach out for help on their own. Although the confrontation itself may in fact put the alcoholic in the frame of mind to be "ready" to get help, it can also be a point of resentment in the future. But all the same, there is no hope unless we try.

There is no known "cure" for alcoholism. It can be treated, but never "cured." Intervention will work only if the alcoholic becomes committed to never taking another drink. Yet, in life we must believe in chances and possibilities in order to survive.

If the alcoholic's problems have progressed so that he has become a danger to himself or others, or if his alcoholism has reached the point that he is no longer capable of looking out for himself, intervention can be a life-saving choice. But it is not a permanent cure. Only the alcoholic himself can turn a 28-day treatment program into a life-long program of recovery.

A treatment center is a cornerstone, but the alcoholic has an enormous role in fighting his own battle within.

Source: About.com

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