Addiction and PTSD

An intervention is an act of intervening in the dependent person’s life. In some cases, the abusive or dependent person may be so far away from his “common sense” that more drastic measures are required in order to get them to speak and understand the need for help.

In such cases, interventions are necessary to find solutions.

This is typically done by a professional trained in addiction recovery and also involves treating affected family members at a meeting with the substance abuser. What this does is it puts the right kind of pressure on the person, which is required for them to see their life in context.

Before any such intervention, several meetings are necessary. These would generally happen between the addictions counsellor and family members to arrange all the details of the addict’s intervention, of which the main aim would be to get the person to stop the cycle of abuse, receive help and get treatment.

If you are looking for a few tips for the treatment process of mental health and substance abuse problems, then this is the article for you.

It isn’t easy to get your loved one or family member to admit that they have an addiction problem.

Oftentimes, many interventions need to be staged, and a lot of coercing has to happen. When facing a family member with an addiction, it puts strain and stress on the entire family. It is not just the addicted who are affected by the addiction, but the entire family, friends and loved ones.

When you have got your loved one to admit that they have a problem, it’s only the first step on a long journey to rehabilitation and to reclaiming their lives. If you are looking for tips on how to choose the best mental health and substance abuse treatment facility, then read on:

How to choose a Programme that will fit your needs:

Firstly, you will need to identify which type of treatment you are looking for. There are many treatment and rehabilitation facilities in South Africa, and many of them have specific specialities, such as alcohol treatment and substance abuse treatment, to name a few. Therefore, it will be necessary to identify the help you need so that you can search for an expert in the field. There are many different kinds of treatment programs available that will appeal to different people. Those that are looking for shorter stays that offer more intensive treatment will likely opt for a 30-day program. These programs are effective for alcohol and drug addiction and are a great start for anyone who finds they are having problems with a dual diagnosis. These programs offer their patients 7 day a week, 24 hour a day support. There is another option available, namely an outpatient program. These will be used together with residential treatment programmes or exclusively.

substance abuse

Hosting an intervention:

When you are faced with a family member whose life is spiralling out of control because of their addiction, you will need to do everything in your power to convince them to seek treatment for their problem. This can be done by staging an intervention. There are also intervention specialists that are seasoned in helping families pull off an intervention that will help their family member or loved one to realise that they are coming from a place of love. Should you find that the person you are trying to convince to go to rehab doesn’t want to, then hosting an intervention may be more effective. Oftentimes people who struggle with alcohol or drug problems are unwilling to admit they have a problem and resistant to seeking treatment. However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t be successful at treatment. It only goes to show that they might need a bit more persuasion to seek treatment.

Getting the most value out of treatment:

There are many people who relapse during treatment and this should only be seen as part of the process to the road to recovery. The facility should be able to help them to stick to their recovery and get back on the bandwagon again should they fall off. If this is your first or even fourth time going into treatment, you can ensure that you get the most out of your time spent in the rehabilitation facility. There are many people who relapse, but this is only part of the process.

Stick to it till the end: You need to find a Programme that will help you follow through to the very end. Even months after the treatment ends at the facility you can still struggle with your addiction. However, getting through the programme will increase your odds at future sobriety.

If your loved one refuses to admit that they have a problem, it will be difficult to find them the correct treatment needed to deal with their addiction. This is why it is necessary to perhaps arrange for an intervention. You will find many professional and expert interventionists that will be able to help your family convey your worry and concern to your loved one.

Unfortunately, many times the person will react in anger and humiliation and embarrassment. In many instances, the only way a person will be able to address their addiction will by hitting rock bottom. This will happen when the person loses everything of value to them because of the addiction.

This might be their home, their spouse, their family, their career, or whatever else they might hold dear. Once they hit rock bottom and have nowhere else to fall, too, they will realise that they need to get their life back together. This will be an opportunity for them to seek the correct substance abuse and mental health treatment that will help them to take back control of their lives.

If you are interested to learn more about this, you can speak to any of the many different facilities that provide this type of service to their patients and the patients’ families. It isn’t easy to get your loved one or family member to admit that they have an addiction problem.

Forced into Recovery

Once a person has taken responsibility for their addiction, they can be admitted into rehab, however, it is not always so simple.

Sometimes, this is forced by family or friends who notice that the person is spiralling out of control, and they may be resistant to the treatment. A rehab centre can help them recognize the disease they are suffering from and help them heal.

Intervention Services

Most addiction treatment clinics provide addiction intervention services that confront the user about ongoing substance abuse issues.

For some, it may be difficult to decide whether to put it into consideration. Interventions are usually preceded by free and informal discussions between the families and representatives of the clinics.

In some cases, members of authority such as a doctor, psychiatrist, employer and/or family members participate in the intervention process. Ultimately everyone needs to be well prepared for what the treatment entails and to clarify important questions before they select a drug rehab clinic.

Alcoholic Interventions
Interventions for Alcoholics

Almost everyone nowadays either has an alcoholic in their family or knows one who might be a friend of a friend.  Being an alcoholic doesn’t mean getting drunk every other weekend and acting stupid.  Alcoholics start out by drinking socially and eventually end up not being able to make it through one day without having a drink.  Being intoxicated makes a person unable to make rational decisions.  This is why so many domestic violence cases and even murders start out with one or two people being drunk.

Being an alcoholic means you are addicted to alcohol.  This addiction is just like any other substance addiction.  It is dangerous, compromises your health and needs to be rehabilitated.  Long term alcohol abuse can cause your organs to give in when you are older.  It can also cause liver cancer.

If you suspect someone is addicted to alcohol and you want to step in and help them, the first step would be to stage an intervention. This is when you get together a group of the addicted person’s friends and family to talk to the person and try to make him/her see reason.  This would also be a good platform to use if you are trying to get them to consider rehab.

Many child abuse cases are also the after effect of alcoholism.  Some people drink to forget about their problems whether they be marital, emotional or financial but they end up making their problems worse by becoming addicted to alcohol.  Many people become so addicted that they end up becoming criminals and start stealing just to support their addiction.
Sometime when expectant mothers cannot stop drinking while pregnant it can cause the unborn baby a lot of damage.  This is very sad considering that the child really does not deserve this.  Children also get addicted to alcohol sometimes due to bad childhood circumstances or living conditions that are beyond their control.  In these cases, the best thing would be to get professional help such as a social worker who can assist in helping the child or staging an intervention.

Cocaine Interventions
Interventions for Cocaine Addiction

As with other kinds of substance addiction, the cocaine addict will find it almost impossible to rehabilitate himself and remain clean of drugs for the rest of his life. Cocaine like other street drugs are highly addictive and rehabilitation will require professional help. It is sometimes getting to the point where the person realizes that he needs help like an intervention, that can be the biggest obstacle. Hitting rock bottom can be the turning point in the addict’s life, but that point could cost him his life if an overdose is a result. This is exactly why help needs to be sought before this crisis arrives.

However, close friends and family will notice if your behaviour has changed, and it will not take an expert to notice that you have become a drug user. Depending on how serious the person is taking their concerns, it might require an intervention to save the life of the addict. In either of these cases, there are professional facilities available that can assist.

Drug rehab facilities with experience will assess the person and the situation regarding his or her relationships. Therapies will often be a combination of both medication and psychological therapy. If the rehab only focuses on using medication, the cocaine addict might be cleared of the drugs in his system, but then returning to his normal life, relapses might occur as he will not be prepared to deal with situations where he is confronted with drugs once more.

Where only psychological therapy is employed, the patient may go through a very painful withdrawal process which is not easy and could inhibit the success of the therapy. The most successes have been achieved with a combination of the two approaches, and that is what most rehab facilities will be using to help the cocaine addict. Part of the therapy will include a plan to recover from a relapse.

This might sound hypocritical, but it is necessary for the drug addict to be aware that he might fail when back in his normal life, but if such a plan is in place, the road back need not be one that starts with panic and a feeling of failure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Interventions

Suspecting or finding out that a loved one is addicted to alcohol or drugs can provide lots of questions that need answering.

In this article, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about interventions and what can be done to help the person you love.

How Will I Know if the Person is Addicted to Alcohol or Drugs?

An easy way to identify a person is by asking yourself one question: Is the person continuing their drug or alcohol usage even though it is damaging them physically and mentally?

If you answered yes, then the individual is most likely addicted.

Can I help someone who doesn’t want help?

Yes, you can. Most addicts will be in denial that they have a problem and it could be years until they are ready to receive help. Don’t wait until the damage is done, prevention is always better than a cure.

Must a person hit ‘rock bottom’ before they are able to heal?

This is one of the most commonly asked myths about addiction and treatment. Waiting till the patient reaches ‘rock bottom’ could be anything, health issues, and financial problems and in some cases even death.

Act now and start the recovery process. A second that passes could be a second too late.

Will Treatment Work If I Force the Addict into a Rehabilitation Centre?

Time after time been proven that forcing some into rehab plays no effect on whether treatment will be successful or not.

The most important thing is to get the person into treatment and it is the job of the qualified and experienced staff at the rehabilitation centre to make sure that treatment will be successful.

Will I be able to do an Intervention on an Elderly Person?

Yes, you can. Intervention techniques vary for elderly individuals. For example, the language that will be used will be different from that used on a younger adult.

One technique that works well with older people is a loving and caring method. The healing period might be slower for elderly individuals; however, it has been proven that they have the highest success rate of recovery.

How Many People Can Be Involved in the Intervention?

It is advisable to have an attendance of anything between three and eight people, however, these individuals must play an important role in the addicts’ life.

Getting professional interventions counsellor to sit in on the procedure will also be beneficial in ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Should I Hire an Interventions Counsellor?

This is entirely dependent on the family of the person and the nature of the addiction suffered.

With the correct guidelines and preparation, some families are able to stage an intervention successfully without the help of an intervention counsellor while others favour having a professional overseeing the procedure.

In some cases, having an interventions counsellor running the process is a must. For example, if the person is mentally ill, acts violently or has been in treatment before and relapsed, then it’s important that you recruit the services of a professional.

If you are unable to do this, seek the help of a religious leader to help in the intervention. Ensure that the person understands the procedure and runs it accordingly.

Does Medical Aid Cover the Costs of an Intervention?

Unfortunately not. Medical aids do not assist in paying any costs of intervention; some do cover a bulk of the costs of a stay in a rehabilitation centre.

What Do I Do If My Family Is Against Having an Intervention?

In most cases, those who are against staging an intervention simply do not know enough about it and what it entails.

Provide information for the family; make sure they know what it’s about before they make any decision set in stone.

What Happens if the Addicts Walks Out of the Intervention?

This is one of the things that most families dread before an intervention, however, strangely enough, this occurrence rarely happens.

This should be prepared for though; therefore two of the most respected people in the intervention must follow the person to reassure them that everything will be okay and also ask to return to the meeting.

Will the Addict Get Aggressive during the Intervention?

While emotions may run high, aggression and anger are hardly experienced during interventions.