A Drug Intervention is Different than One on Alcohol Alone
One of the most common calls we get is when a family is looking for information on a drug intervention. When someone you care about has a drug problem, it seems like we are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sometimes things go fine for a while, but there they are again…acting funny, eyes are bloodshot, their words are slurring. When confronted, occasionally they are honest, but more often it becomes an argument just to get them to tell part of the truth. Life with a drug addict is exhausting, emotionally and financially draining, and can begin to consume our thoughts and lives, even though we aren’t even the ones using. But once in a while, we catch a glimpse of the real person underneath. The one who we think wants to turn it around, but doesn’t seem to know how. So we start thinking about reaching out for help…to do for them what they are incapable of doing for themselves.
Although the substance itself isn’t usually the true problem in terms of recovery, it is important to understand that each substance abused does require a different approach, especially when we are dealing with drugs. A drug intervention is handled differently than a standard alcohol intervention. There are worlds of difference as to why this is. An experienced Interventionist will handle your individual situation differently depending on which drug is involved. Because drug interventions must be well thought out in terms of the process, it is important to use the services of an interventionist specializing in specific drugs and the accompanying behaviors with each.
What is a Drug Intervention?
A drug intervention is a formal process designed to help individuals struggling with substance abuse and addiction. It involves a group of family members, friends, or professionals coming together to confront the person about their behavior and encourage them to seek treatment.
While thinking about a drug interventions may be intimidating for both the person struggling with addiction and their loved ones, they offer many benefits.
Shows love and support A drug intervention is a powerful way to show your loved one that you care about them and want to help them. It is a way to communicate that their addiction is affecting not only themselves but also those around them. By staging an intervention, you are showing them that they have a support system who wants to help them overcome their addiction and live a healthier life.
Provides a safe environment Drug interventions are typically conducted in a safe and supportive environment, such as a therapist’s office or a neutral location. This helps to reduce the risk of conflict and confrontation, making it easier for the individual to listen to what their loved ones are saying and to consider seeking treatment.
Offers an opportunity for treatment One of the main benefits of a drug intervention is that it provides an opportunity for the individual to seek treatment. Many individuals struggling with addiction are in denial and may not be willing to admit they have a problem. By staging an intervention, you are offering them an opportunity to seek treatment and start the road to recovery.
Helps to break the cycle of addiction Addiction is a cycle that can be difficult to break. By staging an intervention, you are helping to interrupt that cycle and encouraging the individual to seek treatment. The longer someone remains in the cycle of addiction, the more difficult it becomes to break free. A drug intervention can help to prevent the addiction from spiraling out of control and leading to serious consequences.
Improves communication and relationships Drug addiction can cause strain on relationships, and communication can break down. By staging a drug intervention, you are creating a safe space for communication to occur. Family members and friends can express their concerns, and the individual struggling with addiction can share their perspective. This can help to improve communication and relationships between everyone involved.
Provides a sense of accountability A drug intervention can create a sense of accountability for the individual struggling with addiction. They may realize that they are not only hurting themselves but also those around them. This can motivate them to seek treatment and take steps to overcome their addiction.
Saves lives Perhaps the most significant benefit of a drug intervention is that it can save lives. Addiction can lead to serious consequences, such as overdose or death. By intervening and encouraging the individual to seek treatment, you may be saving their life and preventing further harm.
If you know someone struggling with addiction, consider staging an intervention to help them get the help they need.
Experience in Drug Intervention
There exists within the drug world distinct cultures. Drug intervention is not just an intervention on a user who abuses drugs, but often an intervention on their whole lifestyle. When someone uses drugs they often adopt an entire lifestyle, attitude, and outlook. For example, not only do Cocaine users and Heroin addicts have completely different drugs of choice, but they have entirely different lifestyles, as well as behaviors involving their drug lives. A cocaine user usually binges on weekends, but usually, a Heroin addict needs a daily drug in order to avoid getting sick. A Heroin user usually uses in the morning, and ideally privately without others. A cocaine user in early stages is usually more of a social binge user. Usage of cocaine usually begins at night. In addition to different behaviors, there are distinct attitudes that develop over time depending on the drugs being abused. With the recent legalization of marijuana movement, someone who has become addicted to marijuana may be a daily user but often claims that it is legal in many states, or even claims that it is “medicine”. They, too, have adopted many of the characteristics of other marijuana users, and this has to be taken into consideration.
Drug Intervention help is just a call away.
Our video section has been provided and made for families to help them to understand their loved ones and to offer some form of education and guidance to a situation that can feel overwhelming at times.
Family Interventions – Why Families Wait
It is common knowledge within the intervention field that over 90% of clients who are intervened on end up agreeing to enter treatment. However, less than 5% of family members who reach out an inquire about family interventions actually end up having an intervention done on their loved one. Which means that it is easier to convince an unwilling addict or alcoholic to enter treatment then it is to convince a family to let us do it.
The Rogue Elephant
Seeking an answer the question as to why some people become addicted to drugs and others don’t.
How Enabling Affects Your Loved Ones
“Understanding Enabling from a Recovering Addicts Perspective” is to help families to understand the “Four Emotions an Addict uses to cause People to Enable Them”. It seeks to show how enabling addiction can affect their loved ones.
Hitting Rock Bottom
Is hitting rock bottom necessary in order to change? It is important for families to collectively understand that waiting for this mysterious event, this “bottom” that they have often been mistakenly informed of…often results in disastrous consequences.
It is important that during your drug intervention you understand personally the lifestyles involved in the various drugs of choice. Although each of our interventionists at Intervention Services is fully trained to handle each of the majority of drugs being abused in our culture today, fine-tuning a drug intervention by choosing an interventionist who has personally recovered from the drugs your loved one is abusing can also tip the scales from a chaotic intervention on an unwilling addict, to an intervention on someone who feels that you have brought someone out who truly understands their life.
More Information About Specific Types of Drug Interventions:
- Bath Salts Intervention
- Benzodiazepine Intervention
- Cocaine intervention
- Crack Intervention
- Crystal Meth Intervention
- Huffing Intervention
- Marijuana Intervention
- Opiate Intervention
- Prescription Pill Intervention
- Heroin Intervention
A Drug Intervention vs. an Alcohol Intervention
Alcohol is technically a drug, however, most people put alcohol into its own category. Refer to an alcoholic as a drug addict and see the reaction. Due to the legality and social acceptability of alcohol we generally refer to those addicted to mood altering substances as either an “alcoholic” or a “drug addict”. Also, drug users are often more dishonest than an alcohol abuser. Because many drugs are often illegal, a drug user begins his or her drug use in a condition of lying, criminality, or dishonesty. An alcohol user is usually the opposite, claiming such things as “everyone drinks”. In dealing with a drug addict we generally have two types of people needing a drug intervention, each of which is dealt with in a different way, a binge user and a daily or maintenance user of drugs.
A Drug Intervention on Binge Users
The binge user is someone who uses drugs periodically after which each successive use usually become more pronounced. Performing a drug intervention on a binge user is generally an issue of timing. Depending on the drug involved, sometimes it is best to wait until after the binge. To understand more about a specific drug, please select from the links listed below to comprehend how each drug intervention is different. Again, a lot of the structure of drug intervention on a binge user can be dependent on the types of drugs involved. When intervening on a binge user, it is usually not as simple as just convincing them to stop using…but teaching them how to stay stopped.
Drug Intervention for Daily Users
The daily user is someone who uses drugs every day in order to maintain their habit. As is the case with the binge user, a drug intervention on a daily user can also be handled differently depending on the drug involved. To understand this, please chose one of the specific drugs listed below in order to best comprehend how each drug intervention is different. Again, a drug intervention on a daily user is often dependent on the types of drugs involved.
Choosing the Right Drug Intervention Program
Our drug intervention counselors are here for you If you are having difficulty in determining exactly which drugs your loved one is using, please contact our addictions counselors to help you determine which at 1-219-321-9636.
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