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The Basics In Drug Interventions |
By:
Chris Channing |
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The Basics In Drug Interventions
Chris Channing
Living life with a loved one who has an addiction to illicit drugs can be painfully difficult. The first signs of an addiction seem innocent at first, but eventually the defensiveness and secretive nature of drug addicts become more than enough to bear. As drug abuse continues, certain health risks associated with whatever drugs are being abused may come to light, and it is at this point that drastic measures need to be taken to get them off of drugs.
If you believe that a loved one's health is at risk due to a substance abuse addiction, then one option you may consider is an intervention. Interventions are often the final step in a family's attempt to get a loved one off of drugs, and intervention failure can be devastating.
When intervening with a drug user who has a mild habit that you are afraid will blossom into full-blown addiction, a small family intervention can sometimes convince them to quit using illicit drugs without the help of therapy or professional counselors. Although not always successful, studies have shown that small private interventions consisting of people close to the drug addict are at least effective enough to coerce the addict into abusing less drugs, buying more time for professional help to be found.
If a drug addict's dependence on substance abuse has become a serious threat to their health, as is the case in many amphetamine, heroin, and cocaine addictions, full scale interventions may be the only thing stopping an addict from dying. Immediate contact with a professional counselor should be made. Counselors will help you figure out the best course of action, set up the intervention, and get your loved one into treatment.
Although drug addiction can be a painful or depressing experience, it is unwise to be tolerant of a friend or family member's drug addiction. Although sympathy is a common reaction to a loved one who has reached rock bottom due to problems with drug abuse, the only acceptable course of action is to get them into treatment and achieve abstinence. In reality, drug abuse interventions can be counter-productive. Some drugs, especially cocaine, cause paranoia in their users and interventions can be perceived as attacks or even insults to the addict. When planning a drug intervention, one should consider what the true goal of the intervention is.
When an intervention takes place, the key to a success is to make the addict feel that everyone is on their side and concerned for their safety. Use gentle tones and make sure to not become overly frustrated when speaking to the subject of the intervention. Drug addicts are impossible to reason with while using, so make sure to hold the intervention at a time of sobriety and clear-headedness. The last thing you can afford is for an addict to storm out of the house and go on a drug abusing rampage because he feels offended by people who genuinely care about his well being.
What to Do If Interventions Fail
The risk of failure is very real when dealing with drug addicts and interventions. Always know how you plan on picking up the pieces after a failed intervention. Contacting law enforcement may be the only option available, but if at all possible convincing an addict to enter a drug addiction treatment center should remain your goal.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article81248.html |
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