How to Carry Out a Substance Abuse Intervention

How to Carry Out a Substance Abuse Intervention

More often than not, a loved one places an individual addicted to alcohol or drugs into an alcohol and drug treatment program without much of their consent. With this comes lots of consequence that too often isn’t considered. Due to the fact that the addicted individual doesn’t want to make the change for themselves, there’s too likely of a chance of drug and alcohol relapse.

The only way to assure that alcohol and drug treatment will work is when the individual wants the change for himself/herself. Without this desire, they lack the motivation to go down the rough (but rewarding) path of alcohol and drug recovery. Even though it can be very difficult to give someone this motivation, it is possible. And it’s possible through an intervention.

The purpose of intervention is to help these individuals realize their need for alcohol and drug treatment. This can be done solely through the emotional offering of loved ones.

The Confrontational

 

This is the most direct form of an alcohol or drug intervention one can find. Just as the name implies, it’s an encounter that involves changing the addict’s frame of mind. For some time, the confrontational intervention was done as a means of punishment. Everyone involved would point out the addict’s flaws and criticize until some kind of emotion came out. Punishment being viewed as a means of focus until the individual changed his or her ways.

Now, these flaws are viewed more as an illness. And instead of criticism, there is meant to be a sense of support in the confrontation. This is one of the most widely acclaimed methods of drug and alcohol intervention and generally the go-to for many supporters looking to change their loved one. It’s been studied that addicted individuals genuinely react better to a confrontation that remains positive rather than negative.

The reason for this is many don’t want to be blamed for their life decisions. Though some of this might occur, they’d rather feel optimism when coming out of the intervention. A positive point-of-view that their lives have a chance to change and flourish in any direction they can dream.

This is the desired outcome of a successful intervention. How to go about it will be different for different families and friends. However, there are a few aspects that remain the same.

  1. Make a note as to where the addicted individual has gone wrong (without placing blame).
  2. Inform them that you have strong hope for their potential.
  3. Offer alcohol and drug treatment options.
  4. Make sure they never forget the support you will always offer on their journey.

The Johnson Model

 

Though there are some relatable aspects of the confrontational intervention, the Johnson Model holds one distinct difference. The idea behind this kind of intervention is to highly educate loved ones and supporter of the addict’s situation. With this, it’s also important to bring to mind how the addict should be confronted and how to find him or her help.

The Johnson Model intervention generally requires multiple meetings as a way of digging into the individual’s frame of mind. Due to this, a drug and alcohol mental health professional is often ideal as they will know the direction in which to take the conversation. With a substance abuse professional and multiple interventions, there’s a likely chance that the addict will feel less of a need to defend themselves. And more of a desire to open up about their problem.

Tough Love

 

There are many instances where the loved ones of a drug and alcohol addict are too afraid to say no. With this kind of easy-going attitude, the addicted individual often gets him/herself further into a drug and alcohol addiction without feeling any sense of consequence. This is ideal for family members with the desperate desire to get the addict into alcohol and drug intensive inpatient and outpatient treatment, but who’s also unsure as to how to carry this out.

However, it should be noted that this is often a last resort intervention method. The reason being is that there are plenty of instances where the addict ends up feeling a backlash from those who care – as though he/she is being punished and blamed. Therefore, the addicted individual ends up pushing himself further away from loved ones and further into drug and alcohol addiction.

A trained substance use professional is highly suggested for the Tough Love method. Within the method, lots of threats will be made towards the addicted individual. These heavy threats need to be followed through if the addict doesn’t comply. If not, then there’s the sense that the loved one doesn’t really know what he/she is doing. An alcohol and drug counselor can guide these threats and reassure that they will be followed through on.

The purpose of Tough Love is to limit all resources you provide to the individual until alcohol and drug treatment is seriously considered. These resources can include money, around-the-house tasks, or even the shelter you’re providing.

With a substance use professional helping the loved one throughout this intervention, they can also help out the addicted individual. For the Tough Love method often leaves them feeling victimized and in a situation where no one is truly there for them. The professional alcohol and drug counselor may need to be the one there.

As you can see, this isn’t something most loved ones want to go through and should only be done as a last resort.

The Crisis

 

The purpose of this type of intervention is fairly obvious. It’s meant for individuals going through an emergency situation – in an example, someone who’s just overdosed. Though the height of the emergency holds importance to the decision, most of the time, alcohol and drug treatment is necessary as immediately as possible.

There’s a problem underlying the crisis that’s mentioned in the introduction. If the addicted individual doesn’t desire to enter alcohol and substance use treatment, then this immediacy may seem entirely useless. For these kinds of situations, you might want to get a substance abuse professional involved in the intervention itself. Professionals specializing in alcohol and drug use hold the capability of getting individuals evaluated for commitment.

As you will assume, there are still occasions where individuals aren’t in the right frame of mind to be entering alcohol and drug treatment. However, if he or she is in a position of harming themselves or others around them, force may be necessary. It’s not the ideal way to go about substance use treatment, but unfortunately, for some people, it’s absolutely necessary.

The reason being is addicted individuals are highly prone to mental disorders. With this comes a risk for suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, ninety percent of suicide victims are mentally ill. As claimed by Helpguide, fifty percent of people who suffer from mental health abuse some kind of substance.

Still, the cause of a crisis goes beyond mental health. There are instances that will appear in anyone’s life that can throw them into a state of emergency – heavy financial problems, legal issues, homelessness, etc.

To top it off, the crisis could be stemming into other people’s lives rather than the addict’s. In an example, a pill-addicted mother may be ignorant towards her child.

The crisis intervention is without a doubt the most difficult kind to handle – crises are never expected. Therefore, gather together the necessary loved ones to have the intervention with may be very short notice and unplanned. With that, it is suggested you get an alcohol and drug counselor involved in setting up the dialogue of conversation. This will guarantee that what needs to be said will be conversed and the possibility of alcohol and drug treatment will be the dominant topic.

The ARISE Method

 

According to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, the ARISE method works about eighty-three percent of the time. Patients who receive this form of alcohol and drug intervention often feel moved by it for an important reason. It incorporates both direct and indirect models of intervention.

As opposed to the confrontational or Tough Love method – in which an addicted individual is ridiculed for their behavior – the ARISE method seeks to solve the addiction problem. Involving both the loved ones and the addicted individual through both of their perspectives. The entire focus of the method is to create a better family, not a better individual.

Once the addicted individual agrees to go to alcohol and drug treatment, all loved ones involved in the intervention must experience a treatment of their own. Generally, it’s some form of counseling that teaches loved ones to manage their lives around the addict. With that, the loved ones will be expected to learn how to help their addict after treatment and how to cure any negative wounds produced by the drug and alcohol addiction.

Often, the ARISE method is planned in advance and has the potential to go through a couple of meetings. These interventions are meant to encourage addicted individuals while educating family members too.

Is an Intervention Right for You?

 

There are many occasions where addicted individuals don’t need an intervention to realize they need drug and alcohol treatment. Sometimes, it just hits them at the right moment of their lives. The necessity for a change becomes overwhelmingly dominant.

Yet, there remain plenty of cases where an addicted individual is in denial over the harm they are doing to others and themselves. And these are typically the addicted individuals that need an alcohol and drug intervention. There’s the common occurrence that an individual doesn’t even realize they have a problem with alcohol and/or drugs until somebody brings it up.

If you or anyone you love is seeking an intensive outpatient treatment program or are just seeking more information on interventions, Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is glad to help. Please, give us a call today at (602) 535 6468 or email us at info@stonewallinstitute.com.

What Causes Drug Abuse?

Everyone grows up in this world differently. Therefore, not everyone’s drug abuse is triggered by the same causes. In fact, the causes for drug abuse can be so versatile, it’d be impossible to pinpoint every single source. Yet, there are common cases we have noticed amongst a good sum of addicted individuals. Likewise, these individuals also hold common aspects that sustain and fuel their addiction.

 

Genetic Susceptibility

It’s been scientifically stated that a person’s genetic makeup is accountable for half of their exposure to addiction. If your mother or father has suffered from addiction, there’s the tendency for the children to, likewise, experience similar sufferings.

This explains the commonality of families facing addiction together. Though it’s usually not the only probable cause for drug abuse, it remains a key factor in an individual’s decisions and behavior.

 

Personality Traits

Going off genetic susceptibility, there are certain personality traits people are born with that makes them more vulnerable to drug addiction. For example, if an individual feels experimental in terms of socializing, they may end up experimenting with drugs in a social regard.

It should be noted that though these personality traits come from one’s DNA, it’s not to say that the DNA held the trait of addiction. Rather, the DNA held traits that can lead to addiction if not disciplined properly.

 

Mental Health

In recent years, one of the biggest contributors to drug addiction has been mental health disorders. There are two reasons for this:

1. People suffering from mental health issues usually end up receiving prescription they become dependent on.

2. People suffering from mental health may seek out substances as a way of relief.

Another probability we’ve been noticing is there are occasions where non-mental health individuals develop mental health problems after addiction.

 

The Age When You Begin

Due to the fact that a teenager’s brain is still developing, if they take drugs at a young age, they are more likely to be dependent on them.

When an adult intakes drugs for the first time, after their brain has developed, they are less likely to be addicted. Reason being they didn’t allow their brains to grow while under the influence.

 

Environment

If you find yourself surrounded by other addicts on a daily basis, it’s going to be hard to avoid addiction within yourself. As the saying goes, we are a product of our environments. These surroundings are that of the following:

● Poor relations with family

● Lack of parent supervision

● Easily accessible drugs within community

● Being close with other addictions

 

Conclusion

Stonewall Institute Treatment Center is here to answer any questions you have on drug abuse. If you or a loved one is abusing drugs and are seeking out treatment, give us a call for more information on our facility at 602 535 6468 or email us at info@stonewallinstitute.com.

Arizona Alcohol and Drug Counseling Kyle Penniman

Kyle Penniman is an Arizona licensed alcohol and drug counselor working as Clinical Director of Stonewall Institute in Phoenix. As Clinical Director of the outpatient alcohol and drug counseling program, he helps those struggling with substance abuse to achieve sobriety. The affordable IOP has the best substance abuse counselor in Arizona. To schedule a complete alcohol and drug evaluation with Kyle Penniman MSW LISAC, call 602-535-6468 today at or visit the website at www.stonewallinstitute.com.

Kyle Penniman Alcohol and Drug Counseling Arizona

Kyle Penniman is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor currently working at Stonewall Institute where he has instituted an outpatient drug and alcohol counseling program that has helped many achieve long-sought sobriety. When looking for help for yourself or a loved one caught in the cycle of alcohol or drug addiction, you want to find a substance abuse counseling program that treats the individual with respect and empathy. The affordable IOP program at Stonewall Institute is the best substance abuse counseling program available. For the help you need, call Kyle Penniman today at 602-535-6468 or visit the website at www.stonewallinstitute.com.

For Effective Drug Counseling Call Kyle Penniman

Kyle Penniman has earned the reputation for being the best drug counselor in Arizona as Clinical Director of Stonewall Institute. If you are looking for help for yourself or a loved one caught in the cycle of drug addiction, look no further. The affordable IOP at Stonewall Institute can help. Our Intensive Outpatient Program works with the addict to focus on what triggers drug use, and then teaches life skills to avoid drug use. For the help you need, call Kyle Penniman today at 602-535-6468 or visit the website at www.stonewallinstitute.com.

Addiction Specialist Kyle Penniman

Kyle Penniman is Arizona’s best addiction specialist helping clients at Stonewall Institute with an innovative Intensive Outpatient Program developed for the treatment of substance abuse by Kyle Penniman. This affordable IOP treats alcohol and drug addiction as a disease that is treatable. Life issues are addressed as they occur, so triggers to use drugs or alcohol are processed before they can be acted upon. As a specialist in addiction treatment, Kyle Penniman utilizes evidence based addiction therapy for his clients. To find out more, call Kyle Penniman at 602-535-6468 or you can visit him online at www.stonewallinstitute.com.