I have a loved one who needs help but doesn’t want it. Should I do an Intervention?

Alcoholism and drug addiction can affect a spouse, a parent, sibling, friend,
or co-worker.

Feelings from fear, anger, pain, or shame are ignored or denied. Underlying
problems may include any of the following:

• An addiction by a family member to drugs, alcohol, relationships, work, food, sex, or gambling.
• The existence of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
• The presence of a family member suffering from a chronic mental or physical illness.

Attention and energy focus on the family member who is addicted. You
may have good intentions. You even try to take care of a person who
is experiencing difficulty, but the caretaking becomes compulsive and
defeating.

The problem is that these repeated rescue attempts allow the needy
individual to continue on a destructive course and to become even more
dependent on the unhealthy caretaking. As this reliance increases, you may
develop a sense of reward and satisfaction from “being needed.” When the
caretaking becomes compulsive, you may feel helpless in the relationship,
but are unable to break away from the cycle of behavior that causes it.

It is important for family members to educate themselves about the course
and cycle of addiction and how it extends into their relationships. A lot
of change and growth is necessary for an addicted person’s family. Any
caretaking behavior that allows or enables abuse to continue in the family
needs to be recognized and stopped. Family members must identify and
embrace their own feelings and needs. This may include learning to say “no.”

A main characteristic is a BIG focus on another person. This is
usually our loved one – spouse, significant other, lover, boyfriend or
girlfriend.

In a relationship with an alcoholic and/or addict, a person will do anything to
keep it from dissolving. So nothing is too much trouble, takes too much time
or is too expensive if it will “help” the person you may be involved with, even
willing to take more than 50% of the responsibility, guilt and blame in any
relationship.

No doubt about it, this, in and of itself, can be a serious, even fatal addiction.
And we have to ask what can be done about it? One of the main tools that
is used is Intervention.

Intervention

One out of three people is living with or related to someone with an alcohol
or other drug problem. Drug and alcohol intervention can and will save the
life of a loved one who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Families and friends
must choose to not look the other way but to proactively seek help for the
substance abuser.

Drug and alcohol intervention is an attempt by family members and friends
to help a chemically dependent person get help for their addiction. The
purpose of an addiction intervention is to help the substance abuser see
the physical and mental destruction their addiction creates. Interventions
are usually successful and often enable the alcoholic/addict to move on to a
successful drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Drug and alcohol abusers are usually the last to admit there is a problem.
Family, friends and careers suffer and can be destroyed by the abuser’s
addiction. Intervention is the most effective technique families can use to
help a loved one suffering from chemical dependency, alcoholism, or other
drug addiction. It is also the most ignored. Intervention is the most powerful
step that a family can take to initiate the recovery process. By taking action,
families and friends can get help for their loved one and help for themselves
as they cope.