Rescuing From Addiction

When we see family members or others we care deeply about suffering from addictions such as eating disorders, drugs, and alcohol we want to do all we can to help them. While people believe it's true that you can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves, it's important that we don't turn our backs on our loved ones and help them to realize that their addiction isn't only hurting them, it's hurting those who care for them as well.

There are many reasons people get addicted to things. Maybe they just wanted to try a certain drug one time and that one time was all it took for them to become addicted. Before they know it, they're in a spiraling chain downward and always looking for that next fix. Or maybe the addiction is one that's more concerned with body image which causes a young girl to starve herself or to throw up everything she eats because she believes that she is too fat. Influenced by the media to look a certain way, eating disorder addictions can quickly get out of hand.

Family members and friends who watch their loved ones suffer from addictions often feel helpless. But there is something you can do and that is intervene. Many have probably seen the reality television program on A&E called Intervention where loved ones intervene for someone they know that has an addiction such as drugs or alcohol. Just like in that television program, we can also intervene if there's someone we know who is suffering from an addiction. One thing you shouldn't do is to make the person feel as if they have nowhere to turn. Express your concern to them and let them know that you are there to help them. By all means, this doesn't mean that you should in any way, shape, or form support their habit but instead let them know how their addiction is affecting their life and the lives of those around them.

While treatment is available to those who want to take advantage of it, the person with the addiction has to first come to terms with and face the fact that they are suffering from an addiction. Once they admit they have a problem they have to be willing to go through rehab or a treatment program to help them overcome their addiction. This is a crucial time for family and friends to show their support and encourage the individual to continue on their treatment plan.

Family and friends often confront the individual who needs treatment prior to the individual seeking treatment. They may choose to have a family meeting with the individual or maybe they will write letters and plead with this person to get help for their problem. Intervening is a painful experience for all parties involved. Even for those who have never been addicted to anything, you must know that breaking free from an addiction is a hard and painful process. I'm sure many people are tempted to give up along the way. As a matter of fact, there are many people that do give up or even they complete treatment but soon fall back into their old habits and end up turning back to their addiction.

In some instances, family and friends don't put their hands out to intervene soon enough. Perhaps this is because they don't know exactly what they can do to help. Well for starters, they can go to treatment facilities and speak with counselors about what role they can play in intervening with someone they know who has an addiction. Learn the difference between helping and enabling. If you're enabling someone with an addiction you can't expect them to get any better. For instance, ignoring your daughter who is getting thinner and thinner and you know she's not eating is enabling her eating disorder addiction. Don't think that someone will "grow out of it" or that it's "just a phase."

Intervention itself can be scary to some because they may feel as if they're alienating the person they're trying to help. However, many interventions lead to treatment for the individual suffering from the addiction. At Addiction Intervention Resources which has an office located in Chicago, 90 percent of intervention subjects seek treatment for everything fro substance abuse to depression to compulsive behaviors. The exception to this 90 percent are meth addicts, with only 50 percent of them seeking treatment after an intervention. This is often due to the fact that the drugs they're on make them paranoid or psychotic.

For those individuals who seek treatment following an intervention, they tend to do better than those who go alone because they have their loved ones holding them accountable. Even if a staged intervention doesn't lead to immediate treatment, it often plants the seed that the person needs to decide to get help later on down the road. Believing that a person has to hit rock bottom before they can be treated isn't completely true. Interventions are a way to get people to get help before they are able to help themselves. Many addicts might not want to ask for help or they might not know exactly how to ask for help but an intervention from friends or family members is allowing the person to accept help without first asking for it.

It may feel like you're being ganged up on if you're addicted to something and all of your family and friends come to you at once. That's why many people write letters so they can read to the individual who they are there for and tell them exactly what their addiction is doing and how it's affecting those around them. Inventions can truly be eye opening experiences. The individual who is addicted can see that there are people who care about them and who want to see them get help for their problems. It's important for them to realize that there is life after their addiction and things can get better for them.

Experts have advised ways to intervene with loved ones who are suffering from addictions. First, don't go alone. Intervention works best when there is a group of people gathered together who care about the person in crises. Confront the person together and be unified in your message. The next thing that's important when intervening is that you be completely honest and don't keep any secrets. Everyone should be open and honest about what they know in order to get a clear picture of the problem. You should also make arrangements by having a treatment center picked out and reserved so that there aren't any obstacles. As mentioned earlier, be sure to write letters. It's easier to get your thoughts on paper than to just try to rattle them off the top of your head. In most cases, you'll probably be too emotional to think clearly and say everything you want to say. Your letter should let the person know how their addiction has affected your life and it should also include facts that prove they have a problem. Don't make threats or promises to the individual that you're not going to keep. For example, don't tell them you're going to kick them out or stop seeing them if they don't stop if you're not really prepared to do so. Finally, know that you can't force them into a treatment center. Many states have laws that prevent involuntary substance abuse treatment unless the person is mentally unstable and at risks of doing harm to themselves or others. If the person chooses to walk away from the intervention, you can still make sure none of your behavior enables their problem.

Many people see the signs of an addiction and fail to intervene in time. If you feel in your gut that something isn't right and others around you notice the same behaviors, you shouldn't ignore the problem. Never has ignoring a problem made it go away. If you're not sure exactly what to do or you just want some help as to how to go about your intervention, contact intervention and recovery centers in your area. For those in the Chicago area here are some places where you can seek help:

Addiction Intervention Resources, 312-822-3430, www.addictionintervention.com

New Hope Recovery Center, 773-935-1830, www.new-hope-recovery.com

Hearts of Hope, 630-232-9210, www.heartsofhope.net