|  INTERVENTIONS
How it works, what it’s about, where do you, family and friends fit in
and the basic principles of Intervention:
By: Daryl Samson
The Orchard Recovery Centre
CARE ACRONYM
- COMMUNICATE: Confront the specific problems with the person. Discuss the facts and possible causes. Don’t keep secrets and feed into the ability of the addicted person to compartmentalize their lives.
- AFFIRM: Express your concern and desire to help the person providing that they are willing to make a change. Support self-efficacy and validate any incremental change. Learn to listen and listen to learn. Roll with resistance.
- RESPOND: Refocus on the problem at hand, the facts, outcomes and possible consequences. Say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t say it mean. Don’t get caught up in the insanity of the addicted person. They are master manipulators who get what they want.
- ENACT: Discuss with the person the corrective course of action and how you will support their recovery. Do not issue mandates or ultimatums unless you intend to enforce it. You may have to hurt their feelings in order to save their life.
Key Point: Addiction thrives in secrecy therefore by confronting the situation you are no longer enabling the addicted person. If the person is not ready to accept help then you must learn to detach with love and let go of the outcome. In our love for others we often unintentionally provide a safety net that prevents one from facing the full consequences of their addiction. Hopefully the denial will be smashed which acts as a buffer from dealing with the reality of their situation.
Key Point: The addicted person is often the last one to know that they have a problem as they are caught up in a cycle of pain, blame and shame. They are not a bad person trying to get good, but a sick person trying to get well.
Key Point: Loved ones need to participate in the recovery process as it applies to them. Learn to set boundaries and say no regardless of the reaction of the addicted person. Read literature such as Co-dependency by Melody Beattie and attend Al-Anon or Nar-Anon to support the changes that you are going to have to make.
Key Point: Remember the chemically dependent person eventually takes hostages as opposed to having healthy relationships.
ENABLING: Behaviors that allow the disease to continue. Friends and family members are also in denial as they secretly deny the seriousness of the problem and excuse it. These people are acting out of a misguided sense of loyalty of wanting to protect the person but end up enabling the disease allowing progression to occur.
THE DISEASE MODEL:
- It is a PRIMARY disease. The addiction must be treated first before any other problem can be successfully managed.
- It is a CHRONIC illness. Chemical dependency cannot be cured. It can be successfully arrested or put in remission, but never eliminated. Abstinence will dictate wellness.
- It is a PROGRESSIVE disease. This condition will worsen over time.
- It is a FATAL disease. It is directly or indirectly related to mortality.
- It is a TREATABLE illness. Remission can be achieved through a spiritual way of living and recovery activities that must be incorporated into ones life.
- It is characterized by DENIAL. (Didn’t Even Notice I Always Lied) Denial is the psychological process that serves to keep the chemically dependent person out of touch with reality. Denial is caused by numerous factors, which act synergistically, including distortions of memory such as blackouts and euphoric recall, psychological defense mechanisms such as repression and projection, and social factors such as enabling by family and friends. It is common for the chemically dependent person to believe that they do not have a problem with alcohol or drugs despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Family and friends become increasingly frustrated when they are unable to convince the person that they have a serious problem. However, the person’s memory and perception of reality have become distorted. Insidiously, the same disease process that is causing so much damage in the person’s life is also preventing the person from fully recognizing it. Often the addicted person refuses treatment that would arrest the disease.
- TREATMENT: This process of education allows the sick person to understand that damage that they are doing to themselves and others. By educating themselves, the shame and the stigma is reduced to the point where they can hopefully embrace recovery and make the changes that they need to make, starting with abstinence from all mind-mood altering substances.
FAMILY & FRIENDS INTERVENE
Loved ones are gathered together to confront the addicted person. The process is designed to convey love and concern and not anger and resentment. Each person takes an opportunity to state his / her concerns backed up by actual events that causes concern and a desire for the person to seek treatment. This should be provided in verbal and written form (3 copies).
CONSEQUENCES: The impact of the intervention is its ability to create the “crisis” in the addicted person’s life to a point where the person sees treatment as the only option. If the person chooses not to engage, then some significant consequences go into effect. In general the participants withdraw their support until the person seeks help. This is not punishment but an attempt to allow the person to feel the full consequences of their behavior. Friends and family may have to detach with love in order to protect themselves from the often abusive or manipulative behavior of the sick person. The family cannot control drug / alcohol use but they can control their response to it.
I DIDN’T CAUSE IT, I CAN’T CONTROL IT,
I CAN’T CURE IT, BUT I CAN COPE WITH IT.
GOALS: The primary goal of any intervention is to motivate the person to seek immediate treatment. There are many reasons for attempting the intervention even if the person doesn’t engage in treatment.
- The enabling system is destroyed as the addict may find it difficult continuing without the chief enablers.
- Family and friends receive a valuable education so that they can better deal with addiction in the future.
- Participants are exposed to the resources available.
- The conspiracy of silence is broken. Secrets are exposed.
- Family and friends are exposed to various support groups (A.A., N.A. Al-Anon, Nar-Anon etc) They can learn about addiction and the recovery process.
- Contingency plans are generated. The addicted person may want to try it their way (outpatient) however if a relapse occurs then consequences are invoked. (treatment)
LIMITATIONS
Interventions may not be successful. All individuals must be on the same page in agreeing that treatment is required. The individuals must convey their message in a non-judgmental, non-punitive manner. This may be difficult if underlying anger and resentment is present. A seed may be planted even if they don’t seize this opportunity. We cannot predict what message will be heard and who the messenger will be.
- The family & friends may no longer care what happens to the person.
- They are too angry and punitive.
- They fear the anger or reaction of the addict or alcoholic.
- They are in their own denial in regards to the problem.
- Other family members and friends may be chemically dependent and are not wanting to face their own issues with substances. (hypocritical)
- Cutoff and distance may prevent action from occurring. (Geographic’s)
- Family system is well entrenched and fears change.
INTERVENTION PRINCIPLES
- The person has a disease that is causing significant damage in his or her life.
- Denial is part of the disease that prevents the person from fully appreciating the damage.
- The person is unlikely to seek help on their own.
- The people that surround the person can change the environment by destroying the enabling system and making it more likely that they will seek help.
- One of the most important factors influencing the person to seek help is the sense of love and concern conveyed by those involved in the intervention.
- Anger and punitive measures have no place in an intervention, and will only serve to increase the person’s defenses and make it less likely that they will receive help.
- Consequences for not going to treatment should not be designed to punish the addict. They should consider the health and well being of all involved.
- Individuals that require and intervention are in a great deal of denial and need intensive treatment. (Minimum 28 days – 65 days)
- It is useful to intervene even if the person does not go to treatment. Many secondary goals can be accomplished including planting a seed for future help or beginning a rigorous outpatient recovery program.
- Family and friends don’t have to suffer in silence and doubt their intuition.
“Intervention is not a “confrontation” but a well organized expression of genuine concern for a person that is sick with a chronic illness.”
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