Posts by EdwardBrown:
Healthy Boundaries
March 4th, 2009One of the goals of a drug intervention or alcohol intervention is to create change on behalf of the addict. The most fundamental change occurs when the addict makes the decision to accept drug treatment and begin the path to recovery. As important as it is to create a change in the addict’s behavior, equally important are the changes that must occur in the lifestyle of the family and friends of the addict.
One of the changes that must occur in the family is the creation of healthy boundaries. The formulation of a boundary occurs when the family and friends of the addict stop behavior which has facilitated, encouraged, or in any way supported th addiction. It is necessary for boundaries to develop so that if the addict chooses to maintain his addiction, he, and he alone, suffers the consequences that inevitably result from the addiction.
For instance, if an addict finds himself in a pattern of missing work, school, or social obligations, the family and friends have to stop making excuses, or flat out lying, to defend the addict’s absences. In these situations where boundaries are not set up, the family and friends are left to suffer the anguish and consequences while the addict continues his behavior without repercussion.
Another example, albeit extreme, is the “trust fund” addict. In this case the addict has a built-in source of income and is free to live a life of addiction without the typical worry of where money will come from to support his habit. With room, board, and all other expenses paid for, including money for drugs, he has no worries other than where and when he will get his next dose of drugs or alcohol. I’ve worked with many families in this situation. One of the questions I’ve posed to the parents or trustor of the addict (where boundaries are not set and a stream of money is flowing in the direction of the addict) is why don’t you really make life easy for the addict and just buy the drugs and alcohol for him and deliver it to him personally. After all, I explain, what do they think he is using the money for?
The problem is that oftentimes families tend to love the addict to death. They feel some responsibility or obligation to do whatever they can to make things easier for the addict in the hope that the addict will miraculously change their addictive behavior. Typically, that does not occur and the addict sinks deeper and deeper into the disease of addiction.
It is up to the family to draw the line in the sand. Make a pledge to do everything they can in their power to help the addict in his recovery, but do absolutely nothing to support him in his addiction. Clearly, creating these types of boundaries has the potential of being difficult and gut-wrenching in application. After all, the addict has lived months or perhaps years with the comfort of the family either boldly supporting his addiction or hiding their collective heads in the sand and pretending that it does not exist. Change at this point in the relationship seems extreme, but it has to occur. Think of it this way; if the family does nothing and continues their enabling relationship with the addict, the only change destined to occur is the condition of the addict going from bad to worse.
When families and friends do decide to make healthy boundaries it is important that guidance is sought prior to implementation. Families should consult with drug and alcohol treatment centers, therapists, physicians, and/or drug counselors. Consultations will necessarily help with issues relative to the family as they contemplate change in their behavior, as well as concerns for the addict including, but not limited to, self-harm and violence.
If you would like more information concerning the Alcoholic Intervention process, contact Intervention Specialist http://www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 866 534 4443.
Don’t Let the Economy Restrain a Needed Drug Intervention
February 28th, 2009It seems that not a day goes by without being hit with depressing news regarding our economy. Radio, television, and print constantly remind us that times are tough and that despite an economic stimulus package being ushered through by congress, our economic troubles are far from over. In light of our struggling economy, the public seems to be “trimming the fat” from their family budgets in order to ride out this economic storm. Unfortunately, one of the expenses that seems to be suffering from family budget cutbacks is money that was earmarked for drug intervention services and addiction treatment.
The problem with cutting out drug intervention and addiction treatment from the family budget is that the addiction problem does not simply vanish. It is a progressive disease and, generally speaking, over time the addiction gets worse. People die from addiction. In view of the consequences of addiction, the question families need to ask themselves is whether they really want to deny intervention services and drug treatment for a friend or family member suffering from drug addiction.
The good news is that if you are among the millions of families out there trimming the family budget and you have a friend or family member who is suffering from drug addiction, there are ways to provide help without draining the budget.
On the drug treatment front, there are state and county programs available that offer either free or low cost drug treatment services. You may find yourself spending hours on the phone tracking down such facilities, but it will be time well spent once you find an available facility. Try contacting your county Department of Health and Human Services for county funded drug treatment facilities. Another great resource is your local Salvation Army. If you do not receive information you need from these resources, do not get off the phone until you get a referral to some other agency that might provide the help you are looking for.
If you need to facilitate a drug intervention to get your loved one into treatment please call me at 866 534 4443 and I’ll be happy to explain the drug intervention process, costs involved, and some of the challenges involved in a drug intervention. If you feel that hiring a drug interventionist is beyond your financial resources call me anyway and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. You may be able to facilitate a drug intervention on your own. There are excellent resources out there to help you. You might try reading up on the subject first. Debra and Jeff Jay have authored an excellent book on the subject entitled Love First. Another excellent book appropriately entitled Intervention was authored by Vernon Johnson who was one of the early pioneers of drug interventions.
Although the reading materials on the subject of drug interventions are an excellent resource, the process of facilitating a drug intervention on your own, without any prior experience, can be daunting. Think of a person trying to change a head gasket on an engine block without any mechanical experience. There may be engine repair manuals to help you along the way, but you are bound to have many questions that may not be addressed in the manual. In that regard, several years ago I created a service that I call “Do it yourself Interventions.” This is a service I provide to families who need intervention services but do not have the resources to hire an intervention specialist to come out and facilitate the process from the beginning to end. I provide all of the materials needed for the intervention along with several hours of phone consultation to help families walk through the process at a fraction of the cost.
The bottom line is that addiction should not be ignored despite the economic costs associated with drug intervention and drug treatment. The problem of addiction will continue, and, more than likely, will get worse.
If you would like more information concerning the Alcoholic Intervention process, contact Intervention Specialist http://www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 866 534 4443.
Do We Need an Intervention Specialist?
January 17th, 2009Well, the short answer is not necessarily. In fact, if you are living with or know a friend or family member who is suffering from addiction, you’ve probably already intervened several times before and not even known it. Anytime you have stepped in and asked the addict to stop their addiction disorder, you have technically intervened. The problem, however, lies with the results.
What happened with the addict? Did they stop? Did you offer a solution? Was there sufficient support from family and friends? These, and many more questions, need to be asked and resolved following an informal alcohol intervention approach.
What about the case where family/friends have not made any realistic efforts to get help for the addict or where the family/friends have unsuccessfully tried an informal approach, but would like a more structured and informed attempt.
Does the family need to hire an intervention specialist? Again, the answer is not necessarily. There are some great intervention books out there designed to help families through the intervention process. Perhaps the best is from the pioneer of interventions, Vernon Johnson entitled, appropriately, Intervention. Another favorite of mine is Love First, by Jeff and Debra Jay. The internet has a wealth of information on the subject and you can even see the process of a drug intervention unfold on the television screen with A & E’s show Intervention and Fuse Network’s Rock Bottom.
The bottom line is that you can orchestrate your own drug intervention. Now, having given you the motivation and resources to begin the process on your own, there are some MAJOR factors to consider.
Perhaps the first item of concern is the fact that when it comes to addiction disorders, you are dealing with life and death. Period. I know that sounds dramatic, but that is the reality of the situation. Drug addiction is a disease that is progressive and is designed to kill. The decision to hire an intervention specialist oftentimes is predicated on the notion that the family may very well have only one chance to face their addicted loved one regarding their drug addiction and that it should be done with a seasoned intervention specialist.
Another factor is emotions. If not properly coached, an intervention team runs the risk of an anger-based intervention. Think of past attempts confronting the addict. Were you angry, frustrated and/or volatile during your attempt? Did you end the process wanting to pull your hair out, or, worse yet, ring the addict’s neck? A properly trained intervention specialist will not only be emotionally removed from the event, but also will have prepared the team on how to conduct themselves throughout the process.
The defense mechanisms and objections hurled at the intervention team by the addict will come often and with great precision. Count on it! Addicts are brilliant with their persuasion and protestations. And every fiber of your body will want to believe them. Will you be strong enough to hold your ground? Will you be able to see that what is happening is that their addictive mind has taken over their rational thinking and that the addict is doing everything he can to protect his disease and perpetuate his drinking/using.
There are many other considerations including logistics, treatment facility, family treatment and aftercare. The advantage of hiring an intervention specialist is that you will be counseled on all issues throughout the process. I realize that as an intervention specialist, my opinion may come across as being completely biased, but I believe the best approach when dealing with an addict is to hire a professional. There is simply too much at stake, namely life.
I can tell you from personal experience that had I not been intervened, with a professional intervention specialist present, I would not be alive today. My disease was too strong for my family. They had no chance against my addictive defense mechanisms. It was only through the persistance and conviction of the intervention specialist that I made it to treatment and came out the other end a vibrant, healthy and functioning human being.
If you would like more information concerning the Alcoholic Intervention process, visit http://www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 866 534 4443.
Planning an Alcohol Intervention?
January 3rd, 2009If you have a friend or family member who is suffering from alcoholism, you are no doubt aware of the byproduct of the disease. You’ve probably witnessed the alcoholic isolate from friends and family, a decline in health, problems at work, depression and perhaps criminal issues. To make matters worse, alcoholism has been described as progressive, meaning that over time it gets worse. To put it a different way, where the alcoholic is presently at in his lifestyle and overall condition is as good as it gets for him. And for most alcoholics, that condition is dismal.
You may have tried to convince the alcoholic to get help. You’ve begged, pleaded and cried, all to no avail. Alcoholics are brilliant with their defense mechanisms, and will say and do most anything to get you off his back, end the conversation and resume his drinking in peace.
One option in dealing with alcoholics is to do nothing and hope he hits the proverbial “bottom” and magically requests help. Sometimes this option works, but the potential downside is huge. “Bottoms” oftentimes include death, jail and/or irreversible health problems. The question is, why would friends and family members allow the alcoholic to go that route if another option is available?
The option I’m referring to is an alcohol intervention. An alcohol intervention is a process orchestrated by friends and family members in an attempt to stop the destructive and life-threatening behavior of a person suffering from alcoholism. Some people view an alcohol intervention as an unwarranted intrusion into the life of an alcoholic. Quite the contrary is true. While alcoholics may very well be upset at the notion of a family intervention, the family needs to understand that any such anger is the result of the disease doing its best to maintain the addiction and perpetuate the disease. If the intervention team is properly coached on what to say and how to act throughout the process, an intervention can be one of the most loving, caring and supportive event a family can do for their loved one who is suffering from the addiction.
If you are considering an intervention, the first item of importance is the question of treatment. You simply do not go forward with an intervention unless the treatment facility is lined up and ready for him to admit. And, since treatment is the solution to the problem, the family needs to address a variety of questions relating to the desired treatment facility. What treatment facilty will best suit the alcoholic’s needs? Does he treat close to home or far away? Are there dual diagnosis issues? Who will pay? Is there medical insurance available? The above questions represent a portion of what needs to be addressed when considering a treatment facility. It may seem overwhelming, but with the assistance of an intervention specialist and/or other medical health practitioners, the treatment facility selection process is manageable.
The next item of importance when considering an intervention is the formation of an intervention team. You might have noticed that past one-on-one conversations with an alcoholic usually result in extreme frustration and anxiety on your part, and no change from the alcoholic. The alcoholic will employ a variety of defense mechanisms to diffuse your attempts. Responses such as “I don’t have a problem, get off my back, I’ll just go to an AA meeting, I can quit on my own, you are making a big deal out of nothing” are just a sampling the denial-based responses you may have heard. The presence of a group of properly coached friends and family members delivering “testimony” in a loving and supportive manner has the tendency to remove the alcoholic from his defense-minded comfort zone and, significantly, out of his head and into his heart.
Treatment facility selection and the formation of a team represent two major decisions when organizing an alcoholic intervention. There are other substantive and logistical considerations. While organizing an alcoholic intervention may seem daunting, help from family members and, in particular, an intervention specialist will ease the overall process and enhance the success of the event.
If you would like more information concerning the Alcoholic Intervention process, visit http://www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 866 534 4443.
Can We Force the Addict Into Treatment?
January 3rd, 2009Occasionally, I’ll get the call where a family member asks if there is a process to forcibly send a person into treatment. Some families will ask if there is a way to simply restrain the addict, throw him in the back of a van, and haul him off to treatment. While I certainly understand the frustrations involved in living with an addict and the never- ending requests to get them help (that typically fall on deaf ears), generally speaking, the answer is no. You can’t kidnap an addict and force treatment upon him.
The best solution is an alcohol or drug intervention. However, any seasoned intervention specialist will tell you that there are no guarantees when it comes to interventions. The addict still has the right to reject treatment. In most cases, it is still advisable to go forward with the intervention. The family will at least have had the opportunity to get together as a team, provide a solution (treatment), and, God forbid, if something bad does befall the addict (further health complications, loss of job, jail, etc.) the family can feel a small level of comfort by knowing they all got together, did the best job they could and offered the gift of treatment. Additionally, the seed will have been planted in the addict’s mind that a solution is available with the family waiting in the wings to offer support throughout the recovery process.
The alcohol intervention or drug intervention offers yet another way to strongly suggest accepting the gift of treatment. To the extent it is available within the framework of family or friends, leverage can be used to persuade the addict to accept help. Addicts often view leverage as a means of forcing treatment upon them, but this is simply not true. With leverage, the addict still has the right to reject treatment. The result of such rejection, however, comes with consequences.
For instance, an employer may attend the alcohol intervention of an addicted employee. If the employee resists treatment, as a last resort, the employer may create a boundary wherein if the addict continues to resist treatment he will lose his job. Notice that in this example the addict still has a choice. He can resist treatment and continue drinking. If he does, however, he will now have to face the consequence of job termination. This type of leverage can be a powerful tool in not only “persuading” the addict into treatment, but also in eliminating the enabling and, perhaps more importantly, creating healthy boundaries for those friends and family members of the addict.
California does allow for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation, commonly referred to as a 5150, with an eye toward obtaining some level of short term medical treatment during the mandatory hold. The 5150 process does have specific criteria and is not an easy undertaking, especially if you are dealing with a reluctant participant to the treatment process.
The California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 5150 is an application for involuntary admission for up to 72 hours from the time the declaration is written. WIC 5150 is not itself a direct admission form and does not of itself authorize the involuntary admission; it merely gets the individual to the door. Then, as described in WIC 5151: Prior to admitting a person to the facility, the professional person in charge of the facility or his or her designee shall assess the individual in person to determine the appropriateness of the involuntary detention. During the period of confinement, a confined individual is evaluated by a mental health professional to determine if a psychiatric admission is warranted. Confinement and evaluation usually occurs in a county mental health hospital or in a designated emergency room facility. If the individual is then admitted to a psychiatric unit, only a psychiatrist may rescind the 5150 and allow the person to either remain voluntarily or be discharged.
On or previous to the expiration of the 72 hours, the psychiatrist must assess the person to see if they still meet criteria for hospitalization. If so, the person may be offered a voluntary admission. If it is refused, then another hold for up to 14 days may be applied for.
The criteria for a 5150 hold requires probable cause. This includes danger to self, danger to others together with some indication, prior to the administering of the hold, of symptoms of a mental disorder, and/or grave disability. The conditions must exist under the context of a mental illness and the person must be refusing psychiatric treatment.
I can report from experience that a 5150 hold is not an easy process and one that local authorities take very seriously. A family called me to help them facilitate an alcohol intervention. Their loved one, a 50ish year old female alcoholic, was resistant to treatment, lived alone in a large house and was a recluse. It was clear that her alcoholism was progressing to the point where her family feared that she would soon die (several days at best) from the disease. Though we tried for several hours to “reach” her through the intervention process, the intervention ended with a phone call to 911 requesting a 5150 on the basis of grave disability.
Police and the fire department arrived and preformed a brief assessment using the above-referenced criteria. After asking her a series of questions to determine mental state (name, where do you live, what day is it, etc.) and questioning her further regarding suicidality and homicidality, they determined that she did not meet the criteria for a 5150 hold. Although she arguably was gravely disabled (she was drunk at the time, empty bottles all over the floor, empty food containers strewn about), her condition was nevertheless insufficient to satisfy the “gravely disabled” provision of the code and the authorities had no alternative but to leave the house.
While a 5150 hold is available where appropriate, it is not a guarantee. Specific statutory criteria must be met. In cases where a 5150 is requested resulting from addiction, there still remains the very serious question of drug/alcohol treatment. At best, the family hopes for three days (and perhaps an additional 14 if granted) to plant the seed of treatment to address the addiction issues.
If you would like more information concerning the Alcoholic Intervention process, visit http://www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 866 534 4443.