Family Interventions:

If a loved one is struggling with addiction, waiting for him or her to hit rock bottom or decide to seek treatment is not the best approach to dealing with the situation. The issue of dependency on drugs or alcohol affects the entire family, not just the addict. And the longer the situation is allowed to continue, the more deeply entrenched the disease will become.

Ignoring the problem or making excuses for someone else’s behavior until he or she is “ready” to change is not going to bring the matter to a resolution. Family interventions are the best way to get someone you care for into an inpatient treatment program.

What Is An Intervention?

An intervention is a type of meeting where a group of concerned individuals (family and close friends) get together to present a united front to persuade a person to seek help or treatment for a problem. Ideally, it is held in a neutral location and the discussion somewhere private. This is not a family outing that you can hold in a restaurant or other public place.

Involving A Professional Interventionist

Many families work with a professional interventionist to guide them through this process. These are counselors who can explain how the intervention process works and answer any questions the family may have in advance. The counselor will want to meet with the family members in advance and spend some time getting to know them. Each family is different, and no two interventions are going to be exactly alike.

Everyone who will be present on the day of the intervention will be asked to write a letter that explains exactly how their loved one’s addiction has affected him or her. The goal is not to be angry or confrontational, but rather to share the impact the addiction has had on the entire family in a caring manner.

Consequences For Refusing To Go To A Drug Or Alcohol Treatment Program

Ideally, arrangements have been made in advance for the person to go directly into treatment if he or she agrees to get help. The decision always needs to rest with the individual; however, there needs to be clear consequences for refusing to get help. Family members need to be clear that they are no longer willing to support an addicted family member who continues to drink or use drugs.

Above It All Treatment Center can offer a number of treatment options for your loved one. Our custom drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs are based on each client’s individual needs. We offer short term, long term, and sober living options to help clients achieve and maintain long-term sobriety.

The first step to get on the road to a better life is to get your loved one to agree to seek help. Family interventions bring matters to a head and help you reach that goal.

More Tips On Confronting Addiction In A Loved One

Confronting Addiction In A Loved One

Most individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol do not believe or realize that a problem exists. Addiction has a way of changing people, and confronting an addict about their behavior can be difficult at best. Though approaching an addicted loved one may seem scary, an open mind, proper preparation, plan of action and willingness to discuss the issues at hand will work to ensure that the discussion goes smoothly.

Tips For Confronting And Dealing With An Addicted Loved One

1 – Before the discussion can begin, it is important to touch base with a substance abuse treatment program. You will be better prepared to move forward with the treatment process. The addict will be able to check in and get situated before they have the opportunity to change their mind.

2 – Do your research. Find information regarding why people use drugs, their effects on users, and the consequences associated with routine/long-term abuse. Educating yourself on the facts associated with addiction is crucial, ensuring that when the discussion or intervention takes place, that the focus is facts, rather than emotion.

3 – Engage your loved one with an open conversation by discussing the specific issues they have and which substances they are using. Make sure to listen to what they have to say, showing that you care in a calm, collected and non-judgmental manner.

4 – Offer up information regarding addiction to educate them as to the danger associated with their behaviors. Provide suggestions for rehabilitation and open up the conversation to include various treatment options.

5 – Discuss your concerns with other friends and family members of the addict. Tell them why you are concerned and what steps you are taking to combat the issue. Some people will ignore addiction until a point where the issue is properly illuminated. Opening up the discussion will promote support and communication amongst loved ones while working to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

6 – Consider an intervention. If an addict is hesitant to seek help on their own, an intervention may jump start the process. Interventions allow participants to communicate their feelings and concern to the addict in a direct, calculated and positive manner.

7 – Seek out professional help for the intervention. A trained interventionist will be able to provide an objective and accurate account of the addict’s behavior while serving as a mediator for friends and family members. Many interventionists will also help with the planning process to ensure a positive and productive experience for all involved.

Need Help Facing An Addict Or Addiction?

If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, Above It All Treatment Center is the place to call. Pick up the phone today and let our team of addiction specialists help you back on track towards the healthy, happy and fulfilling lifestyle you’ve been missing.

Learn How To Confront Teenage Drug Use

Cory Monteith Emmy Tribute Shines Spotlight On Addiction And Treatment

The television industry took time to remember the late Cory Monteith at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. Glee costar Jane Lynch described the late actor, who died in July at age 31 from a drug overdose, as a “beautiful soul.” She commented that his death was “tragic reminder of the rapacious, senseless destruction that is brought on by addiction.”

Despite his obvious talent and the warmth and wonderful sense of humor that friends and family will always remember about him, Monteith also struggled with a disease that took his life. He had sought addiction treatment more than once during his life. As a chronic illness, it needs to be constantly monitored for signs of relapse. Monteith’s tragic death shines a light on the issue of addiction and underlines the need to seek help immediately.

Effective Inpatient Addiction Treatment

Are you looking at long term vs. short term rehab for yourself or a loved one? Long term rehabilitation treatment involves a 90-day stay at an inpatient facility. During this time, you can focus your attention on getting well.

No two people seeking help for addiction are exactly the same. Each person’s treatment needs are evaluated, and in some instances, a short-term 14-28 day treatment program may be recommended. There is no quick-fix to deal with the issues around addiction, but some clients can benefit from this type of program.

Short term drug rehab treatment may be recommended when a client cannot be admitted into a program for 90 days due to work or family obligations. It may also be appropriate for a client who has been treated at an inpatient facility previously.

Customized Approach To Treatment

Each client entering a drug and alcohol treatment program for a short-term program will be given an individualized course of treatment. It will include attending 12-step program meetings, as well as:

  • Individual therapy sessions
  • Group therapy
  • One-on-one counseling
  • Life skills instruction
  • Education about addiction

The program also includes physical exercise, including hiking, nature walks, and yoga. Proper nutrition is important for clients in recovery, and they receive instruction on how to eat well.

Family Support During Addiction Treatment

Family support is important to help clients achieve long-term sobriety, and the Above It All Treatment Center includes them in this process. Through family sessions, they can share their feelings about addiction and understand the disease known as addiction. Everyone can help to move forward together to present a united front to help provide support once you or your loved one leaves the treatment program.

Above It All in Lake Arrowhead offers short and long-term rehab treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction. Our experienced staff can help you or your loved one find the right path to long-term sobriety.

How To Confront Teenage Drug Use

How-To-Confront-Teenage-Drug-UseAdolescence can be a difficult period for many. In addition to studies and hormones, teens must combat peer pressure, social trends and an enhanced curiosity – a recipe for trouble. In order to thwart negative exterior influence, it is important for parents to educate teens as to the dangers and consequences of their actions. If you suspect drug or alcohol use in your teen, it is vital that action be taken to address the issue in an effective and loving manner. Here’s how:

 

Confronting Teen Drug Use

1 – Know your battle by researching statistics and information pertaining to teenage drug use. The more informed you are on the topic, the better able you will be to get your point across. You may even call your local police precinct for additional help, as many keep brochures handy. Scare tactics may work on a minimal level – Care tactics are preferred.

2 – Designate a time to sit down and communicate with your teen in a calm and sober setting. Suggest a walk, drive, or sit down meal where you can enjoy some one-on-one time.

3 – Be respectful! Nobody likes to be talked down to. A parent who allows their emotions to dictate the conversation will enjoy little, to no success. Take deep breaths, speak calmly, and be direct.

4 – Tell your teen about your suspicions. Explain the signs you have noticed and request an explanation. If your teen is unable to offer reasoning for their behaviors or comes up with wild excuses, you can likely affirm these suspicions.

5 – Provide statistics and evidence to stress your point – Drugs are dangerous and unhealthy. Offer insight into the long-term effects of drug and alcohol abuse, including addiction, financial struggle, health issues and memory loss. Placing the issue into a real-world context may provide them with enough reason to stop. Dive into your teen’s personal goals and show how they will be affected if the drug/alcohol use persists.

6 – Share your own experiences with drugs and alcohol. Whether it’s having watched a friend deteriorate or your own dealings, it’s important that your teen know that they are not alone. A personal story will work to illustrate your point while offering a unique perspective on the topic.

7 – Listen! Preaching will get you nowhere if you are unable to communicate on an equal level. Ask why they choose to dabble with drugs. Is it peer pressure? Relaxation? Escape? Create a dialogue that is both safe and open. If you want your teen to be honest with you, they must feel comfortable to do so!

8 – Explain that you cannot approve of your teen’s drug use and that it must stop immediately. Outline consequences if they choose to continue but definitely offer assistance to help them quit.

Looking for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility? Contact Above it All drug & alcohol addiction treatment center today!

Read More About Teenage Drug Abuse and the Risks

Risks Factors For Teenage Drug Abuse

Unfortunately, teenage drug abuse is becoming more and more common throughout the United States. An array of factors play into the risks of teenage addiction – some of which can be controlled, and others which cannot. Major life changes, such as entering high school, moving to a new community or a graduation can all contribute to teenager’s tendency to experiment.

Home Environment and Family Lifestyle

Family dynamics can play a huge role on an adolescent’s behavior. Teens from households lacking proper boundaries and supervision are much more likely to dabble with drugs and alcohol than households with parental involvement. Adolescents left to their own devices for the majority of the day are afforded more time to partake in risky behaviors. A strong family bond is perhaps the best line of defense in teenage drug abuse prevention.

Personality Traits

Studies show that adolescents who are self-controlled and calm are less likely to dabble in drug and alcohol use than those with an aggressive personality. Teens who are afforded the ability to express their emotions and who feel that these emotions are heard are less likely to seek comfort through substance abuse. Adolescents showing a lack of interest in home and academics may also be at risk.

Environment and Community

Community plays a big role in drug abuse risk factors in teenagers. Kids who are raised in poor communities are more likely to dabble with alcohol and drug use. Research shows that close-knit communities actually work to decrease teenage substance abuse numbers – perhaps due to positive mentoring and bonding experiences throughout childhood. Mentors and role models offer support to teens facing stressful situations and transitions throughout adolescence.

Rules & School

School types are yet another risk factor in terms of teenage drug use. Educational facilities with a strict “no drug” policy see a decrease in student substance abuse numbers. Schools lacking proper regulation and supervision place teens at a much higher risk. These institutions are generally located in communities with fewer outreach programs and a lower socio-economic status.

Social & Peer Groups

Perhaps the highest risk factor for teenage substance abuse is the peer group that a teen associates with. Students who participate in school activities and sports are far less likely to engage in drug or alcohol use. Those who lack interest in school activities may belong to social groups that partake in drug use or other illicit behaviors. When an adolescent associates with a group that is known for trouble, the teen will likely begin exhibiting the same types of behaviors. Students with a focus on academics are also much less likely to experiment with substance abuse than those without.

Need Help?

Is your teen struggling with a substance abuse issue? Contact Above It All drug & alcohol addiction treatment center! With a team of seasoned addiction specialists available to address each patient’s individual needs, you can count on Above It All to have your teen on the fast track to recovery in no time. Call today for more information!

Family And Recovery: The Importance Of Involving Family

Why does the addict’s family need to be involved in the progress?  It seems pretty clear that the addict, who has been abusing alcohol and or drugs and placing him or herself and family members in difficult situations, should be the primary focus of any treatment process.

But, this viewpoint holds the recovery of the addict in question back, although it still is possible to recover without the family’s assistance.

What about Addiction and the Family is So Important in this Process?

Unfortunately, one of the primary difficulties of treatment lies in helping the family understand that they engaged in behaviors which helped make the addiction possible.  This is a much different statement than assigning the family blame.  It’s just the way addiction works – everyone shares a bit of responsibility and can do something to help the addict better, including all family members.

Families provide “enabling” behaviors which allow the addict to continue his or her destructive behavior.  Some of these behaviors are common enabling behaviors families give to addicts:

  • Providing money to the addict for any reason, knowing it will most likely be spent on drugs or alcohol
  • Justifying the addict’s behavior as “only occurring once in a while”
  • Giving the addict too much love, figuring they’ll “get better in their own time”
  • Allowing the addict to drink or use drugs as long as they don’t do something too dangerous, like driving

The point is that these behaviors in family members allow the addict to continue their behavior, when it’s best for the addict to learn a clear line of what is acceptable and what is not.  Drawing a boundary and ceasing enabling behaviors like this helps the addict understand and find motivation for discontinuing their destructive behavior.

This is why family counseling and on-going support is so important.

It’s Difficult for Addicts to get Better Alone

For family members having a difficult time understanding why they need to be involved in the treatment process, it’s important to remember how difficult anything is to do alone.  They should recall a time where they tried to handle something without talking with other family members, friends, or other trusted individuals.  It’s never easy to do something alone.

The more support a family member can get in recovery, the more likely they are to have a successful recovery.  Above It All Treatment Center helps family members understand how to support their loved in a healthy way so they discontinue the destructive behavior and begin living a happy and peaceful life.

Character Building

“But in other instances only the closest scrutiny will reveal what our true motives were. There are cases where our ancient enemy, rationalization, has stepped in and has justified conduct which was really wrong. The temptation here is to imagine that we had good motives and reasons when we really didn’t. We ‘constructively criticized’ someone who needed it, when our real motive was to win a useless argument. Or, the person concerned not being present; we thought we were helping others to understand him, when in actuality our true motive was to feel superior by pulling him down. We sometimes hurt those we love because they need to be ‘taught a lesson,’ when we really want to punish. We were depressed and complained we felt bad, when in fact we were mainly asking for sympathy and attention. This odd trait of mind and emotion, this perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one, permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness can underlie the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.”

-from the chapter on Step Ten from the AA Twelve and Twelve.

Putting What We Learn Into Practice

Most of us at some point and time both during the height of our using, and even after receiving addiction treatment, have had a hard time taking care of ourselves and the relationships we have had with others. Many of us know all too well what it’s like to sacrifice doing the healthy and right thing in order to continue feeling okay in the moment. This leads to the punishing, and harmful cycles it talks about in the excerpt above. If we do not get help, and we remain spiritually sick, then we will continue these behaviors as well as continue rationalizing them. Through a drug addiction detox, AA or 30-90 day rehab facilities we can begin to learn how to take care of ourselves and live an honest life.

It is through this as well as continuing to strive for personal growth that we can begin to heal and become happily and usefully whole.

Getting Sober and Circumstances of Life

“Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover unless he has his family back. This just isn’t so. In some cases the wife will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family came back too soon. Both you and the new man must walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress. If you persist, remarkable things will happen. When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. Follow the dictates of a higher power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!” pg.-100 Working with Others from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When first receiving alcohol addiction help and getting sober many of us think that life should look a certain way and that we should have certain things or get the things we lost back just because we are sober. While most of us do get our life’s back there are things and relationships that take time to heal and get back. That does not mean we cannot recover. There is no person place or thing that can keep us sober or stop us from recovering. Regardless of age, sex, job, race, political views, religion, and circumstance we can all recover. Those other possessions and relationships will come back if and when they are meant to. All we need to do is show up, and do the work that is asked of us in life, a drug addiction detox, AA, or 30 day rehab program. Regardless of the way our life looks the fact is that if we didn’t drink today, our lives are better for that alone, and the rest is extra.

What Is Different With Adolescent Addiction Treatment

Drug rehab is focused on overcoming addiction, one day at a time, and rehab programs for teens share that same fundamental goal. But in adolescent drug rehabilitation programs, how they get there is different. For example, one of the biggest obstacles in treating teenage drug users is simply getting them to admit there’s a problem. Adolescents typically harbor deep feelings of denial, in part because they’ve only been using for a couple of years — they haven’t yet lost a spouse or a career because of addiction.

If they don’t seek help, of course, teen addicts may never have a spouse or career, and an overdose could end their lives before the age of 20. Adolescent addiction treatment programs specialize in bringing this message home to teens — sometimes through the use of peer counselors and other young adults with whom these clients can better relate.

Another unique offering of most adolescent drug rehab programs is education. Oftentimes a teen will have to go to treatment during the school year, or they may have already dropped out of school completely. All of our adolescent drug rehab programs offer G.E.D’s or daily tutoring to keep teens up-to-date with their studies while attending treatment. To learn more, call 888-634-4546.

The most important step is for the addicted teen to enter treatment. An addiction intervention may be necessary in convincing the adolescent there’s a problem. Because denial is so prevalent in younger addicts, concerned parents may have to force their child to seek help — threatening, for example, to kick them out of the family house if that doesn’t happen. Did you buy your son a new car for his 18th birthday? Threaten to take the keys back. You may be saving your child’s life.

Once a client enters adolescent drug rehabilitation, the process usually goes something like this:

  • Treatment begins with an intake process that will identify any particular issues, in addition to substance abuse that the client is struggling with – such as eating disorders or mental illness/dual diagnosis.
  • The next important step is detox, a difficult but necessary process that removes all drug toxins from the body.
  • Once the addict has detoxed, the intensive residential treatment stage (sometimes 30 days, sometimes longer) kicks into high gear, complete with individual/group therapy and family counseling. Unlike adult drug rehab centers, adolescent drug treatment includes an academic component. Teens will continue their studies while in rehab, ensuring they return home healthier, happier and still caught up with their classmates.
  • After the teen returns home, continued outpatient treatment is an essential part of a successful recovery. Relapse prevention requires a sustained effort, and outpatient care may include counseling or attending local 12-step support groups.

Getting Sober and the Family

“If not irritable, he may seem dull and boring, not gay and affectionate as the family would like him to be. Mother may complain of inattention. They are all disappointed, and often let him feel it. Beginning with such complaints, a barrier arises. He is straining every nerve to make up for lost time. He is striving to recover fortune and reputation and feels he is doing very well. Sometimes mother and children don’t think so .having been neglected and misused in the past, they want him to make a fuss over them. They expect him to give them the nice times they used to have before he drank so much, and show his contrition for what they suffered. But dad doesn’t give freely of himself. Resentment grows. He becomes still less communicative. Sometimes he explodes over a trifle. The family is mystified. They criticize, pointing out how he is falling down on his spiritual program.” Pg. 126 The Family Afterward, from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Most of us have had experiences where our family thinks our sobriety should look a certain way. Sometimes they want to tell us what we need to do whether it is go to a 30 day rehab program to get help, spend more time with the family, go to a drug addiction detox, go to more meetings, or go to fewer meetings so we can be home more etc. This can become annoying at times but what we have to realize is they are very much going through what we are in the sense that for years our using life was the only one they knew. Even though it was awful at least it had become familiar and now that we are sober it’s all new to us and to them. Change can be scary not only to us but also to family. They know just about as much as we do as far as what things are going to look like after receiving alcohol addiction help is concerned. The only thing we can do is be an example, stay sober, and show up for our family.