Addiction Recovery & Continuing Care Network

Intervention

There are times when a family member, a friend, or an employer has exhausted all efforts to refer someone they are concerned about to enter treatment for a substance disorder. In these circumstances, an
Intervention Program may be the route to pursue.

Interventions are intense measures intended to place the full scope of someone’s addiction in front of them with an accompanying request that they
choose treatment or be prepared to live with the consequences of
continued addiction patterns.

Tags: intervention

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kathleen Cameron on March 13, 2011 at 1:15pm

My family decided to "intervene" when I had my last relapse. I had made a half-hearted attempt at suicide in what, I feel as I look back now, was really just a cry to help. Unfortunately, professionals were not involved. I felt very judged, and certainly under pressure to do something about it "right now". They demanded that I go to detox, not realizing that it is not as simple as just walking in there. These days you have to book these things. They demanded that I go to rehab, also not a simple thing as they take either a lot of money (which I did not have), or a couple of months waiting. Even if I had got into one in say, Ontario, how would I get there? They then stood back with their arms folded and waited for me to take action. I did, but it was the most horrible month I have ever experienced. I detoxed at home while trying to get myself into some kind of treatment. I had lost almost everything of material value and now stood at the point of losing my family also. But...I guess it certainly was a motivator. I did manage to get myself into a treatment centre, managed to get payment for it (although had to make a compromise that was huge for me financially), and managed to find an airline that would get me there and back for free (Hope Airlines run through the David Foster Foundation). Given how low I felt morally and physically, I feel that I had some divine intervention. That this was the way it was supposed to happen for this stubborn alcoholic who was full of self-will. My message in all this: Ya gotta wanna. You have to be willing to take the steps you need to take to change. In the end, nobody is going to do it for you. Half measures will certainly avail you nothing, and relapse after relapse has proven this to me.

Having said all that, boy I sure could have used some help and feel bad for others in the same position. But...maybe it just had to be that way.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tricia H on July 26, 2011 at 11:43am

Thanks for sharing a piece of your story Kathleen.... "Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon." .... Some of my favorite wisdom from the big book.

Kathleen Cameron said:

My family decided to "intervene" when I had my last relapse. I had made a half-hearted attempt at suicide in what, I feel as I look back now, was really just a cry to help. Unfortunately, professionals were not involved. I felt very judged, and certainly under pressure to do something about it "right now". They demanded that I go to detox, not realizing that it is not as simple as just walking in there. These days you have to book these things. They demanded that I go to rehab, also not a simple thing as they take either a lot of money (which I did not have), or a couple of months waiting. Even if I had got into one in say, Ontario, how would I get there? They then stood back with their arms folded and waited for me to take action. I did, but it was the most horrible month I have ever experienced. I detoxed at home while trying to get myself into some kind of treatment. I had lost almost everything of material value and now stood at the point of losing my family also. But...I guess it certainly was a motivator. I did manage to get myself into a treatment centre, managed to get payment for it (although had to make a compromise that was huge for me financially), and managed to find an airline that would get me there and back for free (Hope Airlines run through the David Foster Foundation). Given how low I felt morally and physically, I feel that I had some divine intervention. That this was the way it was supposed to happen for this stubborn alcoholic who was full of self-will. My message in all this: Ya gotta wanna. You have to be willing to take the steps you need to take to change. In the end, nobody is going to do it for you. Half measures will certainly avail you nothing, and relapse after relapse has proven this to me.

Having said all that, boy I sure could have used some help and feel bad for others in the same position. But...maybe it just had to be that way.