This is a guest post by Kelli Athas of Intercept Interventions.
Many families feel like an addict HAS to “hit bottom” before they will or can get help.
But the truth is MANY times an addict’s true bottom could be death. We describe a bottom as an acculturation of events. Your loved one may have been in and out of jail, they may have overdosed numerous times, or ended up in institutions they did not choose to go in to. For a “normal” person anyone of these events would have been enough for them to realize this life isn’t working out well. Unfortunately for an addict, these events cause them, even more, shame and guilt and they dive even deeper into their addiction to escape from those feelings of worthlessness.
If you notice the accumulation of negative and chaotic events happening closer and closer together it is probably a good time to reach out for help and get an objective point of view.
When a family comes together and makes a decision to initiate a positive change then life slowly begins to become manageable again. At that point, we take the necessary steps to find the best possible treatment and begin making a plan of action!
When we facilitate an intervention we use the addict’s devastating and chaotic behavior to show them that they have reached their bottom….but first we identify with them and let them know, “We’ve been there”, “We know that this life is a miserable existence and we are offering you your life back!” Then the addict hears the heartfelt letters from their family, they see they aren’t being judged….only loved.
This is a powerful and profound experience for EVERYONE involved. The family learns their loved one isn’t a bad person and the addict can finally begin to see that they are worthwhile.
Kelli Athas is a certified national drug and alcohol interventionist. She and her husband Nick Athas are the founders of http://Intercept Interventions.com, a program which helps families through the intervention process. Kelli is a highly sought after drug and alcohol recovery expert and works with courts, child protection services’ case managers and school administrators to mentor teens struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Their toll-free number 877-744-3578.
What are your thoughts about intervention? Leave them in comments.
If you liked this post, please share on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Thank you!
Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash
