Most people at some point in their lives discover someone they love or work with has a problem with alcohol or drugs. Public health experts estimate 1 in 10 people has a substance abuse problem, so it is unlikely you will never meet someone who needs addiction treatment. And chances are some of those people need an intervention. How do you know if an addiction intervention is the right next step for your family?
We suggest you first read “How to Recognize a High-Functioning Alcoholic” to help you eliminate any denial or soft-pedaling by family members. The high-functioning alcoholic can be one of the most difficult to do an intervention on because denial is so strong.
Families often proceed with an alcohol intervention when the alcoholic has really done significant damage, such as been arrest for DUIs, ended up in the hospital, been in a car wreck, or has completely ruined their financial, professional, and family lives. Full Story
Dual diagnosis is a serious health condition characterized by overlapping symptoms of substance abuse/addiction and at least one other diagnosable mental health problem. Many people in the U.S. dealing with substance issues meet the criteria for this condition, and subsequently have worse mental/physical outcomes than others who do not meet the criteria. In a study published in November-December 2014 in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, researchers from three U.S. universities concluded that effective treatment of substance problems in people with dual diagnosis may lead to a decline in violent/aggressive behavior, a phenomenon linked to several forms of mental illness. Full Story
Brief alcohol interventions are short sessions that doctors and other health professionals use to identify people affected by serious drinking problems or at risk for such problems, and also to encourage a switch to safer patterns of alcohol intake. Current evidence indicates that these interventions have a positive effect in a number of settings. In a study published in September 2014 in the journal Substance Abuse, a team of American researchers explored the usefulness of brief alcohol interventions given to young people receiving treatment in an emergency room. Full Story
The “three Cs” are an important piece of advice for anybody with a family member struggling with addiction: you didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it. It can be explained very easily, but actually taking the message on board is far from simple. As a parent, you’re inclined to think that you made some sort of mistake in raising your child, or that if you just restrict his or her freedom enough or find the “right” method, you could help your child get better. Full Story
Some psychologists and addiction specialists believe that people affected by substance abuse or substance addiction go through varying stages of willingness to change and seek help for their problems. They also believe that affected individuals may have the greatest chance of breaking a damaging pattern of substance use when the interventions or treatments take their relative willingness to change into account. In a study slated for publication in 2014 in the journal Addiction, researchers from three German institutions compared the effectiveness of “stage-tailored” alcohol interventions to the effectiveness of interventions that don’t vary according to a problem drinker’s stage of willingness.
By Edie Weinstein, MSW
That is an implicit question cleverly peeking out from the storyline of “The Lengths,” which is the first feature-length film co-written and produced by a young filmmaker named Tim Driscoll. Had I seen the trailer for the movie in a theater, I would have been interested in viewing the road trip adventures of ne’er-do-well Charlie, far more responsible but hopelessly love-struck Tom and free spirit mystery woman Hanna. The therapist in me would be attempting to figure out the relationship dynamics and motivations for their behaviors… wait a minute; I am about to do that.
In the U.S. and many other countries, early adulthood is known as a time of high alcohol consumption and involvement in risky, potentially life-threatening alcohol-related practices. For young adults (and the members of other age groups), the ability to limit alcohol intake is linked to a belief in one’s ability to control drinking urges and behaviors. In a study scheduled for publication in July 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers from Great Britain and Iran investigated whether young adults can learn to increase their perceived level of drinking self-control.
More than 22 million Americans struggle with substance abuse in any given year, with the problem affecting one in four families in the U.S. The impact this has on the individuals, their families and society as a whole is hard to overstate. Besides the users’ physical and psychological issues, the stress and strain they put on their families can drive people to their breaking point while they struggle to do the best they can to help their loved one.
Brief intervention is a general term used to describe short sessions of counseling or advice designed to educate people about various critical health issues. Substance abuse and addiction experts sometimes deliver information in this form in order to help reduce or eliminate an individual’s use of drugs or alcohol. In a study published in October 2013 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers from four U.S. institutions examined the effectiveness of brief interventions in reducing the impact of cannabis use among U.S. teenagers. Some of the interventions under consideration were administered via computer, while others came directly from a therapist.