Drug Addiction Info

 image: young female drug addict sitting on steps depressed  image: doctor holding hand of drug addict  image: doctor visiting drug abuser in hospital  image: nurse with old female drug abuser

 

Drug Addict Intervention

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image: businessman in misery from drug addictionIn a drug addict intervention, people who are dependent on drugs are confronted by family members and friends in relation to their drug addiction and how their abusive and chronic drug abuse has affected virtually everyone around him or her.

Drug addict interventions should be carefully planned and developed by proficient substance abuse intervention counselors who are experienced in such procedures. The most fundamental purpose of a drug addict intervention is to get the drug dependent individual to seek qualified drug addiction counseling.

Drug Addict Intervention:  An Essential Outline

Scientific inquiry demonstrates that one way of coping with drug addiction is to conduct an intervention.  What is a drug addict intervention?

To a large extent, an intervention can be viewed as a step in the drug addiction treatment process in which the drug abuser or addict is confronted with reference to his or her drug abuse behavior and how his or her abusive, excessive, and careless drug abuse has affected friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors. 

Stated in a different manner, a drug addict intervention is a meeting involving the drug dependent person, family members, friends, possibly an employer, along with a mental health or a chemical dependency intervention expert.  In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the guidance and administration of the healthcare or mental health intervention specialist, communicate their concern regarding the addict's drug abuse and strongly "encourage" the addict to get professional help.

Usually in an intervention, family members and friends tell the addict in their own words how they are concerned with reference to the addict and how his or her drug addiction has created fear, frustration, anxiety, and other problems in their lives.  The objective of a drug addict intervention centers on the addict listening to what has been said and then accepting the fact that he or she needs professional drug dependency treatment.

It is important to state that drug addict interventions are normally resorted to when all other choices have been exhausted in an attempt to help an individual triumph over a serious chemical dependency problem.

The most obvious sign of addiction is using drugs or alcohol uncontrollably, despite the fact that use is causing problems. Addicted people’s behavior can change dramatically, and they can act out of character, which is confusing and upsetting to friends and family members.

Drug Addict Interventions Can Fail

Substance abuse research points out the fact that quite a few drug abuse and substance abuse counseling centers have stopped doing drug addict interventions because they sometimes fail.  Stated in a different way, when drug addict interventions are not effective, a fact that has to be taken into consideration, the family can actually be torn apart even further due to the damaging and disruptive feelings about the failed intervention.

It must be emphasized that this is not an insignificant issue for a family already on the edge of destruction due to the addictive behavior of a family member.  The chance for drug addict intervention failure highlights the necessity to employ an drug dependency intervention professional who has a proven track record of success.

Act now. First steps are often the most difficult, but when it comes to addiction, you cannot wait. Addiction is a disease—a serious health problem like heart disease, cancer or diabetes—that can happen to anyone who uses drugs or alcohol. If left untreated, it can progress and may even be fatal.

Why Do Drug Addict Interventions Fail?

What are the fundamental reasons that drug addict interventions fail?  First, the intervention may fail if the drug dependent person doesn't follow the rehabilitation process both during and after formal rehab.

Second, given that his or her reasoning and logical abilities and emotional stability may be inhibited due to advanced addiction, the drug addicted individual may simply leave the intervention session, meaning that the well-intentioned family members will have to contend with the failed intervention in addition to the rest of their challenges.

The third explanation that drug addict interventions may prove to be unsuccessful is the fact that the drug addict may not be ready for treatment at this time. Stated more specifically, some therapists believe that drug dependency interventions may lack a proven, lasting track record due to the fact that various individuals who are addicted to drugs are not able to get counseling until they get to the situation in their lives when they themselves make this decision.

Increases in health care costs in recent years have pressured providers, insurers, and policymakers to monitor the costs,
cost-effectiveness, and cost–benefit of all health care services, including alcohol-related and drug-related treatment.

In brief, according to this view, individuals who are addicted to drugs can't be helped until they seek assistance on their own. Oddly, even though the intervention helps put individuals who are addicted to drugs in a more receptive frame of mind and actually helps them decide that they need rehab, the mere fact that the intervention took place may result in mistrust, resentment, and ill feelings down the road.

And fourth, drug addict interventions can fail when a family either chooses to undertake an intervention without the leadership and support of an intervention expert or if the intervention professional lacks ability.

No matter how compulsive the addiction, treatment can work, especially when a person is committed to working on recovery and has a strong support system. In fact, the success rate for such treatment is similar to other chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma and hypertension.

When Do Drug Addict Interventions Succeed?

Scientific investigation has made it evident that the best time for a drug addict intervention is following a noteworthy event, like an arrest for a DUI, when an addict has been caught stealing something of value, or when the addict is caught lying about something of significance.  In these situations, the addict is more likely to be remorseful or to undergo feelings of guilt.  Although this may seem self-evident, it needs to be articulated that it is also critical that the addict is sober at the time of the intervention.

It is interesting to note, however, that according to drug dependency scientific exploration, men are more likely to remain in drug addiction counseling if they are there due to "suggestions" or threats from their employers. This finding appears to demonstrate that intervention that includes an interchange by employers can be helpful in some instances. In fact, according to one study, employees who were chronic drug abusers displayed notable improvement in their drug abuse behavior and in their job performance during the months immediately following an intervention to confront their drug problems that were negatively affecting their work.

In short, it can be stated that some drug addiction interventions have been verified to help drug addicts accept counseling for his or her addiction.  And if done with careful planning and with the leadership of an intervention expert, the chances of success are greatly increased.

People with drug and alcohol problems can get well; they can regain their physical health and well-being and improve their relationships with others. This happens when the person has stopped using drugs or alcohol and is “in recovery."

Drug Addict Intervention:  Conclusion

image: doctor holidng stethoscope in drug rehab hospitalAn intervention is a type of confrontation in which a group of concerned individuals, such as family members and friends along with a mental health or an or a substance abuse intervention expert, have a meeting with a drug-addicted individual.  In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the guidance and direction of the intervention expert, communicate their concern over the addict’s drug abuse and strongly "encourage" the addict to get quality rehab.

Although drug addict interventions should be embarked upon as a "last resort" and have been known to boomerang and lead to mistrust, resentment, and ill feelings, if done with careful planning and under the direction of a substance abuse intervention expert, the chances of a productive drug dependency intervention are significantly increased.

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The specific illicit drugs that had the highest levels of past year dependence or abuse in 2006 were marijuana, followed by cocaine and pain relievers. Of the 7.0 million persons aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of illicit drugs in 2006, 4.2 million were dependent on or abused marijuana and hashish (representing 1.7 percent of the total population aged 12 or older, and 59.4 percent of all those classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse), 1.7 million persons were classified with dependence on or abuse of cocaine, and 1.6 million persons were classified with dependence on or abuse of pain relievers.

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