Pegasus Recovery Solutions
Interventions
Because Interventions save lives! Addiction to alcohol or another drug is a progressive and often fatal condition. Often the addicted individual just cannot see that it is a problem or, if they can, cannot control the compulsion to use anyway. It is a myth that people have to “hit bottom” before they can get help for an addiction; it can be interrupted and successfully treated when the concerned others say “enough is enough”. An intervention is a way to raise the “bottom” so that the person becomes receptive to the help that they need.
What is an intervention?
An intervention is a structured method of assisting an individual to get help for a substance use problem or other addictive behaviour. The person has likely been resistant to suggestions or attempts by concerned others in the past - or - they might have made attempts to recover in the past but relapsed. The process involves gathering a group of concerned persons and, extensive preparation, addressing the problem with the addicted individual in a non-threatening way that is characterized by caring and concern.
Because each family and set of circumstances differs widely the intervention is individually structured, based upon a thorough assessment. All arrangements for treatment and transportation for the person have been made ahead of time and all potential barriers have been removed. The optimal outcome is two-fold: the addicted person agrees to accept treatment and the family is able to confront the problem and learns how to support the addicted individual and participate in the recovery process.
When Is It Time For An Intervention?
An intervention is a good option to consider when one or more people are concerned about an addiction problem. By the time a family calls an interventionist the addiction has usually progressed to the point where there are problems related to the substance use in one or more life areas. One of the first questions Sue asks as she begins assessing a family is: “Why Now?” and the response is usually that there has been a crisis or the family has a sense of foreboding - of impending crisis - if things are allowed to continue. Frequently family members will say “we should have done this years ago”.
Who Should Be Intervened On?
Anyone who continues to use despite problems associated with the use of substances is showing a primary symptom of addiction: loss of control. That person needs help from concerned others in the form of an intervention. This same principle applies to other addictive behaviours such as gaming, gambling and sex addiction, eating disorders and mental health problems.
But I’ve Already Expressed My Concerns...
Telling someone they have a problem and that they need to do something often just has the effect of increasing anxiety and defensiveness. It draws attention to the problem without at the same time providing the solution. A professionally facilitated intervention addresses the problem - while at the same time providing the optimal, long term solution for the addicted individual and for the entire family. An intervention and offer of treatment is a gift; on some level the addicted individual recognizes this and is able to relax their defences and accept the help that they so desperately need.
What is the Success Rate?
In 95% of the interventions that Sue Donaldson has facilitated the individual has accepted the offer to go to treatment and has been transported to a facility within 24 hours.
Who Does Interventions?
A professional interventionist needs to have training in addictions counselling and in intervention; experience; education and affiliation with professional certifying bodies which hold them to a high standard of conduct.
Sue Donaldson is Pegasus’ senior interventionist. She has trained in the Arise, Family Systemic, Motivational and Johnson models of intervention. She has drawn on the strengths of these models and her 16 years of experience working with addicted individuals and their families, to develop the SHIFT (Systemic Holistic Integrative Family Treatment) Intervention approach. Sue is a Registered Social Worker, a Certified Executive Coach, a Board Registered Interventionist (BRI1) and a member of the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS) and the Network of Independent Interventionists (NII). In addition to alcohol and drug addiction, she conducts interventions for eating disorders, gaming, gambling, internet and sex addiction and mental health problems. She has offices in Victoria and Vancouver and travels across Canada to facilitate interventions.
Please contact Sue to see whether an Intervention is the helping hand your family needs.
Call for a free consult:
Victoria: 250 514-1083
Vancouver and other areas: 1 888 310-1689
Copyright © 2010 Pegasus Recovery Solutions Victoria, BC T. 250 514-1083 Toll free. 1 888 310-1689