Denial Defined

Throughout substance abuse and chemical dependency treatment, addicts must go through a series of denial phases in order to truly comprehend the problem before moving towards a healthy recovery. In total, there are 3 unique denial stages throughout the recovery process. For some users, it can take months or even years to properly address and defeat the addiction.

Denial Types

Two distinct denial types exist in recovery. The first type is akin to lying, as an addict, when confronted about their dependence, denies any issue while understanding its existence. An individual who is truly unaware of the extent of the issue at hand defines the second.

Phase 1

Denial stage 1 refers to a user who refuses to admit to the addiction. This does not necessarily mean that they will not address the issue; rather, they do not view it as a problem. Other users may acknowledge the use, but refuse to accept that an addiction is present. Overcoming this initial stage can only occur through abstinence and educational means. In order for a recovery to take place, the addict must first accept their addiction as a problem behavior.

Phase 2

Denial stage 2 often surfaces following treatment. In this circumstance, the addict feels they have been “cured”, while refusing to seek additional help from exterior sources. In order to move beyond phase 2, the addict must understand that they are powerless to maintain sobriety on their own.

Phase 3

The final denial stage sees an addict refusing to commit full-heartedly to recovery. Though the addict may vocalize a commitment, they may prove unable to maintain it for a long period of time. Phase 3 is often the shortest in the denial pack – leading either to relapse or increased involvement in the recovery lifestyle.

Need Help?

If a friend or loved one is struggling to come to grips with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, seek out help. Don't wait - tomorrow may never come.

What Is Your Intervention Objective?

A family requested drug intervention is a momentous step forward for friends and family seeking to address a loved one’s addiction. But before you can properly use an intervention, it is important to determine precisely what you are hoping to achieve by it.

Confrontation

Your first and main objective of the intervention should be confronting the individual whom the intervention is for in regard to their substance abuse issues. It is vital that the subject is acutely aware of the spot they have place themselves and loved ones into, and important they be made to understand the extent of their issue. Until a subject admits to their behaviors, the intervention cannot proceed.

Relationship Impact

The second intervention objective should be letting the individual know exactly how their addiction and behaviors have impacted the lives of those surrounding them. Having each participant communicate just how their life has been affected by the subject’s addiction will serve in opening the subject’s eyes to the damage inflicted.

Healing

Participants should attempt to heal their relationships with the addict. This objective is extremely important, and is recognized as a crucial step in maintaining support for the individual while communicating that their loved ones will be there for them if indeed they choose to seek help for their issues.

Solution

Of course, the real objective of any intervention is a happy outcome. Getting the subject to assume responsibility for their problems and agree to treatment is a win-win situation, and a step towards the healthy, happy life they and the family deserve.

Handling Anger From A Drug Addict – A How-To Guide

In some cases, we are not afforded a clear choice in leaving loved ones who are struggling with anger issues caused by abuse and addiction. In this entry we will offer up a few tips to help you cope with your situation.

1 – Avoid taking anything personally. Place yourself in a mindset that focuses on the present rather than allowing harsh statements or aggressive behavior destroy you. Remember to take a deep breath and remain clam. Screaming or placing blame on yourself will only escalate the drama… and you already likely have a surplus.

2 – Create a list of addresses, phone numbers and other contact information of loved ones and friends to assist you should things get out of hand. You never know when you might need them.

3 – Face the facts. The addict is not angry at something you did. They are angry at themselves. The drugs simply add to the aggression. Avoid fooling yourself into believing that time will heal the situation. It won’t. Your home isn’t going to clean itself up without a good fight… neither will an addict. Don’t let the troubles pile up.

4 – Take steps to address potential codependency issues. Though you may not have the ability to drop everything and build a spiritual practice, you can question, “What am I gaining by continuing to enable this predicament?”

5 – Focus on you! Start off slow and envision a life independent of negativity and addiction. Share your thoughts in a diary. Read a book. Do something for YOU. By engaging in activities of self-worth, you will eventually develop it.

6 – Stage a drug intervention. This will provide you with the ability to fight back against your loved one’s addiction, while offering assistance towards a healthy and happy recovery.

Staging An Intervention – A How-To Guide

Planning an intervention is a wonderful means of offering help to someone who is struggling with addiction issues. When uncertainty comes into play, seeking the aid of a trained interventionist may provide you with the support and guidance you need to ensure a happy outcome. Intervention services are able to offer experience and organizational skills, while helping participants understand what to expect throughout the process.

1 – Get in touch with treatment facilities that offer services that cater to the type of help the individual requires. Different programs will often specialize in different areas As such, it’s important to locate a facility that understands and is able to provide the type of treatment needed.

2 – Communication is key. Prior to the intervention, be sure to meet with all participants, including the interventionist to discuss exactly how the event will be handled. It is important for each participant to be on the same page; acting as a unified force, rather than individually.

3 – Select a location, date and time that works for the majority of your participants. Though it can be difficult to accommodate everybody’s schedules, it’s important to understand that this process has little to do with convenience; this is life or death.

4 – Invite only those who are respected and loved by the individual struggling. This should include individuals who understand the severity of the issue at hand, and who are interested in working towards a positive outcome.

5 – Stay focused. Stay Positive. A dark, accusatory, and dreary atmosphere will do little to alter your addict’s behaviors. Going into the intervention with a helping of love, compassion, and understanding will work to break down the addict’s defenses, while working to better than chances of a positive response. Leave your blame, anger, and other baggage at the door. Understand that regardless of the addict’s decision following the intervention, that a positive and healthy change is underway for you, and everyone else involved. 

How To Write An Intervention Letter

An intervention letter is something written by a loved one to a person struggling with substance abuse or some other self-destructive behavior. During a drug intervention, the subject is invited to a specific and neutral location, where family and friends have come together for the express purpose of communicating their concern and love for the individual. Each participant writes out and reads aloud a letter of their own, with a request that the subject seek help.

1 – Begin your letter with an affirmation of affection or love for the individual. Write out a few line recalling happy times, specific events, and special instances that were shared in a positive manner between you and the recipient.

2 – Cite specific incidents that involve negative behaviors as exhibited by the individual when under the influence. Detail your anger, hurt, and embarrassment. If the intervention subject happens to be your spouse, you may want to include details pertaining to how these behaviors have negatively impacted the relationship and children. Avoid exaggerations, and stick to the facts, leaving little room for argument.

3 – Request that the individual accept the help being offered. Outline consequences that will take place if help is not sought. Be specific and firm: “If you don’t seek treatment today, this marriage is over.” Provide them only with consequences that you are actually able to enforce. Close your letter with a statement of affection and love, while making a final appeal for the subject to seek help.

4 – Perhaps the most important aspect of any intervention letter is honesty. Avoid accusatory language that may drive the individual inward. So long has each incident can be described in detail, there is no reason to sugar-coat the reality of the situation. 

Family Intervention – A How-To Guide

Each and every family keeps its own unique dynamic; the specifics of which are largely dependent upon the personalities of the members within. When a single member is struggling with a particularly difficult obstacle, it is crucial to rally around that person to help ensure a positive and successful outcome. In this entry, we will discuss how to properly plan and implement a family requested intervention with a healthy dose of love, care and forethought.

Instructions

1 – Plan ahead. Get in touch with the individual’s close friends and family members well in advance to ensure they are able to attend the intervention. This will work to ensure that a strong and determined support system is in attendance once the intervention is unveiled.

2 – Contact a professional interventionist to organize and moderate the event. These individuals can help direct you throughout the planning process, while serving as an authoritarian figure during the actual intervention. Dealing with an intervention can be stressful enough without the burden of catering to everybody else’s concerns and questions. An interventionist will be able to ease these stresses, while asserting a dominant role outside of the family dynamic.

3 – Make certain that the individual in question will be at the designated meeting spot at the specified time. When requesting their attendance, you may be forced to be a little vague… but know that this serves only the greater good. Long story short, do not tell your loved one about the upcoming intervention!

4 – Hold the intervention. Provide each participant the opportunity to communicate their concerns with love, respect, and confidence. Avoid any blame, negativity or personal character attacks. Remember that the point of the intervention is to help, not hurt.

5 – Do your best to reach a positive outcome. Whether the individual agrees to treatment, rehab, or another serious lifestyle change, the goal should always be to leave the intervention in a better position than prior to it.