Anyone that’s ever lived with or around a drug addict or alcoholic knows what suffering is about. The constant ups and downs, the pain of the broken promises and the empty hope that things will somehow get better. Drug & alcohol interventions are the starting place for healing.
Drug and alcohol interventions have been around for years. Vernon Johnson, an Episcopal minister in recovery published, “I’ll Quit Tomorrow” in 1973 which outlined an intervention process. Johnson believed that alcoholics didn’t have to hit rock bottom in order to start getting better. He believed that the family had the power to motivate the alcoholic or addict to get into recovery. He also believed in getting addict & alcoholics into treatment by any means necessary.
While many modern interventionists still hold Johnson’s ideas near and dear, at Pathfinders Interventions, we believe that the family can motivate a loved one but we don’t agree with the “any means necessary” component.
The traditional interventional approach stemmed largely from Johnson’s ideas, and the show on A&E entitled “Intervention” shows a lot of what he once taught. The interventionists on that show tend to use what many call a “surprise party” approach to getting someone to go to treatment. The interventionist helps the family get organized to write letters and set limits on the addict. They arrange a meeting where the addict literally walks into a room, is asked to sit down and listen to the letters. The reactions can be extremely varied as you can imagine as are the outcomes.
There are several inherent problems with the traditional interventional model. First, no one likes these kinds of surprises. Arranging a traditional alcohol or drug intervention is an extremely stressful event on everyone involved. Often, there are safety issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure that there isn’t a violent outcome.
Next, the interventionists at Pathfinders, don’t agree with the basic philosophy of this approach. The traditional intervention tends to focus almost entirely on the addict or alcoholic. In reality, that individual is more likely to be simply the most obvious about what’s happening in the family while the others my “look” ok but are actually not by a long shot. Our philosophy is simple- no one gets sick alone and we’re absolutely certain that no one gets well alone, Addiction is a family illness which means everyone needs a plan to get better.
Finally, the traditional interventional model is measured entirely too simply. Most interventionists who use this approach tend to measure success by the addict leaving for treatment the very day of the intervention. The problem with this approach is that the data on getting an alcoholic or addict to treatment using the traditional model is fairly high. Unfortunately, their engagement in treatment and the positive outcomes are very low. This is primarily because the traditional model tends to side with the notion that the addict or alcoholic is the problem.
In reality, the problem is more systemic. Blame really has no place in any aspect of dealing with an addicted family. Clearly, the addict or alcoholic should never have abused their drug of choice enough to become addicted, but that ship has sailed. Instead, it’s more helpful to look at the system where addiction remains active. This involves looking at trauma, codependency and all other aspects of addiction. Not helping those in the system begin to change leaves the system in just as much pain as when the addict is using. Once an addict or alcoholic returns to that same system, the chances for long term recovery are pretty dismal at best.
Briefly stated, if the system doesn’t change, there is little change of anything else changing within that system. That is what we facilitate at Pathfinders Interventions.
Addiction is not an absence of love in the family, but it does get misdirected in ways that aren’t always helpful. We can help. Call Pathfinders Interventions for a free consultation today at 770.569.3801
Pathfinders Interventions is a group of interventionists who have been working with addicts and alcoholics in various settings for years. We have done many traditional interventions all around Atlanta, Athens, Augusta and other parts of Georgia and learned the hard way that there was a better way. Let us explain how.