Category: Understanding Addiction

Sobriety and abstinence are both important for recovery from addiction. While they share many similarities, sobriety and abstinence differ in several ways. To better understand how these concepts work together to support recovery from addiction, we need to look at each individually.

Abstinence vs. Sobriety

So, the first thing to understand about sobriety and abstinence is that they impact different states of your being. Sobriety refers to the state of mind, while abstinence refers to the state of your body. Abstinence is something you do; sobriety is a feeling you have. Secondly, people can be sober without abstaining from drugs or alcohol—and vice versa. 

What is Sobriety?

The definition of sobriety is said to be a personal one. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as the quality or state of being sober. In 12-Step programs, sobriety refers to people who have achieved and maintained a positive state of mental health. 

However, most people define sobriety as achieving stability in recovery. It focuses on attaining sustained life balance. Some sober people also abstain, but not everyone needs to remain abstinent to practice sobriety. 

What is Abstinence?

The definition of abstinence also varies from person to person. Mostly, it’s a decision not to engage in or avoid substance use or behavior. The promise of abstinence means the person is committed to a lifestyle without access to drugs, alcohol, or other medications that could affect their recovery. 

People might choose to practice abstinence for many reasons, including health, social, religious, psychological, traditional, or even a change in preferences. Abstinence is a self-chosen and self-control decision that’s not forcefully enforced. 

The Differences Between Sobriety and Abstinence

When you look at the definitions of sobriety and abstinence, they are pretty similar. However, they have specific differences, particularly from an emotional standpoint. 

Sober people may still go out drinking with friends on Saturday nights; they might choose not to drink that night because they need their wits about them for some reason. 

On the contrary, someone who practices abstinence may still go out with friends but will not drink alcohol because they don’t want to engage with the substance. 

Sobriety is a state of mind.

Sobriety is a state of mind that can be measured by how well we control our thoughts, actions, and behaviors around substances or behaviors that might lead us back down the path of addiction or relapse. Sobriety also means being honest with ourselves when we struggle with specific triggers or situations that could cause us stress, such as being around people who drink heavily. 

Abstinence is about self-control.

Abstinence is a moment-to-moment decision. Each time you engage in a substance or are tempted to use a sense, you must make an active choice to do so. If someone offers you a drink and says yes, this would be abstaining from a substance. Likewise, if someone asks if it’s okay to invite some friends who will be drinking, that’s also abstaining. 

Sobriety requires more than abstinence.

Even though someone remains abstinent from drugs and alcohol, they might still have difficulties reaching sobriety. Those who stay abstinent might struggle to find a job, get their life back together, or leaving the challenges of addiction behind. Despite not having the substances in their lives, their life in recovery still mirrors their life as addicts. 

The Importance of Defining Sobriety in Early Recovery

Understanding the difference between sobriety and abstinence is essential, especially when it comes to addiction recovery and treatment. While we don’t want to downplay the value of abstinence, it is essential not to get caught up in a single definition of sobriety.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, addiction recovery includes:

• Abstinence from drugs and alcohol
• Improved wellness
• Improved health
• Continuous growth
• Improved quality of life (sobriety)

As you can see, addiction recovery involves both abstinence and sobriety. Nonetheless, defining sobriety and abstinence in rehab is critical for early recovery. If someone agrees that sobriety is a state of calmness, drinking every so often might be part of their sober lifestyle. However, if, on the contrary, that person doesn’t feel alcohol or drugs have a place in their lives, abstinence might need to be part of their sober lifestyle. 

It’s important to discuss these topics with your addiction counselor or sponsor. Keep in mind that your relationship with the definition of sobriety and abstinence might change over time. That’s fine as long as your new take on recovery is serving you for a healthier tomorrow.

Think addiction only hurts the person using drugs? Think again. There’s a reason why there’s a saying that addiction is a family disease. Even if there’s one person in the family who’s using drugs, they are rarely the only person in a family unit who is suffering because of it. Here’s the ugly truth about how addiction affects families and their loved ones. 

How does addiction affect family and friends?

Say there’s a father who lost his job due to addiction. The loss of income could put a family in jeopardy of losing their home. Parents of an addicted child might find themselves arguing frequently as each claims the other is an enabler, eventually leading to divorce. Addiction is devastating to family dynamics. The consequences of the drug user’s actions will cause irreversible harm no matter their standing or whether they’re a child or adult. 

1. Financial strain

Addiction is expensive for multiple reasons. First, there’s the cost of the drugs themselves. Depending on the frequency of drug use, this could be significant. Then there’s the cost of addiction treatment, which can be quite expensive, costing upwards of tens of thousands of dollars for a treatment program (it’s one of the primary reasons why some people put off getting treated).

However, there are also indirect costs to be considered, such as an increased risk of getting into accidents or having run-ins with the law, or like in the example above, the potential loss of income. There are more than double the number of drug users who are unemployed than those that have a full-time job. Addiction jeopardizes the family’s finances and puts the family at risk.

2. Increased risk of abuse

Research has found an unsettling correlation between drug addiction and domestic abuse. One alcohol abuse study found that the risk of intimate partner violence increases significantly if one or both partners have a drinking problem. 

A paper from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 25% of men who committed acts of domestic violence also had substance abuse problems. Similarly, women who abused drugs also faced an increased likelihood of being victims of domestic abuse. 

This risk of abuse can also affect children as well, though usually not as physical violence. Instead, it is usually child abuse in the form of maltreatment or neglect.

3. Increased stress

It goes without saying that dealing with a family member who’s addicted to drugs is a stressful situation. Even if things haven’t escalated to any of the above situations (money problems or abuse) there are still many other ways that a drug user can cause stress within their family. It could be because one person is aware that a loved one has a problem but isn’t sure whether they should be the person to out their family member, or perhaps multiple family members are struggling with how to confront a loved one whose drug use has gotten so severe they need to have an intervention. 

Aside from stress being a major health hazard, it also can lead to family members being constantly on edge. Shorter fuses mean a greater likelihood of spats and misunderstandings which can further alienate the family from each other.

4. Creates a cycle of drug use

People who grow up with family members who have a substance use disorder face a significantly higher risk of developing one themselves. It’s a dangerous cycle that countless studies have found difficult to break. In addition to setting a bad behavioral example for children, addiction can change your genes, causing minor mutations that can be passed on to future offspring, putting them at increased risk. 

However, children aren’t the only ones who can be negatively affected by drug abuse. It can also significantly increase the odds of relapse in other family members who are in addiction recovery.

Help for Families Affected by Addiction

Substance abuse disorder is defined as when a person’s drug use renders them unable to fulfill familial, personal, or professional responsibilities. When a person gets to such a stage, the financial, legal, and medical troubles that drug use can cause can quickly manifest themselves in ways that directly affect a family’s dynamic and instill an overwhelming sense of instability as well as emotional distress.

Resolving these issues will require a lot more than simply having the drug user go to rehab. This stressful time likely eroded trust and family dynamics, and will need to be repaired. Many addiction treatment programs involve a family component that gets family members involved with their loved one’s treatment. Not sure if rehab is the right route for your family member with drug addiction? Find Al-anon meetings near you. They are like AA but for the family members and can provide valuable insight from others who’ve been in your exact situation. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2 out of three adults in the United States drink alcohol. In 2019, 4% of women had an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Women are more prone to alcoholism than men in general. This is primarily due to their body compositions, but the reasons women drink are so prevalent that it’s difficult to ignore them. 

Women and Alcohol by The Numbers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 74% of women ages 18 years and older drank within the past month compared to 66% of men in that same age group. Furthermore, 34% of women consumed four or more drinks in one sitting at least once in the last year, while only 26% of men did the same.

First, women are more likely to consume alcohol for emotional or stress factors. They’re also likely to have undiagnosed co-occurring mental health disorders that might increase their risk of an alcohol use disorder. 

3 Reasons Why Women Drink

Women drink for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons women drink heavily include:

• To feel confident in social situations
• To relieve stress
• To cope with depression and anxiety

However, chronic pain is the leading cause of drinking problems in women. Women are more likely to struggle with chronic pain than men. Still, most of the time, the severity of their symptoms is overlooked by medical professionals, leading many women to self-medicate with alcohol and other drugs. 

Another common reason why women drink is mental illness. Over 29 million women in the United States are diagnosed with a mental health disorder every year. Women are twice as likely to experience panic disorders, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. 

Simultaneously, they’re also three times more likely to attempt suicide, eight times more likely to suffer from anorexia, and almost six times more likely to deal with a binge-eating disorder. These mental health disorders tend to increase the risk of alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately, it also increases the risk of addiction. 

At last, one in every five women will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Trauma can cause significant distress, leading someone to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. 

Effects of Alcohol On Women’s Bodies

Women tend to feel the effects of alcohol more than men, and it’s not just because they weigh less. Women also have a higher percentage of body fat and less water in their bodies than men. This means that when they drink alcohol, their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) will be higher than if they consume the same amount as a man.

This can make it much easier for women to become intoxicated and much easier for them to suffer from long-term consequences like liver disease and cancer.

Alcoholism is an illness that causes abnormal drinking behaviors, including cravings for alcohol, physical dependence on alcohol, and withdrawal symptoms when not using it. These alcoholism symptoms can lead to addiction and unhealthy socialization.

When to Seek Help for Alcohol Addiction

Unfortunately, alcohol can be highly addictive, mainly when used as a coping mechanism for another issue. It’s so important to learn about the warning signs of alcoholism so you can help someone who might be developing an alcohol problem. Here are the main symptoms to watch out for:

• They are drinking more than they used to
• They are drinking alone or in secret
• They have tried to cut down or quit drinking without success
• They experience withdrawal symptoms whenever they try to stop drinking
• They continue their drinking habits despite negative consequences

If you notice yourself or a woman you love displaying any of these symptoms, consider speaking out. Reach out for help and consult with a medical professional to learn more about rehab options. 

There are many reasons why people drink alcohol. Drinking can be a way to celebrate, relieve stress, bond with friends and family, or cope with complex life events. However, drinking can also lead to addiction, trigger depression, and even more. If someone you know is struggling with alcoholism, reach out to them and offer help.

Most of the time, women will conceal their substance use disorders and manage their addiction independently. However, both men and women need professional addiction treatment to address their needs and find long-lasting recovery. Otherwise, they risk experiencing life-threatening withdrawal symptoms or relapse, resulting in overdose. Remember, if you or someone you know is dealing with alcoholism, reach out for help; recovery is possible. 

Sources:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/womens-health.htm

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt31102/2019NSDUH-Women/Women%202019%20NSDUH.pdf

 

Like it or not, the new year is almost upon us. The end of the old and the start of the new marks a symbolic juncture–one that’s all about wiping slates clean, self-improvement, and looking towards the future with optimism.  While turning over a new leaf isn’t always easy or pleasant–a truth that recovering addicts have intimate knowledge of–it’s always worth it. In honor of 2022, here are 22 (realistic) New Year’s resolutions for those who are on the challenging but rewarding path of overcoming addiction. 

22 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions

1. Don’t worry about things you can’t control
2. Celebrate the big and small victories
3. Find a positive take or a lesson to be learned from setbacks
4. Learn a new hobby (or several!)
5. Drink a cup of water first thing after waking up
6. Incorporate 10 minutes of yoga or meditation into your morning routine
7. Journal daily for 15 minutes at the end of each day
8. Complete one kind act for a stranger each day
9. Attend group 12 step meetings at least once a week
10. Cook a new recipe once a week
11. Say aloud 5 things that you’re grateful for at the start of each day
12. Stick to bedtime or get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
13. Stand for a few minutes each (waking) hour
14. Set aside a few dollars a week towards savings
15. Check-in with loved ones weekly
16. Limit your scrolling on social media
17. Give more compliments
18. Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible
19. Update your resume or LinkedIn profile
20. Try a community college or online course
21. Take yourself on dates once a month
22. Set specific rewards for specific milestones (and then do them!)

How To Use NYE Resolutions To Stay Sober

Resolutions can be a great source of motivation if you go about them the right way. Set goals that are too broad or too lofty and you risk setting yourself up for disappointment–a surefire way to lose momentum. Instead, the key is to create realistic resolutions that contribute towards a bigger goal.

Say for example that your New Year’s resolution is the universal desire of all recovering addicts: To stay sober. It’s a noble resolve, but one that is far from a small undertaking. The stroke of midnight won’t suddenly make staying sober easier or magically endow you with unwavering willpower. Nothing about that generic resolution puts you in the position to think or act in a way that improves your likelihood of fulfilling that desire. A good resolution is something actionable and achievable like writing down five reasons why you initially became sober whenever you feel the urge to use again. 

When coming up with NYE resolutions on your own, construct them so that they are:

• Actionable rather than passive
• Specific, with precise outcomes in mind
• Measurable, either quantitative (numbers-based) or qualitative (determined by quality of state of being)
• Timely and have a precise deadline

Use these criteria as a guideline for determining whether your proposed resolutions are too vague or abstract. Where possible, add (realistic) details to these resolutions such as certain time limits or a particular time of day.

What’s The Difference Between a Resolution and a Goal?

Technically, resolutions and goals are different. Resolutions are the firm decision to do (or not do) something, while goals are more like end-objectives, the desired result of a person’s ambition or effort. 

Examples of Goals vs Resolutions

• I want to get in shape vs. I will exercise 30 minutes every day after work
• I want to lose weight vs. I will not eat out more than once per week
• I want to save $10,000 vs. I will save $200 per paycheck

One helpful way to think about the difference between resolutions and goals is that resolutions serve as the stepping stones that can lead to an overarching goal. When crafting your NYE resolutions, keep your goals as a recovering addict at the forefront of your thoughts. But ultimately, there’s no harm in sprinkling your resolutions with a few of your goals. Include whatever it takes to keep you motivated. 

Ready For The New You?

Whether you’re a recovering addict that recently embarked on their journey or has been dutifully working towards sobriety for decades now, the New Year is an important reminder that it’s never too late to make a positive change. The best way to actually stick to resolutions is to enlist the help of others, especially those with similar goals. Find a 12 steps group near you, today, to find like-minded individuals that have been in your shoes and can hold you accountable.

Happy new year!

Living with a disease like addiction is tough. However, it’s not just the afflicted who are affected by chronic drug abuse. Drug addiction can negatively impact the entire family dynamic in a number of ways, some of them subtle, some not so much. Despite all the red flags we encounter, our instincts usually tell us to shelter the addicted person and hope for their eventual recovery. But as anyone who’s ever lived with a person addicted to drugs knows, this often backfires to become a dysfunctional relationship of enabling or worse. 

When To Kick A Drug Addict Out

In many cases, the safest thing to do for both you and the addicted person might be to remove them from your home. They might become belligerent or verbally abusive when high, consort with shady people and engage in criminal acts (and bring those people around your home), or put dangerous substances within reach of children by storing drugs around the house. However, romantic feelings, denial, guilt, or a host of other sentiments might prevent you from recognizing when things have gone too far. Here are 4 signs that you should remove an addict from your home, plus, how to do so properly.

1. Violent behavior

Any kind of abuse is an immediate deal-breaker, but physical abuse is particularly unacceptable. Whether the addicted person has threatened, intentionally intimidated, or has physically laid hands on you or another resident in the household, it’s imperative that you take action quickly. It’s rarely a “one-time thing” as many domestic abusers claim.  

2. There are children around

Children are extremely impressionable and the negative influence of an addicted person can be traumatizing. A child who’s around this type of environment can be almost twice as likely to abuse drugs themselves when they get older. These children also tend to have heightened or chronic stress and impaired social development. 

3. You gave them an ultimatum

You’ve cried. You’ve pleaded. You’ve had the intervention trying to convince them that they have an addiction but still, they refuse to change or go to rehab. If you gave an ultimatum, it’s imperative that you follow through with your threats the first time. Otherwise, they’re very likely to overstep your kindness and take advantage of you. The sad truth is that sometimes, being kicked out is the kind of wake-up call an addict needs to realize that they’ve burned all their bridges, their drug habit is out of control, and that they need professional help.

4. Committed a crime

Drug addiction is a slippery slope, and we don’t just mean the health risks. Small things like stealing can quickly snowball into other, more serious, crimes. If your loved one is engaging in criminal activity, it could bring a lot of unwanted attention from authorities that disrupt the peace at home for everyone else. There is the possibility of you facing legal consequences for being associated with them, however, the most likely risk is that their crimes will escalate, getting you involved in a dangerous crowd.

How To Legally Evict An Addict You Live With

If you think you’re doing your loved ones a favor while giving them a place to stay, you’d be wrong. This kind of living arrangement is one that’s harmful to all parties involved, especially if children are involved. Living with an addict can risk the emotional, physical, and even financial well-being of others in the household as well as themselves. However, the process of removing someone from your home can be tricky. 

Evicting someone isn’t as simple as physically removing them and their belongings from your home, even if you own the residence and you’ve only been allowing them to stay under an informal agreement. Eviction is a legal process that requires a formal procedure involving attorneys, motions, and courtrooms. There are several different avenues to do this depending on your relationship with the addicted person:

• A formal hearing: An attorney can file a legal motion on your behalf to have the addicted person removed from your residence. These hearings are short and fast. If successful, a court order or temporary court order for the offender to vacate the premises. 
• Law enforcement: In the face of an immediate threat to you or others in the household, local law enforcement can forcibly remove the addicted person. This will then be followed by an arraignment hearing where a judge will determine if they should be allowed back in your home. 
• Contract violation: If you are renting, your lease may provide the legal grounds to remove a fellow tenant from the premises. If the agreement mentions breaking of laws or illicit drug use, their right to tenancy can be revoked. Unfortunately, this can be difficult if the rental complex is in the name of the addicted person.
• Breaking up with your spouse: If you dissolve your romantic relationship with the addicted person, you will have the opportunity to file for exclusive use and occupancy order. In addition to removing the addicted person from having the right to reside with you, it applies to child custody as well.  

Prior to making a big announcement or changing the locks, you’ll want to have the aid of a legal or addiction treatment professional and gather evidence to support your claim for eviction. 

Take photos and videos of their behavior, get testimonials from friends and families who can attest to the severity of their alcohol or drug use. Some of the best proof you can have is a signed agreement or another form of acknowledgment from the addicted person attesting to awareness of their drug use issue.

Where Will They Go?

While you should not have to be concerned with where your spouse will go when you kick them out, we understand that you likely will consider this. While the hope will be that they go to a residential treatment program with family therapy treatment, they may not be open to it.

Perhaps they have friends or family who will be able to take them, it is also good for them to have to figure it out themselves. Consider providing information on residential facilities and programs designed to help those with nowhere else to go.

Addiction Affects The Entire Family

Whether it’s your spouse, parent, sibling, or child, making the decision to evict an addicted loved one is a difficult decision to make. No one ever even imagines their loved one could be capable of being a danger to themselves or others, but this is the heartbreaking reality of drug addiction. The experience of living with a drug addict can carry immense stress, emotionally, physically, and even financially. 

Al-Anon is a fantastic resource for the family and friends of an addicted person. These peer-based support groups offer suffering loved ones a chance to both learn how to deal with their own feelings as well as how to better support the addicts in their lives. Find an Al-Anon meeting near you, today. 

Relationships are work, as any couple can tell you. When real life hits—kids, money troubles, changing jobs, the loss of a loved one—even marriages find that ‘til death do us part’ can become strained very quickly. One of the most common reasons for divorce is an occurrence whose consequential dysfunction few couples overcome: It corrodes trust, causes breakdowns in communication, and can be a constant source of toxic conflict. It’s not an extramarital affair, but actually, the relationship-ruining destruction caused by substance abuse and addiction.

 

4 Reasons Why Addictions Often Lead To Divorce

Even the most stable and seemingly healthy relationships can be susceptible to a rift under the right conditions. Unsurprisingly, addiction is the perfect storm that can cause all sorts of ‘last straw’ marital conflict. Here are the top reasons for divorces ranked from highest to least common, and how addiction can lead to them. 

 

1. Lack of commitment

It takes two to tango, and unless both partners are fully dedicated to making their marriage work, the relationship can be impossible to sustain. Addiction, as many of us know first-hand, is a far-reaching disease that can impact the user’s friends, family, and the greater community as well. When an addict chooses to continue to use drugs (or refuse to get help) at the cost of hurting their loved ones, that’s a pretty big indicator that they’re more committed to satisfying an immediate craving rather than what’s best for their partner and family. On the other hand, addiction can push the non-using partner away and deteriorate their motivation to continue the relationship. 

 

2. Infidelity

Both short and long-term drug use can seriously interfere with decision-making skills. That’s why individuals with drug addiction are at a higher risk of engaging in risky behaviors such as cheating or having unsafe sex.  As a monogamous society, cheating is the ultimate relationship deal-breaker that can irreparably damage the trust between two people. Study participants who cited infidelity as the cause of their divorce reported that conflicts and communication problems happened more frequently, and were much more intense. Further, when those issues came up, the couples often found themselves unable to resolve the issue “calmly”.

 

3. Constant arguing

It’s normal for couples to have disagreements, in fact, they can help strengthen the relationship. There is a point when bickering becomes unhealthy, and when it happens, things can get toxic fast. It’s not simply a matter of how much you’re arguing, but the manner in which those arguments are being resolved—if at all. 

Drug use is one of those things that can both be the source of conflict, and also affect how those arguments occur. Normally, each person will express themselves, hear the other person, and then determine how to respond accordingly.  However, due to the nature of how drugs work, there is a drastic rewiring of the brain that can impair cognition, memory, and mood regulation—all the mental processes needed to have a rational, and productive discussion. 

 

4. Financial problems

Money makes the world go round, and apparently, relationships as well. It’s a common trend that divorce rates spike in times of economic hardship, but it’s not just about the bottom line. Money insecurity can cause stress and anxiety, be a blow to self-esteem, and manifest itself as anger. When someone loses a job or incurs a large, unexpected expense like medical bills it can make individuals worry about how to make ends meet. That psychological strain can spell doom for a romantic relationship, with the underlying stress causing increased irritability and greater opportunity for fighting. 

Drug use is not a cheap habit and can put marriages in financially dire straits. It’s not uncommon to hear about a spouse draining a joint bank account to fund their addiction. Treating addiction can be extremely costly as well, costing tens of thousands of dollars depending on the type of rehab and the treatment program.

 

Overcoming Addiction As A Family

Addiction is one of the three most common reasons why marriages end (and it’s often one of the strongest predictors of whether a married couple will get divorced), however, it’s probably not for the reasons you think. Although substance abuse itself is a big issue with a capital ‘B’, it’s the different, indirect ways that drug abuse alters relationship dynamics that are the most harmful. 

However, that’s not to say that being married to an addict is guaranteed to fail. As long as both partners are motivated and willing to make positive changes, the relationship can still survive. If you’re not sure where to begin, peer-based groups offer a low-stakes, non-committal option for both the addicted person and their spouse to get perspective and learn what the recovery process might entail. 

For the addicted person, groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can be an important first step in recognizing that they have a problem. For the spouse, Al-Anon is a group that was created specifically to support the loved ones of an addict and provides an opportunity to hear how others dealt with the relationship to a drug user. No marriage is beyond repair as long as both spouses are committed to overcoming addiction and doing it together.

 

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012696/

They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery. But getting to that stage can be a challenge all on its own. In many instances, those who are addicted are the last to realize that their substance abuse has gone from a recreational vice to destructive. Interventions are an attempt to confront those individuals about their detrimental behavior. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. The key to increasing the likelihood of your loved one’s success is knowing how to stage an intervention. 

 

Preparing For The Intervention

Interventions are typically arranged by friends or family members but can be done by anyone who has a relationship with the addicted person. These people will serve as the core group of organizers, the intervention team, and should arrange everything from who else is involved to getting the addicted person at the chosen date and time. It is highly recommended to get help from a professional interventionist, who can help ensure that both the planning and the execution of the intervention go smoothly.

 

Choosing The Type of Intervention

Perhaps the most important aspect of an intervention is deciding what kind of intervention it will be. Most tend to think of the kinds involving a gathering of people who are surprising the addicted person in confrontation. While this is a viable and popular option, it isn’t the only one. 

The intervention approach that’s used will determine who is involved, how the topic is broached, and how the recipient of the intervention will be included in the proceedings.

Classic Intervention: A group of people, can be small or large in size, surprise the addicted person with a surprise confrontation. 

Simple Intervention: A single person directly addresses the addiction person in a one-on-one approach.

Family System Intervention: When other family members who struggle with the same addiction appeal to the individual to get help and are also heavily involved in the treatment process. 

Crisis Intervention: Often impromptu; these occur when the addicted person has become a danger to themselves and concerned loved ones need to stabilize the situation.

 

Deciding on the Time & Place of the Intervention

This seemingly straightforward aspect of planning an intervention also requires thoughtfulness and care. In addition to finding a time that works for all parties involved, it’s important to choose a time and place that will be the least stressful for the addicted person. This means being mindful of their schedule and what they might have going on. Do they have a stressful job? Don’t confront them immediately after coming home from work. Perhaps they’ve recently undergone a breakup or were involved in a car accident. Also, don’t have an intervention at a time they’re likely to be intoxicated. If they are at the time of the confrontation, it’s in everyone’s best interest to wait until they’ve sobered up.

Rehearse

No matter what kind of intervention, addressing someone’s drug use can be a touchy subject. Emotions will run high and things can quickly spiral out of control. Conduct a run-through of the intervention so that everyone will know when to speak, what they will say, and be in agreement on the expectations of what they want from the addicted person. 

 

During The Intervention

When it comes time to follow through with the intervention, the best way to maximize the odds of a successful outcome is to come prepared. Participants should have rehearsed what they will say and what they want from the addicted person. These conversations should detail how addiction has hurt their relationship with specific examples.

Avoid Accusations

Focus on how addiction has negatively affected your relationship or their lives. Accusations will only make someone defensive and closed off to you. Avoid labels like “addict” or “junkie” which can further alienate the person you are trying to help.

Stick To The Script

Convincing the addicted person that their drug use has become detrimental to themselves and others will likely involve recounting details of previous issues and encounters. There is plenty of opportunity for emotions to arise from either party; the speaker, with frustration; the addicted person, with denial or outrage. For this reason, it’s recommended that those who will be speaking have their statements written down.

Propose Solutions

Confronting the person and convincing them that their addiction is out of hand is only part of an intervention’s purpose. The ultimate goal is to convince them to seek treatment and get help. As such, it’s crucial to do research about medical detox, rehab programs, or 12 step programs. Be clear in your expectations and include practical information on how you’ll be able to support them to make it happen. The more details you provide, the less room there will be for protest. Look into all the details from payment to logistics to what they could expect. 

 

Set Consequences (and Stick To Them)

If you truly want to convince the addicted person that you are committed to their recovery, you can’t go back on your word. Whether you threaten to stop supporting them financially, cutting them off, or some other means that you may have been enabling them, everyone present must commit to the consequences the addicted person will face if they refuse help. 

 

What If An Intervention Doesn’t Work?

Drug addiction literally rewires the brain and can turn your loved one into an irrational, impulsive person. It’s a very real possibility that an intervention may not be enough to get to them and that it may take several attempts. 

While the goal is to get them into a treatment center, peer-based social groups like Alcoholics Anonymous offer a lower-stakes option that the addicted person may feel less resistance towards. There, individuals won’t be required to be abstinent–the only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. Hear the testimonies and triumphs of others who were in similar situations can be a powerful motivating factor, which itself is a major determinant of addiction recovery success. 

Offering to attend meetings with them is an easy way to keep them accountable and offer support. To get started, find AA meetings or NA meetings near you. 

Addiction is a destructive disease that can lead to once-unthinkable consequences. And the addiction doesn’t have to be to heroin, alcohol, cocaine, or any chemical substance for that matter. It is possible and more common than one may think, to be addicted to a particular behavior. Substance addiction and behavioral addiction are different, but there are also a number of similarities between those who struggle with either form of addiction. 

Defining Addiction

When searching for a definition of addiction, most sources focus on chemical dependency and substance addiction. Even on the American Psychiatry Association (APA) website, addiction is defined as “a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence”. Note the use of the term “substance use”. However, we discussed above that behavioral addictions are not that different from substance addiction. Unfortunately, the APA definition reads the way it does because the only behavioral addiction listed in the DSM-V is gambling due to insufficient evidence to support other behavioral addictions. The DSM-V is the most widely used publication guiding the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders.

Stanley Peele is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and co-author of the book Love and Addiction. In this publication, Peele describes addiction as when addicted individuals are dependent on a particular set of experiences and goes on to explain that the reaction to chemical substances is just one example of this dependence. This somewhat broader understanding of addiction seems more accurate when considering the reality of behavioral addictions.

Substance Addiction

The APA definition of addiction being a compulsion to use substances despite harmful consequences is quite accurate when referring to chemical substance addiction. Dependency is when the substance needs to be consumed in order for the individual to simply feel normal. An individual with chemical dependency likely will experience withdrawal symptoms if they discontinue drug use. Physical dependence is one criterion for diagnosing a substance use disorder, but the two usually go hand in hand. Treating drug and alcohol addiction requires addressing the physical effects, as well as the behavioral issues that may be associated with use.

Behavioral Addiction

Behavioral addiction is a psychological dependence on a particular set of experiences that are not a reaction to chemical substances, rather behaviors. Unlike a drug or alcohol addiction, someone with a behavioral addiction is not experiencing a physical addiction to anything. This lack of physical addiction means many signs that make it easy to identify the addiction may not be present.

Examples of behavioral addictions include:

• Gambling addiction
• Eating disorders
• Sex Addiction
• Gaming Addiction
• Shopping Addiction
• Pornography Addiction
• Exercise Addiction

How are substance and behavioral addictions alike?

The multitude of similarities between substance addiction and behavioral addictions may be surprising to many. Most addictive drugs act on the pleasure and reward centers of the brain. Similarly, when behaviors such as gambling or sex are engaged, it triggers the release of pleasure hormones and initiates a reward signal. Additionally, addiction to behaviors can have consequences on the same areas of one’s life as drug addiction. The addict may display functional impairments in there work, relationships, and in various social situations. In both cases, the addict is also likely to continue on with their behavior despite negative consequences that arise.

Behavioral Therapy & Addiction

Although most behavioral addictions are not covered in the DSM-V, behavioral therapy is recognized as one of the most effective forms of treatment for addiction. The goal of behavioral therapy is to identify unhealthy behaviors and change them to produce better outcomes. Behavioral therapy is a promising treatment option for individuals struggling with any form of addiction, but treatment plans should be personalized to meet each individual’s needs.

Sources:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/what-is-addiction

https://www.mentalhelp.net/addiction/vs-behavioral-addictions/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354400/