Interventions: Do they work or not? - Al-Anon Family Group

Jonesy0505 · Veteran Member

Interventions: Do they work or not?

Very Very Tired · Senior Member

My therapist does interventions. The way he explained it to me is that the loved one of an A needs to be well on his/her way to healing before he will even consider an intervention. It takes a group of 3-5 well-grounded people who are affected by the A and are willing to do the necessary prep work before the intervention. An intervention is the last straw, end game, no other cards left to play.

For me, right now an intervention is not the best option because I have some more work to do on me.

Debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

It is not that easy to answer. What does work or not mean?

That they go to rehab, then do 90 meetings in 90 days? cont. on, on a recovery program and AA?

An addict is going to get help if they want to. No one can make them.

If in an intervention they go to rehab, get some clarity, maybe some will cont on to being recovery.

But they are never cured.this is a lifetime disease. Also thirty days of rehab is nothing.

In my experience, it at least may give them some sober time to let their bodies rest. But most all addicts who go to rehab, go four five and more times before they get onto a program.

Myself, its just not up to me, it has to be from them or it does not mean much.

good question, hugs,debilyn

Jonesy0505 · Veteran Member

In my situation, there are many family members willing to intervene including his own sister who happens to be an addictions counsellor. His family has been dealing with this for about 15 years with him. He has been in our local rehab (which happens to be a joke) 5 times now. She even thinks this may be his only hope. We do not have any rehabs close by that not only deal with the addiction aspect but also the mental health aspect.

hawaiilover · Senior Member

I agree with Deb! Unless an alcoholic is willing and has a desire to stop drinking/using, it is not going to work. I've learned this lesson the hard way. My brother inlaw and I got my husband into rehab. years ago. Hubby stayed 90 days and came back home doing the same old thing: drink. He went to rehab. at least five times and still drinks to this day. So, it depends on the person. An A has to be highly motivated to stop drinking and that is the bottom line. Nothing else will work unless they collaborate.

Blessings,

Hawaii

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

Try calling the local central office of AA and ask if there are any recovering alcoholics or alcoholic addits who are willing and able to make 12th step calls. They come out to visit the alcoholic and talk with them straight up. It is how AA started. I've seen it work and have done a few myself. It is also free where as an interventions can be pretty costly. Neither method gets the family or the alcoholic a guarantee. As it has already been said, if the alcoholic doesn't go for themselves...they usually don't work at it that way either. ((((hugs)))) smile

Pushka · ~*Service Worker*~

The good thing about interventions is it plants a seed of sobriety where it grows from there is up to the alcoholic. Sherri, I don't know if you can go to an open AA meeting especially a speaker meeting it really puts things into perspective of where someone has to be in order to get help, as well as how many times it takes someone to get sober. Some people can get sober in one try, many people have to fall down get back up, fall down again and then it just becomes a process of there is longer periods of sobriety between the fall downs. The addiction is never going to go away, it becomes an issue of how someone is willing to recover.

I agree across the board unless the person is ready making someone get sober doesn't work.

Hugs P :)

rrib · Senior Member

Jonesy0505 wrote:His family has been dealing with this for about 15 years with him. He has been in our local rehab (which happens to be a joke) 5 times now.

Nexflix has all 131 episodes of Intervention. They send people to some high quality facilities. It's a great show and I like it because it shows how much some people can change in just 30 or 90 days.

I know someone who went to the one of the facilities they use in Florida. Describes it as a great place. But drank on the plane ride home because 'no one would know'. I suspect your local rehab tries to plant the same 'seeds' as the high priced places. Seeds don't grow when tossed onto infertile ground.

The message to family members that's stressed is the same as what Very Very Tired said which is that the family members need to get well regardless of if the alcoholic gets well or not.

Good news! If the family members are serious, they don't have to wait for the intervention. They can start right now. Then maybe the A will do what he needs to do and call the local A.A. hotline number. It's probably in the phone book.

-- Edited by rrib on Sunday 2nd of October 2011 09:33:03 AM

pinkchip · ~*Service Worker*~

I never went to rehab. I was a daily drinker and work up each morning with dry heaves after passing out each night. It was a close call but I was able to keep my job and go to over 90 meetings in 90 days (like 130) with no rehab. I wanted a new way of life so bad that AA and recovery was all I was really focused on for quite some time. They take people from rehabs to our AA meetings and I can pick out which of them are serious and which are on a little vacation.

Anyhow, my point is, I stopped drinking with only AA and haven't picked up since my first meeting 3 years ago. This is not to brag but to back up what Rrib is saying about the solution being available immediately as soon as the Alcoholic or Addict is really ready.

Mark

Jonesy0505 · Veteran Member

I don't think anybody could push my AH into a rehab. He says he is willing to go to meetings everyday and do outpatient rehab 3 days a week and continue his sat morning group as well as individual counselling but he has said this before and not followed through. We discussed local AA meetings for tonight in the area and he said he was going to attend the 730 one but just a few minutes ago text me to tell me he is at our local rehab talking to people and hanging out at the duty office. A place he always says he will NOT return to. So I don't know whether to believe it or not. He confessed to me today that he has been using everyday for the last 3 to 4 months. BUT... he thinks no one knew even the counsellor as he so smugly put it. I told him oh I knew. He doesn't understand that it is very visible when he is using. He also says its a hard time for him right now because his son's birthday (whom he hasn't seen in 8 years now) is in 10 days from now and another year has passed that he can't deal with it. I told him to stop using that as an excuse to use and start making it a reason to get and stay clean! Think I might have hit him in the heart with that one.

Anyway, my outlook on interventions is pretty much in sync with what all you have written here. And rrib my FAVORITE show is Intervention. In fact, I sit and watch it WITH my AH sometimes lol. You'd think he'd be able to see some of himself in those people. But I am very much a realist and know that 90% of those people end up relapsing at some point unless THEY are truly ready.

Thanks for all the feedback guys!
God Bless,

Sherri

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