Substance abuse intervention is necessary to prevent continued drug or alcohol addiction when it appears that the abuse is causing serious damage, either to the addict or to people close to them. Whether drug addiction or alcoholism are viewed as diseases, or increasingly futile attempts are made to master and regulate disorders of mood and emotional problems, substance abuse interventions are necessary when the addicts seem to be out of control.
Those closestpeople to substance abusers will sometimes collude with the addict and deny that there is any problem. Such partnerships are called “co-dependent”. Mother’s, and “battered wives” are particularly prone to denial where the violence of a partner or family member is concerned. Such people would rather stand by and see children suffer than face their own anxiety about leaving the relationship. It is a big decision for anyone to make, to call for substance abuse intervention.
Too often it is not until some critical event occurs that an intervention is done
Interventions are needed to make addicts aware of the harm they are inflicting and take responsibility for their own actions. Particularly where young children or adolescents are concerned, there is a duty of care. One of the main problems for effective drugs and alcohol abuse intervention is the secrecy, the privacy and the social isolation of those involved. Children born into a drug culture only know that way of life. Unless separation from the addict has already occurred, substance abuse intervention can upset the dynamics of an entire family. If abuse is allowed to continue, the effects can flow on into future generations.
The earlier the a intervention takes place, the better the chance of successfully rehabilitating the addict, and maintaining family relationships. Too often it is not until some critical event occurs that substance abuse intervention becomes the preferred option. Sometimes it can get to a stage where interventions are forced upon the addicts, by psychiatric medical teams or the criminal law.
The reality of life is that everyone with an addictive style needs something powerful enough to intervene and break bad addictive habits. When a person finds the chemical that will completely satisfy them, everything else becomes insignificant. In many ways, the substances become integrated into the psychological and physical structure of the addict – the glass of beer, the crack, the Valium pill or any other chemical compound.
The dynamics of addiction are that taking in the drug instantly relieves symptoms of anxiety and physical distress. Alcoholics are reported to have reduced levels of anxiety immediately upon having purchased their liquor, regardless of actual consumption. There is a strong element of mastery in acquiring the addictive substance, which is why addicts can feel very empowered when they have just scored a hit, and don’t want any substance abuse intervention. If you run out of coffee, then you might have a cup of tea, for the addict there is no alternative, he has to hit up, or face depression or unbearable anxiety.
When substance use gets out of control, using it no longer gives pleasure, it simply becomes a compulsive need. The need has to be satisfied regardless of cost, in terms of money, abuses, violence, social relationships and happiness. Between the highs and the lows of withdrawal, the addict becomes more like the tennis ball than the tennis player.
When life for the addict is self-harming and out of control substance abuse intervention is essential – you should not hesitate; however there is no need to wait for this critical stage to intervene.
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