Drug addiction can create a lot of chaos in your life. When you get sober, it can be tough to look back on your past without wincing. Those arrests, the terrible fights with your family, and all the emotional ups and downs can be hard to face. You know you don’t want to repeat the past. You want to move forward and make a different life for yourself. How do you live with those experiences without letting them get you down?

Develop Good Coping Skills

When you have a challenge in front of you, a little preparation can boost your confidence. When your sobriety is brand new, difficulties in your past can seem overwhelming. As you learn to use healthy coping skills, you’ll feel more confident about facing tough memories or feelings.

You can effectively use your coping methods in two ways. First, you can lower your overall level of stress by eating well, sleeping well, keeping in touch with friends, and so on. Start by building a life with a lot of positivity and good routines. When difficulty comes, you will have a strong foundation underneath you.

Second, you can use some coping skills as a response to a difficult moment. You get a flashback, you run into an old drinking buddy, or you feel a craving. As soon as you realize what’s happening, you can use one or two of your most reliable coping skills to settle yourself again.

Don’t Keep The Truth Hidden Inside

Painful emotions become powerful when you hide them. It may seem like hiding them away would make them feel less intense. But feelings like fear or shame have a way of getting more disruptive when you try to box them up.

When these feelings or memories are triggered, recognize them and let them be there for a moment. Then, use your coping skills to help you change gears. Take a brisk walk, turn on some good music, or talk to a good friend. Do something positive to lift your mood and calm your mind.

Rather than wrestling with your feelings, you let them have a little space. Thankfully, the human mind cannot focus on two things at once. When you pay less attention to your painful feelings, they naturally loose their tight grip.

Every time you experience these feelings in an honest and direct manner, you take away some of the mystery and the sting. If you keep up this approach, time will eventually soften the edges of your past. You may still not like everything in your personal history, but you will be more comfortable living with it.

Live With Your Past In Addiction Recovery

Your past is part of your life, even the parts that include your worst drug addiction struggles. But you can find ways to keep your toughest moments from having power over you. When you can learn to face and live with your addiction experiences, you’ll make important discoveries about staying sober.

Are you watching someone you love struggle with drug and alcohol addiction? Have you been trying to figure out the best way to intervene and help your loved one get the medical treatment they need at a drug rehab center? Even if you can’t afford to pay for the full bill or even half of their treatment, there are ways you can help the addict in your life get treatment: a drug rehab intervention is often the catalyst that gets people the help that they need to stay clean and sober. Can you think of a more useful gift or a better way to start the new year?

Drug Addiction Treatment: Talking to Your Loved One

Chances are, the person you care about living with drug and alcohol addiction is well aware of that fact, at least on some level. Depending upon how long they have been abusing drugs and alcohol, they may not feel that their abuse has risen to the level of addiction. They may also claim that they are merely recreational users or looking for a good time. If you’re catching them in lies about how much or when they are using or if you find paraphernalia laying around that is used for deadly street drugs, then talking to them is the first step. Try and point out specific incidents in which their drug use has caused them big problems or hurt your personally. Explain that you are not judging them but that you want the best for them and that the life they are living now isn’t it. In many cases, just talking to your loved one is enough to get them to understand that they need help.

Drug Addiction Treatment Intervention

If talking to them doesn’t work, or if your loved one becomes belligerent when confronted, an intervention may be an effective and safe next step. By gathering together a group of people who care about the addict you love, you may have strength in numbers. Just like when you spoke to your loved one on your own, the focus of what everyone says to him or her should be on how their addiction is hurting them and others. Making them understand that without help, they will kill themselves with drugs is essential. When they fully grasp the severity of this concept, they will be more likely to get treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment: Don’t Let Them Wait

The other goal of a drug addiction intervention is for them to accept help at a drug rehab immediately. To help them do this, you can find a drug rehab for your loved one ahead of time and pack a bag for them so that they can literally leave immediately for treatment if they accept your offer for help. Not tomorrow and not next week—right now. You should be prepared with transportation as well as an escort should they accept your offer and if they refuse treatment, you should be equally prepared to levy the consequences (i.e., they will have to move out or they will lose their job or their relationship).

If you would like assistance setting up an intervention or if you would like to pre-enroll your loved one in treatment at The Canyon, call us today.

Every intervention ends with one thing: an ultimatum. The person addicted to drugs and/ or alcohol is offered the opportunity to drive to go to drug and alcohol rehab like The Canyon or else ….

That “or” can be a huge and weighty decision for family members. It must show that you are serious, that you are not going to put up with the bad behavior brought on by drug and/ or alcohol addiction any longer. And it must also be something that you are willing to follow up on. Whichever choice the addict in your life makes, your life is about to change as drastically as his or hers.

If Your Loved One Chooses Drug Rehab After an Intervention

We’ll start with the hoped-for outcome: choosing drug rehab at The Canyon. The intervention is over and your loved one is on his or her way to The Canyon in southern California. If you choose an inpatient drug addiction treatment program, there will likely be a blackout period, which means that you will not be allowed to contact your loved one by phone, email or letter and they will not be able to contact you. This is necessary so that they can focus on physical detox if necessary and begin to settle into treatment. Soon, though, when they are able, you may even be invited to participate in family therapy sessions and group meetings as well as family visitation days so that you can see the progress your loved one is making in treatment.

If Your Loved One Doesn’t Choose Drug Rehab After an Intervention

If they chose not to get help for their drug addiction, then you will most likely be experiencing an odd mix of depression and relief. It’s hard to let a loved one go but when that person is hurting you and your family, it is a necessary step. You may feel like a load has been lifted and, in a way, it has. Stand strong behind your determination and know that you are making the right choice for everyone in your family. There is still a chance that your loved one will choose to get help and if that happens, it will be due in part to you and your strength.

A drug addiction intervention, like we’ve been discussing this month, is an organized meeting that allows friends and family members to confront those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol with the effects of their addiction in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. A successful intervention will end with the addict choosing to get help, actively getting in the car to go to the airport or drive to a pre-chosen drug rehab like The Canyon.

A Drug Addiction Intervention Can Be Successful

Though it is often an emotional experience, if done right, an intervention can help the one addicted to drugs and/ or alcohol to see how the drugs are hurting them and those they love… but without blame or judgment. Drug addiction is no one’s fault. But the ability to take responsibility for the future is the light at the end of the tunnel and offering an intervention and the option to take that responsibility can be a pivotal point in the recovery process.

Here are a few tips to help you set up a successful drug addiction intervention:

• Bring just one example of how you have been hurt to the meeting to illustrate the severity of this person’s drug addiction.
• Write down the incident you would like to share before you arrive. It will help you to focus and keep it short.
• If you are the one delivering the ultimatum, then stick to it. No one will be helped by you backing down later.
• Make sure that you secure your space at a drug rehab like The Canyon before you have your drug addiction intervention. That way, when your friend or loved one is ready to leave the intervention and get help, there is no need to wait: both of you can go directly from the intervention to The Canyon without delay.

Intervention: It’s a popular TV show for some reason and also the hardest day of a drug addict’s life… though likely significantly harder for the loved ones who have to confront the drug addict they care about. It’s most likely the tragedy that makes the show so popular but when it comes to drug addiction, how to realistic is the reality show?

The Reality of a Drug Addiction Intervention

Not very. First, it’s not always obvious when someone’s recreational abuse of a drug has become a full blown drug addiction and drug rehab is necessary. For the most part, the one taking the drug recognizes it as a problem before others do, even if they won’t admit it. Only they know the depths to which their physical and psychological dependence upon drugs of addiction has overtaken their lives. A drug addiction intervention is a way for them to come to terms with the severity of their drug addiction and the fact that they need drug rehab now.

But if you find yourself in the position of having to stage an intervention for a loved one who doesn’t realize that his or her drug and alcohol abuse has reached the breaking point, it will most likely look much different. The stumbling, slurring threats probably won’t happen. More like shame, embarrassment, irritation, denial. These are commonly seen when someone is confronted with their drug and alcohol addiction.

Prescription Drug Addiction Versus Other Drugs of Addiction

It is especially difficult for people who are addicted to prescription painkillers to recognize the serious nature of their problem since they likely don’t consider themselves to be addicts in the same way as those who are addicted to street drugs. They didn’t start using the drugs to get high but to manage pain so addiction most likely came as a surprise. Admitting it and facing a detoxification treatment and the withdrawal symptoms that accompany it when attempted without help is not easy.

Drug Addiction Intervention: A Gift?

An intervention with a ride to a drug rehab like The Canyon sitting at the end of it is actually the nicest thing you can do for someone addicted to pain meds: with a team of medical professionals backing them up, your loved one will be able to swiftly and simply kick their habit without the embarrassment of enrolling in a drug rehab or a local addiction maintenance clinic.

So take heart. A drug addiction intervention—if conducted in that window of clarity after the last dose has mostly worn off and before the next dose has been taken—can be a calm and ultimately enlightening experience.

As much as we would all love to do things amicably, there are times when showing that you love someone means you have to get tough with them. The Encarta North American Dictionary defines tough love as “a caring [and] strict attitude adopted toward a friend or loved one with a problem, as distinct from an attitude of indulgence.” If you feel like you’re talking ‘till your blue in the face, the words just aren’t getting through, and the chaos is escalating, then it might be time to take a different approach with your efforts at intervening.

The Need for Tough Love Drug Addiction Interventions

If your loved one is known to have a history of any of the following:

• Violence
• Mental illness
• Multiple drug addictions
• Threats to self or others
• Emotionally unstable reactions

it’s a good indication that they are already under immense strain with their personal life and may react in such a volatile way that personal safety becomes top priority.

Any involvement that elicits physical, emotional or verbal abuse is counter-productive for everyone involved. Lashing out in kind only adds fuel to the fire, and sitting back and taking it puts all your control in the hands of the abuser. Assertiveness, on the other hand, allows each individual to claim control over their own actions without bulldozing over anyone else.

Mentally Preparing for Tough Love Interventions

Realizing you are the master of only your actions and no one else’s is the first step in being able to separate from the situation and observe what’s happening from a distance. Thinking over the risks associated with getting involved vs. doing nothing, can you live with yourself if someone gets hurt – or worse?

Take the time to talk over your options with a pastor, mentor, therapist, or good friend who has experience with drug abuse and interventions. Explore the possible reactions that could surface when your loved one discovers you’ll no longer play the role of the victim or enabler. Know ahead of time how you will respond to assertively defend your decisions.

Tactical Maneuvers for Tough Love Interventions

When faced with a crisis situation, your first priority is to protect yourself from harm. Teach family members and children to call 911 for threats of violence or suicide, any type of physical assault, and loss of consciousness (drug overdose). These are legitimate emergencies that need to be handled promptly by paramedics and first responders.

Notify law enforcement when you suspect drugs are on your property, or your loved one is driving under the influence. Report thefts, trespassing, vandalism, and truancy immediately and press charges whenever possible.

Ignoring the problem will not make it go away; it rewards the behavior by allowing a free ride for unaccountability. Responding assertively brings a new awareness of consequences and sense of responsibility to a drug addict’s chaotic world. Eventually – hopefully – they will begin to understand the reactions to their own behaviors and realize that it is up to them to change the pattern by getting help for their problems.

If your child was using, would you choose the same or different methods than the ones described here?

Drug Addiction Out of Control

Everyone knows about it, so why won’t somebody do something about it? Saying anything to an addict about their behavior is risky – you’ll be labeled the “bad guy” for accusing them of having a problem, or family members might reject you for attempting to get involved and rocking the boat.

In America’s DIY culture of the twenty-first century, needing help from outside sources can be viewed as a weakness. But knowing there’s a problem that needs fixing and knowing how to fix it are two different things entirely. When your conscience keeps pushing you to speak up, there’s probably a good reason.

When to Get Involved When Drug Use is Out of Control

The best time to get involved is anytime – tomorrow may be too late: violence, accidents, incarceration, and suicide are all very real risks for someone struggling with an addiction. You never know where their quest for drugs might take them or if they’ll steer clear of getting buzzed before getting behind the wheel of a car. Simply possessing an illegal substance can lead to an arrest (not to mention the costly legal proceedings involved) and because drugs alter the fundamental chemistry in the brain, mental illnesses are fairly common in long-term users.

Children in the care of an addict are especially vulnerable to bizarre, unpredictable treatment. Small and powerless, children are often the mute recipients of an addict’s attempts to control their environment. They are on the front lines and in the trenches, and the sooner you step in and speak up can make all the difference in whether they escape a nightmare.

How to Approach An Addict When Drug Use is Out of Control

Off-the-cuff confrontations are a disservice to everyone involved. Verbally attacking an individual (even when they’ve done something wrong) won’t get you heard. If you truly want to help, start by reaching out with an olive branch. Focus on emphasizing your love and commitment to your spouse/child/friend/family member. Remind them of all the tough times you’ve been through together and all the good times you’ve shared. Reiterate that you want to share more of those good times and get through the bad stuff – together.

Having done your homework will help things run smoother. Research the addiction by reading books and websites, visiting forums and chat rooms, and participating in AlAnon or NarcAnon meetings. Make a list of the specific points that you want to discuss with your loved one and ask for feedback from a professional. Rehearse what you want to say along with responses to potential rebuttals as many times as it takes until you feel comfortable with the material.

What to Do for an Addict When Words Don’t Work

Keeping your composure doesn’t always guarantee success in convincing someone they need help. Here are a few suggestions in case talking about it doesn’t illicit the response you were hoping for:

• Present information from local health clinics
• Accompany them to AA or NA meetings
• Make an appointment with a physician for them to discuss medical concerns
• Seek out professional counseling and/or drug treatment centers
• Consider contacting children’s services if neglect or abuse is suspected

Tell Us: What are some other ways you can think of to motivate a loved one to get help for their drug addiction?