7 Step Guide on How to Stage a Drug Intervention

Does your loved one deny her addiction? Is she reluctant to seek help for her disease? Is she beyond the point of making sound decisions?

Then, it’s time to stage an intervention.

Do intervention work? Yes, it can help boost your loved one’s chances of recovery dramatically. Interventions are a proven recovery strategy.

Interventions show addicts that loved ones are concerned. They spell out the impact his addiction had on family and friends. And they provide a way to encourage and gently push the loved ones to seek treatment.

But not all interventions are the same. Nor do they all happen in the same order or the same steps. Many specialists believe interventions work best when tailored to an individual or a family’s needs. Whatever the case, they can help addicts seek treatment if the intervention is successful.

Below are some critical steps on how to stage a drug intervention.

The key to performing a successful intervention is to remain calm throughout and speak respectfully—even when tempers flare. Staying calm and respectful can help you convince the addict to seek the help he or she needs.

1.Plan your intervention

Conducting an intervention just doesn't magically happen. You need to plan them out thoroughly. Decide who you want to take part in the process as well as where and when you want it to take place. Also, decide how you’ll get the addict to the location. Make sure each person participating in the meeting chooses what he or she will say and rehearses it.

2.Unite those affected by addiction

Addiction impacts more than just the addict. Include these people in the intervention. Contact co-workers, significant others, family, friends — anyone affected by the addict's actions and willing to share his or her story with the addict. Each person will take turns addressing the addict.

3. Select a private setting for the intervention

This step, like many in the process, is critical. It can be at a friend’s or a relative’s, or even the addict’s home. Make sure it’s convenient, provides plenty of space, and affords privacy. Also, make sure it’s somewhere where the addict will not suspect an intervention will take place. You never want the addict to suspect an intervention will occur. Catching the addict off guard is critical.

4. Have everyone there waiting

One or more members of the intervention will need to get the addict to the planned location. Make sure everyone is waiting when he or she gets there. If you have an intervention specialist there, he or she can help convince the addict to stay and listen. Once you do that, have each person address the addict and tell them the impact of his or her addiction on the speaker’s lives.

5. Talk to the person behind the addiction

The person you’re trying to reach has no control over their condition. That’s something everyone in the intervention needs to realize and keep in mind. The person they know before is still there deep inside, but be ready for a backlash during the meeting. Remember, it’s not the loved-one talking, it’s the alcohol or drug.

6. Present the facts clearly but lovingly

Among the most critical steps in intervention is to present the facts clearly but lovingly. Make sure the loved one understands exactly they’ve done and how it affected family and friends. It provides evidence for the idea that their disease has gotten to the point where they need help but you need to do it without making them feel like you are attacking them.

7. Present an ultimatum to the addict

The intervention may last for a while. Before it ends, make sure you present the addict with an ultimatum. He either enters a treatment facility, or he faces certain consequences. They need to realize that if they refuse they may forfeit things like financial support, other people covering for them, maybe even banning them from family functions

Holding an intervention can dramatically boost your loved one’s chances of recovering. So, don’t be afraid to consult drug intervention specialist if need be. A specialist can help you plan and stage a successful intervention — one that gets your loved one to seek help.

And don't give up if the loved one refuses to go to treatment. Your loved one may approach you later after thinking about it. The bottom line: You can't force someone into treatment, but you can be there when your loved one is ready to do it.

from
https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/11/15/7-Step-Guide-on-How-to-Stage-a-Drug-Intervention

In Recovery: How Getting Active Can Help

For the millions of Americans who are in substance abuse recovery, it’s important to find ways to cope with stress, anxiety, and the symptoms of depression in healthy ways in order to avoid relapse. Getting your life back on track after a period of addiction takes time, so learning how to handle the more difficult aspects of life will help you stay on track and keep you motivated.

There are many different treatments and methods you can try once you make the decision to get sober, but one of the most utilized is very simple: exercise. Getting active or spending time outdoors can help boost your mental health, keep you fit, and add structure to your day, allowing you to always know what comes next. Physical fitness has so many benefits, not the least of which is the ability to focus on all aspects of your health and create a long-term plan for feeling better.

Keep reading for some great tips on how to get active during your recovery journey.

Know the benefits

Getting out into nature is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety, but it can also have a positive effect on your physical health. People who live in an area where there is no green space around are more often linked to depression, cancer, ADHD, and a higher risk of disease, whereas those who live close to nature typically have a stronger immune system and aren’t as prone to physical or mental illness.

Do something you enjoy

For some people, the idea of getting active when they’re tired after a long day is stressful in itself, so it’s important to find an activity you enjoy. Whether it’s swimming, practicing yoga, playing a sport, or simply playing with your dog in the backyard, doing something fun and turning it into a workout will help you balance your physical and mental health.

Find the right workout for your needs

If you haven’t worked out in a while or if you have existing health issues, it’s important to find the right workout for your needs. Talk to your doctor about the best exercises to try at home, such as walking, weight training, and cardio, and consider setting up a small home gym. It doesn’t have to be a big, expensive endeavor; utilizing tools such as a stability ball, resistance bands, some free weights, and a yoga mat can go a long way toward helping you get fit in the comfort of your own home.

Make time to find balance

When you’re recovering from addiction, and especially when you’re adding an exercise regimen to your sobriety plan, it’s important to take time to focus on your inner self as much as your physical self. Meditation can help; it’s a great practice for people from all walks of life, but can be especially beneficial for those in recovery. It’s easy to get started, and there are a lot of helpful guided meditations you can follow that will help you find inner balance and peace. It’s important, though, to meditate in an area conducive to relaxation so you can truly focus on yourself, especially if you’re at home where distractions abound. HomeAdvisor suggests finding a quiet room or nook where there is natural or soft lighting, calming colors (like blues and greens), few or no electronics, and a natural element or two, such as a plant.

Getting active during your recovery can help in so many ways, but it’s important to make sure you’re going about it correctly. Don’t push yourself, as this can have a negative effect and keep you from reaching your goals. Talk to your doctor about your plans before you get started and make sure you’re on the same page.

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https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/11/01/In-Recovery-How-Getting-Active-Can-Help

David Marion - Steps to Confronting Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol

There’s no denying it. The signs are all there. Your child is addicted to drugs or alcohol. As a parent, it's scary discovering your child is addicted. In fact, there’s probably nothing scarier as a parent.

Now, it’s time to act to help your child—and your family. Addiction impacts the whole family—not just the child.

The question is what are you going to do about it? How are you going to get your child and family back on track?

Follow these steps from David Marion to confronting addiction at https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/07/27/Saving-Your-Child-6-Steps-to-Confronting-Addiction-to-Drugs-and-Alcohol

How to talk to your kids about substance abuse

Drugs. Alcohol. Tobacco. These things lie in wait for your kids. Even the best-behaved kids encounter them in school and on the playground.

Studies continually show that the chance of kids abusing drugs, especially teens, is less likely to occur if their families have open, honest discussions with them.

That’s why it’s never too soon to talk with your kids about substance abuse—whether you think they’re at risk for these drugs or not.

Starting the Conversation Is Key

Substance abuse is devastating. It hurts the child that's addicted. It hurts the child’s family. And it hurts society. The cost of abuse in the United States, including drugs, alcohol, and tobacco—exceeds $820 billion…and growing.

But talking with kids about substance abuse is challenging. It’s easy for the conversation to go off the rails no matter how sincere you are with your child. The key is starting the conversation the right way.

Below is some guidance on how to start the conversation with your kids and what to say once it’s started:

Start in an age-appropriate way

It’s never too early to discuss substance abuse with your kids. That’s especially true when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Kids as young as two can associate abuse with being bad for them. The trick is to start the discussion in an age-appropriate way, like using examples on television to make a point.

Let them choose the time and date

Let your child pick the time and place to have the conversation. Tell them you need to talk with them about something critical. That way you’re not catching them off guard. Plus, it eases the process of discussing the topic. Talking with them during driving or when they’re not working on a project, for example, sets up the right environment to express their feelings.

Talk about the harmful effects of abuse

Don’t sugar-coat the bad effects of substance abuse. Tell it just like it is. Abuse damages a young child’s thinking and learning abilities and hurts the performance of certain activities, like playing ports or learning to dance. Abuse and alcohol also can have immediate effects, like getting pregnant, catching an STD, or causing a fatal accident.

Ask them what they already know

Kids are sponges. They can quickly absorb images on television and things overheard in conversations between adults. So, before getting deep into the discussion, ask your kids what they know. Ask them also if anyone has offered them drugs or they've seen others using drugs or alcohol. Find out just what your kids know, and then build on it.

Communicate the seriousness of the risk

Among the top goals of your conversation with your kids is communicating about how big a risk they're taking when they do drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Warn them that they may hear about how much fun it is or how much good it will make them feel. But that’s a trap. Tell them that even a one-time use can make them addicts.

Warn them about the dangers of peer pressure

Many first-time users succumb to peer pressures. Unfortunately, it can be an occasional occurrence that kids hardly notice. They may be given a beer at a party or asked to take a hit on a joint after a dance or other school function. Peer pressure plays no favorites. Make sure your kids know this.

Other tips on talking with your kids about substance abuse are setting clear expectations, focusing on the positive, and being honest about your own experiences.

The tips above provide guidance on talking to your kids about drugs. Use empathy and understanding in the conversation. If necessary, speak with a professional. Your child's life and happiness are at stake.

from
https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/10/17/How-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-substance-abuse

Sponsor or Recovery Coach: Choosing the Right Recovery Partner

Trying to decide what would be best—a sponsor or a recovery coach? Choosing the right one at the right time can be crucial in an individual’s recovery. Learning more about each of these key people, however, can help make the right decision.

Addiction is complex and multifaceted. And so is recovery. As one writer put it, there’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to recovery. In fact, it’s downright challenging—no matter the substance being used.

So, it’s not surprising when addicts ask for additional support. But, where can they turn for this extra support? Do they need to work with a sponsor? Or, do they need to work with a recovery coach? And what’s the difference?

Sponsor: Mentor and Guide

Sponsors aren’t recovery coaches. In fact, they’re very different. Sponsors are in a service relationship with the recovering individual, not a professional one.

Sponsors support individuals working through a 12-step program—which provides guidelines for the best way to recover.

They help newcomers learn about the program, how it works, what they can expect, and what the expectations are.

Below are some services a sponsor provides:

Offer a willing ear to listen when the newcomer needs to talkGive encouragement and advice on resisting temptationAssists the addict in accomplishing the 12 stepsOffers suggestions, encouragement, and help in monitoring progressShares life experiences with the addict, being more experienced with the programShows up to meetings with his or her sponseeDoes not impose personal views or opinions on a sponsee

Put simply, sponsors are mentors and guides in recovery for more than a year and have worked through the steps themselves. They also don’t charge fees. Sometimes, they become close friends with the sponsee.

Recovery Coach: Helps with Goals for Recovery

Recovery coaching role is a relatively new concept in the professional recovery community. Coaches don't represent any 12-step programs like sponsors. Actually, recovery coaches don't promote or endorse any programs or methods of attaining or maintaining sobriety.

Instead, recovery coaches help addicts with achieving goals specific to recovery and sobriety. They work with recovering individuals to help them develop and follow structured recovery plans. They also can provide a link between sponsors and professional counselors.

Below are some services recovery coaches provide:

Act as liaisons for clients to help them access a variety of community servicesMonitor a client’s goals from pre-recovery to active recoveryEncourage recovery individuals to come up with self-powered solutionsHelp individuals focus on the present so he or she can move forwardProvides accountability on an agreed upon actionAccelerates the client's progress in recovery by providing greater focus and awareness of choices, activities, and responsibilities.

Recovery coaches often charge fees. During meetings, they let the individuals choose the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions for action.

Counselor: Treats Underlying Causes of Addiction

Professional counselors or therapists are a third support option for recovering individuals. Paid clinical resource people, counselors treat mental illness and emotional disorders.

Sometimes, it’s necessary for long-term sobriety for recovering individuals to take on the underlying issues that triggered the person’s addiction.

Issues like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder can be overwhelming. Counselors help clients resolve a recovering individual’s underlying causes and address his or her addiction issues.

Defeating substance abuse is a challenge. Often, recovering individuals realize they need more support to achieve success. Working with a sponsor and recovery coach can help.

Knowing which one is right for the recovering individual is the key.

from
https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/10/06/Sponsor-or-Recovery-Coach-Choosing-the-Right-Recovery-Partner

25 Motivational Quotes To Inspire Recovery

Recovery is a lifelong journey. It involves self-discovery, growth, and transformation. It requires you to make changes in yourself, your perspective, and your environment.

Change isn’t easy. Put another way, recovery is a challenge—one of the toughest you’ll ever face. If you’re in recovery or you know someone that’s recovering, you know just how hard this journey is.

At times, it might seem like more than you can take. Often, an encouraging word or two at the right time reminds a person that he or she is not alone in the struggle and that change is indeed possible.

The quotes below have helped recovering addicts recover. We’ve associated them with five common stages of recovery—stages many recovering addicts experience:

Pre-Contemplation

This stage is among the most critical in recovery—and the hardest. Going from awareness of a problem to the realization that action needs to be taken is often daunting. The quotes below can help motivate someone at this critical time:

Recovery is an acceptance that your life is in shambles and you have to change it. – Jamie Lee CurtisI’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it. – Art WilliamsI am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. —Stephen CoveyThe most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. —Amelia EarhartIt’s not heroin or cocaine that makes an addict, it is the need to escape from harsh reality. – Shirley Anita Chisholm

Contemplation

In this stage the addict shifts from recovery to action. He or she starts looking beyond himself and herself to see the impact addiction has made on others. Though not pursuing recovery, they’re thinking about it:

If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” – Zen proverbAddiction is a family disease. One person may use, but the family suffers. – Shelly LewisWhen the past calls, let it go to voicemail. Believe me, it has nothing new to say. – UnknownI have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. —Leonardo da VinciDo or do not. There is no try. —Yoda

Preparation

I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion. – Muhammad AliThe first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are. – J.P. MorganWhen one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. —Helen KellerThe only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. —Ralph Waldo EmersonWhat we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. —Plutarch

Action

Early recovery is a time of great learning and great vulnerability. Addicts are letting go of people, activities, and behaviors that have been key parts of their lives. In their place they’re developing new coping skills, ingraining healthy habits, and rebuilding damaged relationships:

You don’t get over addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not use. - UnknownYou wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before and that, my love, is bravery. - UnknownTo go through the torture of withdrawal, pain sweat, and tears and then to stay clean, you should be proud. Never forget the day you decided to get your life back. - UnknownYou were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed, or unworthy, you were created to be victorious. – Joel OlsteenIt does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop —Confucius

Active Recovery and Maintenance

By the time addicts reach this stage, they’ve learned a great deal and put in a lot of hard work. But they also realize they will have to continue to do that for ever to keep going:

It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary. – Mandy HaleOur greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. – Ralph Waldo EmersonMy recovery must come first so that everything I love in life does not have to come last. - UnknownThe hope was out there from the opportunities that I began creating myself. - UnknownRelax. Take a breath. It takes time, but there is great joy in the every day. Just remember, you’re learning new steps, a new dance. - Lisa Frederiksen

The quotes above can help you or someone you know beat the recovery challenge. You can use them as inspiration and motivation when the going gets tough. They can inspire recovery.

from
https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/09/15/25-Motivational-Quotes-To-Inspire-Recovery

How to Eliminate the Stigma of Addiction and Mental Illnesses

Substance abuse and mental illness aren’t choices. Nor are they the result of a weak character or a lack of willpower. They’re diseases that can happen to anyone—sisters, friends, lawyers, doctors, even elected officials.

Look at the impact the Opioid epidemic is having in the United States.

The epidemic knows no bounds.

No class or ethnic group has gone unaffected.

Unfortunately, the stigma attached to these issues remains. Those struggling with these diseases, however, feel stigma’s effects most strongly.

Often, it prevents them from getting the help they need.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We can can take action to help remove the stigma attached to these diseases and lessen their impact on everyone involved. These critical steps can change how people think about these diseases and help eliminate the sense of shame associated with them.

Impact of Stigma on an Individual

The stigma that clings to substance abuse and mental illness is an enormous barrier to treatment.

The word "stigma" comes from a Greek word meaning "a physical mark made by a pointed instrument."

While the English word “stigma” lacks that precise meaning of the Greek, many addicts and people with mental illness feel like they’re “marked” for all to see.

Eventually, that feeling creates a painful sense of shame in the individual.

Shame is a heavy burden for anyone. But for addicts and the mentally ill, this sense of shame can feel unbearable. It makes them feel as if they’re “defective” in one way or another.

These feelings often bar individuals from seeking treatment.

Practical Effects of Stigma

The stigma associated with substance abuse and mental illness has other effects.

In addition to discouraging them from seeking treatment, the stigma can prevent addicts and the mentally ill from participating in normal everyday activities like finding work or even socializing. This reclusive behavior can be devastating to their recovery.

What’s more, some private doctors won’t work with addicts and the mentally ill thanks to the perceived low rate of treatment success.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies relegate treatment to lower priority, preferring instead to develop treatments for more chronic illness.

Fortunately, more and more people are coming to understand these illnesses and even taking the steps to learn how they can be part of the solution.

Stopping the Stigma of Addiction

Have you ever walked away from a challenge? A real life altering challenge?

I have. Several times.

Why?

Fear of failing. Uncertainty. Stubborn pride.

It felt easier to hide, rather than to confront my addiction.

For people living with addiction or mental illness, these obstacles are real and bigger than anything they've encountered before.

So, how do we help them overcome these roadblocks to meet the challenge?

Knowledge.

Educating ourselves can help prevent and reduce the stigma of these diseases by providing accurate, detailed data on preventing and treating them.

Fortunately, many grassroots organization are working hard at educating the public. But this effort needs to continue.

Speaking out is another key to removing the negatives associated with addiction and mental illness. When individuals join together to combat the stigma of these diseases, good things happen. Friends, families, treatment providers, medical organizations—all need to speak up.

People in recovery also need to speak up. In fact, addicts and the mentally ill are often the strongest—and most successful—advocates for beating the stigma of these diseases. When these people share their experiences, hopes, failures and successes, they combat the stigma.

More Ways to Eliminate Stigma

Educating the public and speaking out are two powerful ways to eliminate the stigma of addiction and mental illness. There are others. Nine are below:

Encourage equality between physical diseases and these diseasesRemind people of the power of negative languageShow empathy and compassion for those with these diseasesChoose empowerment over shame Be upfront and honest about your treatmentLet the media know when it is stigmatizing addiction and mentally illDon’t harbor self-stigmatizing by becoming a productive citizenListen while withholding judgmentTreat addicts and the mentally ill with respect and dignity

No one likes to feel stigmatized or devalued. By following the tips above you can help combat and eliminate the stigma of addiction.

Fighting the Stigma of Addiction and the Mentally Ill

The stigma attached to these disease isn’t just an individual issue. It's also a public health concern. Findings by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for example, shows that 21.5 million adults (aged 12 and older) battled substance abuse disorder in 2014.

Sadly, only 2.5 million of these individuals got the specialized treatmentthey needed. One reason for not getting treatment is the stigma associated with their condition.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We can all be part of the solution by sharing information and engaging with those that need our support.

from
https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/single-post/2018/09/01/How-to-Eliminate-the-Stigma-of-Addiction-and-Mental-Illnesses