Myth #1
Individuals must hit their “bottom” before they accept help.
False
The “bottom” reached may be irretrievable, such as jails, institutions, or death. We meet individuals right where they are, and provide the evidence, encouragement, and leverage necessary to interrupt the cycle of addiction.
When an individual agrees to obtain treatment,clinical professionals are provided opportunity to convert external pressure (family, employment, legal, medical) to internal motivation through the treatment process.
Myth #2
Individuals must want help before treatment will have any positive effect.
False
Many individuals do not want help due to a pervasive fear of living without their drug. They don’t know how to live. They don’t know how to cope with feelings, relationships, or life and use maladaptive and damaging means to navigate our world.
Some of the addictive and maladaptive coping mechanisms commonly used to excess are alcohol or other drugs, gambling, sex, physical exercise, video gaming, self-injury, food restriction, binging and purging, or any other behavior that creates an illusion of control, medicates feelings, and anesthetises internal pain.
No matter how miserable addicts may be, addiction is what they know.It’s predictable. The unknown of recovery and living without the obsession of addiction is frightening, uncomfortable, and unpredictable. Hence, we intervene.
Myth #3
Intervention is a failure if the individual does not agree to go for treatment.
False
Intervention always has a positive effect whether on the target individual or the participants. It is a last resort to save a life. When all is said and done, family and friends know they have done all they can do to help the individual access treatment..
A well-planned, Professional Intervention seldom fails.
Bottom line.
Although the individual who is the focus of intervention may refuse the proposed treatment, family and friends know they have done everything possible to save the life of one they love.
When we intervene whether individually or with a group, we continue to chip away at the addiction. Intervention is positive and continuous.