If someone you love is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, you’re not alone. ‘Is it Time?’ looks at timing an intervention properly for your loved one.
In fact, one in seven people in the United States will experience substance addiction at some point in their lifetime. And if that statistic shocks you, keep reading.
Because the really sad truth is that out of those addicts, only ten percent will receive treatment. Don’t let your loved one become a part of these heartbreaking statistics.
If you’re worried about the wellness of a friend or family member, it may be time to stage a drug intervention. With the help of an intervention, you’ll be able to communicate your concern in a controlled environment and offer your loved one professional treatment.
Not sure if it’s the right time? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.
In this article, we’ll break down the top signs that it’s time to stage an intervention. Let’s get started.
Constant Lateness
If your loved one is constantly late or absent from family events, work, or appointments, this is a sign that it’s time to stage a drug or alcohol intervention.
Addiction causes chronic lateness because the addict may experience hangovers, withdrawals, or the inability to transport themselves from one place to another.
Lying or Withholding Information
If you often catch someone in your life lying, they may need an intervention.
After all, there’s a lot of shame associated with addiction. To cover their tracks, addicts will often lie about where they’re going, what they’re doing, and who they’re seeing.
Don’t let these lies slip by you, even if they seem harmless. They may be an important clue that your loved one is hitting rock bottom and needs professional help.
Deterioration of Relationships
Many people who suffer from addiction will also suffer in their relationships, whether that means friendships or romantic connections. The mood swings, lying, irregularity, and unreliability make being in a relationship with an addict extremely taxing.
The deterioration of relationships is often a clear sign that a person is in need of serious help. Providing them with a loving, supportive intervention is a great way to get them to agree to join a treatment program.
A Decline in Physical Wellness
Drugs and alcohol weaken the immune system. For this reason, addicts may become sick more often than the average healthy person.
Addicts may also have a hard time taking care of personal grooming habits. Their physical appearance may suffer.
A sudden decline in a loved one’s physical wellness might mean that it’s time to stage an intervention. Here are some tell-tale signs to look out for:
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Extremely large or small pupils
- Changes in appetite
- Strange body odors
- Runny nose
- Tremors
- Slurred speech
- Disheveled appearance
- Obvious lack of sleep
These symptoms may appear out of the blue or worsen slowly as the person’s disease progresses. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, keep tabs on it to ensure that you can track its development.
Increased Tolerance
Whatever an addict’s drug of choice is, one thing is for sure: as their addiction strengthens, they’ll need more of the drug to function. So, if you notice your loved one refilling their prescriptions more often, or buying more alcohol than usual, it could be time to call an interventionist.
Brain Fog
We all have days where we feel mentally foggy. But when a person is suffering from addiction, brain fog will occur more often than not.
If someone if your life is exceptionally forgetful, or they take a long time to respond when you speak to them, this may be a sign of addiction. Help them clear their mind and take back control of their life by encouraging them to join a drug and alcohol recovery program.
Volatile Emotional Reactions
Drugs and alcohol mess with the delicate chemical balances in the brain.
Combining these chemical changes with the shame and fear that come along with addiction can often cause huge emotional swings and shocking reactions.
For example, if you ask a person who’s suffering from addiction where they’re going, they may react with anger, aggression, or rage. This misplaced reaction is a common sign of progressed addiction.
Although these emotional swings are difficult to deal with, keep in mind that it’s not their choice. Their addiction is taking hold of them. Stay patient and organize a drug addiction intervention as soon as possible.
Financial Instability
It’s expensive to support an addiction to drugs or alcohol. It’s also difficult to keep steady employment when you’re suffering from addiction.
Financial instability is a huge red flag when it comes to identifying addiction and figuring out when someone needs help. If your loved one is struggling financially, pawning their possessions, asking to borrow money, or stealing, it’s time to come to their rescue.
Legal Trouble
From drug charges to DUI’s, legal troubles are difficult to avoid when you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol.
If someone you love is in trouble with the law for a charge related to or caused by their addiction, it’s imperative that you stage an intervention for them as soon as possible.
Loss of Employment
As we know, securing regular employment is difficult when you’re suffering from addiction. Not only will addiction stop you from performing well at any job, but it may also cause you to miss shifts without explanation.
Losing employment can lead to a further developed addiction problem or even homelessness. For this reason, it’s one of the top signs that it’s time to stage a drug intervention.
Worsening Mental Illness
Mental illness and addiction often go hand-in-hand. People who suffer from any number of mental illnesses may use drugs or alcohol to escape from or soothe their symptoms.
Unfortunately, drug addiction will only make mental illness worse. If someone in your life suffers from mental illness and their symptoms suddenly worsen, addiction may be to blame.
For individuals with mental illness and addiction issues, dual diagnosis and the corresponding treatments are necessary. Stage an intervention to help these people enroll in the right treatment program for them.
Abandoned Hobbies
Loss of interest in once-beloved hobbies is a clear sign of drug addiction.
This happens because once a person becomes an addict, their drug of choice consumes their life. Drug use rewires the way your brain experiences pleasure, making activities that used to provide joy seem meaningless.
This causes addicts to lose enjoyment in things they once loved. Their only goal is to locate and consume the drugs or alcohol that their brain craves.
Even though abandoning hobbies may not seem as serious as losing employment or getting in trouble with the police, it’s still an important sign of addiction. If you notice it happening to someone in your life, an intervention can help.
Isolation
Isolation is unfortunately common among addicts. Addiction can form because of deep-rooted feelings of isolation and separation, and it can also create these feelings in anyone suffering from this disease.
When you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, the potential judgments of others may cause you to keep to yourself. You may also want to partake in your drug of choice alone or with people who aren’t your friends or family.
How to Stage a Drug Intervention
If you know that staging an intervention will help someone you love but you’re not sure where to start, don’t stress. Follow these tips for the best outcome possible.
Connect with a Specialist
Don’t try to stage an intervention alone. Connect with a specialist first. A professional addiction counselor will keep your intervention on track and help to guide the addict toward receiving treatment.
Invite Loved Ones
Showing an addict that they’re loved is an important part of staging an intervention.
Gather a group of supportive individuals to come to the intervention and show that they care. If they are willing, have each person say a few words to express their love and concern.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t jump into an intervention without practicing first. Gather everyone who will be present and run through who will speak and what they’ll say. This will lessen some of the stress during the actual event.
Don’t Lose Hope
Not every intervention is successful right away. It’s important to stay calm, collected, and not to lose hope. Keep your eye on the prize, even if the addict resists.
Lean on the intervention specialist for support if you feel overwhelmed. And remember that you should never raise your voice or lose your cool during an intervention.
You Can Do This
Use the information above to figure out if now is the time to stage an intervention for your loved one. If they’re displaying any of these behaviors, it’s time to get serious about helping them.
By staging a drug intervention, you’ll provide them with the best gift possible: a chance to receive treatment. Although organizing an intervention may seem like a big task, take it one step at a time, and remember how amazing the outcome can be.Do you need help? You’re not alone. Contact us anytime and we’d be glad to offer support in any way we can.
