Do interventions really work?

[athena123]

Someone very close to me has a serious problem with opiates. About 10 years ago, he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was prescribed drugs to counteract these problems. He drinks hard alcohol in addition to taking these prescriptions even though it clearly states on the warning label that alcohol should not be taken along with these medications.

2 years ago he admitted to me he had been taking codeine along with everything else and it was making him sick so he stopped. I believed him. At the time he completely dismissed my concerns about overdose, stating that his tolerance is so high it would be impossible anyway. I allowed myself to believe this because I wanted to believe it.

Last year he admitted to me [finally!] that he knew he had a problem with alcohol and would reduce his intake. I believed him.

This weekend I found out he had never quit taking the codeine along with everything else; in fact, he has graduated to MORPHINE! [in tablet form]. I'm extremely worried about him; I'm afraid he's going to OD, I'm afraid of the underlying reasons and pain that must exist for someone to want to blot out reality with this level of self-medication.

I'm thinking about getting a group of loved ones around him to have some kind of intervention because he doesn't think he has a problem. But has anyone ever done this and DOES IT WORK?

TIA!

Athena

 

[SingFrAbsoltion]

Never tried a group intervention, but in my experience people either get defensive and pissed off, or say that they'll change but never do. I think you can't make someone stop until they want to stop. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't try though, good luck!

 

[flowerhead]

from my experience...if you don't want to get off the drugs, no-one can help you.

 

[V15U4L_3RR0R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowerhead from my experience...if you don't want to get off the drugs, no-one can help you.

Word.

 

[LOCa]

Pray.

Unless Your Not Into That.

Morphine... OOooo Helll TO The No... My Grandma's Friend's Son Almost Died Off That He Went Into A Coma But He Came Back Like 3 Months Later And Couldnt Even Walk For Like A Year He Had To Go To Therapy, But He Shot Himself In The Arm With It So... I Don't Know.

If I Were You I Would Just Try To Snitch Him Out So He Could Go Get Sober In Jail For A Good 6 Months Or More. Or Whatever. Kiddening.

Sorry. :[

 

[Beauty Mark]

Not immediately... if the person is in the right mind (that what s/he is doing is bad), an intervention might help them get to the place that they seek help.

Depending on your influence on this person, it may work better to just have a very firm and concerned heart to heart.

 

[athena123]

Thank you all for your answers. I've done a lot of reading about the topic and I know you can't make someone want to stop. I know this is a decision you can't make for another but I also know that I have to at least try to do something. The only reason I'm considering an intervention is that once he's surrounded (or confronted) with this subject by the people who love him, he'll no longer be able to deny to himself or us that he really has a serious problem.

I haven't tried the heart to heart [at least about the morphine, jesus morphine!] since I just found out about it a couple days ago but I'll try that first and if no change, then maybe an intervention. You see, he thinks this is perfectly normal because his POV is so skewed by the crap in his system.

Thanks and please send positive thoughs our way,

Athena

 

[user79]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowerhead from my experience...if you don't want to get off the drugs, no-one can help you.

Very true.

However, if he sees that he has a group of people close to him who are willing to help him, it might be just that kick-start he needs to finally get clean. He might even be wanting to get off the drugs, but not really no how, have self-doubt, not have a lot of support to help him out, etc.

It might be a good idea to just have an open talk with a few very close loved ones, and see what his reaction is to it. If he is totally against it, it probably won't work. He still has to have the desire within him to get off the drugs, for himself.

Good luck whatever you do!

 

[ShauntyXD]

Basically everyone above has given really good advice i think you should follow.
I'm around a lot of people on drugs a lot of the time and have had to talk to people about their drug use a number of times. From what I've observed everyone has the same problem: wanting to do it and not thinking they need to slow it down or STOP.
So go through with the group intervention explain to him what he's doing to himself and what he's missing out on. If there are any enablers within the group make them restrict major things from him (i.e. money, a home) He may get the idea that this is serious and nobody is meant to be living the way he is. HTH
I don't really know what else to say but, good luck and i hope everything works out for the best.

 

[Kuuipo]

I don't think deep down anyone really wants to be a drug addict and be enslaved to taking drugs all day and not knowing how to cope with the simplest day to day stresses without drugs and alcohol. Some people do not even know that they are at rock bottom. Sometimes they appreciate the intervention in the long run.