In this podcast, we discuss and assess the strengths and weaknesses of different levels of intervention.
We learn that:
- The vast majority of families who live with an addict or alcoholic in their midst do not seek help for themselves or for their loved ones, despite having to live with the chaos and desperation that addiction imposes on a family.
- A family intervention, absent a professional, requires meticulous planning, teamwork, leadership, a clear understanding of roles, and air-tight execution. Not much room for error or freelancing. (Read the book Love First, authored by Debra and Jeff Jay.)
- Hiring a professional interventionist may be costly but could pay off in the long run. The professional is the firm, resolute voice of reason, and is unlikely to be taken in by the addict’s attempt to slip through a crack in the wall.
- The newest form of intervention, CRAFT, which stands for Community Reinforcement and Family Training, is based on teaching the entire family to think and act in a healthier way so as to pave the way for the alcoholic to choose to recover.