Answered questions(7)
The Tears of a Clown
My 34 year old brother is now living in his car. He is chronically unemployable from his drinking and drug use and he hangs out with people that are 10 or 15 years younger than ne is because everyone his own age has grown out of his party lifestyle. He just got evicted so this is a new low for him but he still doesn’t see that he has a problem with substance abuse. What is it going to take for him to wake up? He just laughs it off when I say anything. This is his problem. He is really likeable and a happy go lucky person so everyone just laughs off his behaviors but if you just look at what he does it is crazy and so unhealthy. I am letting him stay in my driveway. I feel like a jerk that I won’t let him stay in the house. Am I doing the right thing? It makes me feel terrible that he is so understanding of my decision and still tries to make me feel good or laugh all the time.
Read answer →Forcing Treatment
Who can I call for help with my 33 year old son?. He is an alcoholic, He was attending AA but has relapsed. He has been on a binge in his room for 7 straight days. He drinks and passes out. Both his sister and I told him that he either needs to call rehabs or leave. He has done nothing. He knows we can't physically pick him up and throw him out. It's as if he has given up. won't do anything. Knows that we can't. I am disabled and receive Medicare. We do not have funds for private insurance, he does have medi-cal. I have no other family members or anyone who can help me with him. What do I do? just let him drink himself to death?! Can I call the police and get them to take him to detox?. I need assistance please??! Thank you.
Read answer →Denial and Powerlessness
My sister is visiting with my family over the holidays. She is on medication for chronic back pain but I think there is something wrong. She keeps nodding off all the time and she seems really spacey. She is also drinking a lot which she never used to do and she just basically looks high all the time. I have asked her about this but she just says the medications make her a little bit sleepy but they help her with pain. I am sure she is addicted to these pain killers and high all the time. But since she denies it and since she has prescriptions and it is not like she is buying off the street I am not sure how I can convince anyone else that she needs to get some help. I am frustrated because no one else sees or wants to see the problem. I am on my own and I want to know if there is some type of intervention that I can do without the rest of the family getting involved.
Read answer →Confidentiality, Privacy and Rights
can a drug rehab center make you give consent to speak to your medical doctor or the will dismiss you from the program
Read answer →Family Interventions - Getting Everyone on the Same Page
Lets say there are 11 people in a family. One of those people is an alcoholic and that leaves 10. 6 of those people realize the severity of the situation and want the alcoholic to go to treatment and they are prepared to do what it takes to see that happen. 4 of these people would rather stick their heads in the sand and pretend like there is no problem. So if we have an intervention, which is something we are talking about doing…we have 4 very obvious empty chairs where family members should be sitting. Given this situation, is an intervention practical or recommended?
Read answer →Intervening with Affected Others
My son is married to an abusive alcoholic. I want to do an intervention. Not for her. This sounds bad but we hate her. He can not see how his wife abuses him physically verbally and emotionally. The physical abuse is not so major but she constantly puts him down in front of everyone. He makes a good paycheck and she just stays at home and drinks and when he gets home he has to clean up while she yells at him. Everyone knows she is an awful person but she manipulates and controls him and whispers bad things about us in his ear so now he barely wants to see us and he wont even come for holidays. She makes it seem like we are against her. The whole family wants to help him but he wont listen. He is in denial. Will an intervention like they do for alcoholics work to help him see that he needs’ to get away from her? We all want to do something.
Read answer →always respond, never react
I am currently in a situation where I am employed by a few of my friends who started a business together. One the partners has exhibited severe issues with drug and alcohol abuse over the past years that has led his work, health, and personal relationships to deteriorate. His partners have sat him down many times to try an intervene with the recourse of being terminated from the business. This has all happened with varying degrees of success. In the last few months, his behavior has greatly improved. He has taken month stints of not drinking at all, he is eating better, he is consistently on time to work and behaving in normal manners. Last week, one of the partners was struck with information that accused this individual of sexually assaulting two different people a year ago, during the time he was drinking heavily. I have now been asked to join an intervention for this individual to be performed asap. I am feeling uncomfortable with this request: 1. I am being asked by my employers to be a part of an intervention for my coworker and soon to be defunct boss. 2. They are asking to keep the sexual assault allegations out of the intervention, but he is not currently displaying signs of alcohol or drug abuse. It feels forced and I feel I would have to lie to go along with this. Can you offer any direction? With this brief overview of history, does it sound like an intervention is the correct thing to do? Should I put aside my underlying feelings of discomfort to offer this friend help? It all feels rushed, not clearly thought out and is making me feel uneasy.
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