Thread: Intervention
View Single Post
Old 03-05-2011, 09:49 PM
  # 26 (permalink)  
24Years
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: WI
Posts: 195
It seems to me there are all sorts of *facts* out there that contradict each other. Then there is our personal experience that should not be discounted since that is where this *factual* data comes from to begin with.

My AH entered outpatient therapy on his own. He learned a lot (I think)…I learned a lot (so much for believing I already knew *plenty*). Long and short, he is still an addict and he is in the deepest denial I have seen yet. There was a man in the outpatient therapy program for his third time (at a hefty price each time); maybe this time he will be sober for good? I still struggle with how far to watch someone you love destroy themselves and do nothing…especially because you can see how deep their denial or I believe sick thinking is. But, it appears there is a lot of evidence (this site for example) that shows that most people have done hundreds if not thousands of different things believing maybe their addict will now see the problem as it truly is and that maybe we are acting codependent (or just plain desperate). But the FACT is that the overwhelming personal experience shows addicts usually don’t see a problem until they are ready to see a problem, and this shouldn’t be lightly excused unless there is evidence to explain why intervention will work. What happens if the addict is not ready? Do they go deeper into their illness as it seems my husband did, or is there different therapy that would have helped him to respond better? My husband doesn’t want to lose his family (so he told me later is the reason he went to therapy) but he is going to lose his family.
It seems to me that it’s possible there is no one way that works for everyone much like some medicine works for some people and not for others.

I’m going to make this leap because I firmly believe all the evidence out there supports it: Even the latest evidence has yet to *prove* that it is truly as successful across the board as it claims to be. I don’t buy that some evidence is better than others unless it is overwhelming. I have yet to find ANY overwhelming evidence in any regard that can be applied to every individual when it comes to addiction. I wish it were that simple.
Since our bodies consist of physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual, where is the study that states how these areas are affected or if it varies per person? How do we reconcile the spiritual with those that don’t *believe* in it? It seems all of us on this board can attest to the physical affects alcohol has on the body. We can also attest to the psychological effects and emotional affects. And for those with belief in God, we can attest to the spiritual affects as well. This process (progression) is S...L…O…W for most all cases I’ve read…but not all cases.

In final, just because alcohol addiction is shown to have a genetic link, it does not mean that everyone with this link will be an addict. It is shown that environment plays a large factor in addiction risk. The best proof I believe I’ve discovered is that this is a complex topic with no easy answers. I think we will get furthest by acknowledging its complexity while maintaining an open mind and being respectful of all perspectives. I hope I’ve managed to do that.
24Years is offline