Tazman53

I see interventions becoming very popular, out of the hundreds of recoverying alcoholics I know, only one of them was the result of a successfull intervention, I know some who went through interventions that failed who eventually when they were ready got sober. I would like to survey the folks here at SR, please selct all of the answers that apply to you.

splendra

I got clean with help but nobody forced me or had an intervention I did not use 12 steps to get clean.

I think interventions might work better for underaged users more so than an adult with a long history of using.

According to this poll it seems like intervention does not work for many.

Tazman53

Splendra the poll has not even been up 2 hours! LOL

I know for a fact one person that it did work for, so I know it does on occasion work, I was just wondering if it was just my experience that made it seem as though it rarely works or not.

I hope we do get some folks answering that have had interventions just to satisfy my curiosity. I will be honest and say that I wish they did have real high success rates, anything that saves an alcoholic is a good thing in my book.

justanothrdrunk

I don't know many who were intervened upon. My guess is that it's not any more or less sucessful than anything else.

I've always thought of it more for the family/friends than the drunk.

Tazman53

Me too.

NoMoBeer

I checked the "got sober with no intervention, over 1 year sober..." BUT -- my belief is that God did my intervention! I believe God led me to AA and gives me the strength and will to do the deal...

"God did for me what I could not do for myself..."

ken

Tazman53

Ken I had a "God" intervention as well, some folks would call it a moment of clarity.

I saw my future if I kept on drinking in fast forward. Within a year I would have lost my family and all of my possesions and been left with noth but my bottle and a slow alcoholic death.

"God did for me what I could not do for myself..."

PaperDolls

I never had an intervention and have been sober for over a year.

"I've always thought of it more for the family/friends than the drunk."
Speaking from experience, I agree. We gave my mom a sort of intervention.

She was living with me and C. The only rule we had was that she couldn't be drinking. She was. C and I, along with my brother and sister ambushed her and told her she had to leave. We'd take her to treatment but other than that we were done. It sucked and it didn't work either. She continued to drink and ended up in ICU about 6 months later. Almost dead. That was her bottom. Yuck!

I think it was mostly for us......I don't even think I had delusions that it would convince her to quit drinking. I just knew that I couldn't do it anymore.

I guess my mom had a "death" intervention.

1963comet

I was court ordered to long term treatment because a probation officer recommened it. I was 22 at the time, stayed there for 7 months. I did not drink for a year after.

Was forced by the courts to attend AA due to drunk driveing. I know they were trying to help but was angry I had to go. Being honest here.

When I was ready to stop, I stuck with couseling and had great luck. Have not drank since 2000.

Signal30

I'm sure interventions have some success otherwise people wouldn't be doing them.

However the show Intervention, I personally believe that it is not much more than broadcasting those who are suffering, (and dying), for entertainment purposes.

At what destructive point does someone have to do to get the cameramen to put down the camera in intervene before that sick person actively tries to kill themselves or someone else?

To me it's more about ratings than service work.


Tom

splendra

Well (((taz)))) you need to get them to come and vote in your poll cause that entry doesn't have any votes yet and the poll has been up for more hours now. I would bet that your poll is more accurate than you might be giving it credit

nandm

Good poll taz. Thanks.

From my perspective I think that it is pretty accurate. I do have to wonder though with shows like intervention and increasing public awareness about alcoholism if the poll would be drastically different 10 years from now.


Your poll has me wondering about the differences between those that got sober by utilizing treatment centers vs. those that just walked in the doors of a recovery program and started working it. As well as those that were court ordered how many have greater than one year. I may just have to start a parallel poll with that info. Thanks for the idea taz. I 'm stealing it.

Marius

I don't know if this was intervention, but the week before Christmas 2006 my brother was a heroin addict, and one night while he was withdrawing he was about to leave the house to get a fix to stop the pain of withdrawing. I basically physically stopped him from going out to get more, and got my parents and we went around all night to get him in a rehab. I knew if he continued he was almost guaranteed to be dead within in a few months. Since that even that took place over 15 months ago he's been off heroin.

FightingIrish

Does God intervening count?

Tazman53

LOL Well he did with me and it looks like a lot of others, but what I was refering to was a "human" intervention.... family/friends.

The poll so far leans in the direction that my experience has been, they do work, but very rarely.

I can fully understand why folks who have tried everything to help doing an intervention, they do work on rare occasions.

From the poll as it stands now there were twice the number of successful interventions (4) as there were failed ones (2).

There were 4 people who had failed interventions who got sober when they were ready.

So far the poll seems to indicate that there is no real conclusive evidence to say they are a waste of time, obviously in some cases they are successfull in a few cases, so it appears as though they are not a bad thing at all if they even get one drunk sober they are a winner.

Is my mind totally changed? Kind of, I still think in some cases they prolong the number of years some people drink by keeping them from hitting a real bottom sooner, I know that just for me I would have refused to go to treatment until I was ready, when I was in my bottle the only thing I gave a damn about was my drinking and my pride.

splendra

I forced my H into treatment once(shudders) and my brother who also an A said "I can just feel his rage"... and rage he did. I wish I had known that before hand. When the addiction is calling the shots all bets are off.

1963comet

I have an old friend that was court ordered to AA. He had to go for a year and today his probation is over and he is sober and happy about it.

I asked an addictions therapist why do courts order people to treatment. She said if they learn one good thing it was worth it.

NoelleR

Just wanted to clarify one of my answers in the poll above.....

I got sober w/o an intervention, and have been sober ever since.....6/23/86

I know the checking in the poll should only be all that apply to me, but my best friend.....oldest and dearest.....she doesn't belong to this forum, and I wanted to include her success also....she had an intervention and went to Betty Ford in December of 1983, and she has been sober ever since.....but then, she was ready.....at least after her final bottle....on the steps, just outside the center's front door.....lol ..... Whoops, I only checked (for her) the 'Had a successful intervention' but I forgot to check the 'Had a successfull intervention & over 1 year sober' .... guess that number should change to 4 with 7.4% ..... (o:


NoelleR

Kellye C

My mother intervened on me after yet another 3 day drunk/blackout on the 4th of July weekend of 2004. She let me have it with both barrels and let me know she was sick of watching me kill myself, sick of watching me put my kids through hell and it was time to get help now, no arguments allowed. I was so far gone and so miserable I agreed and went to a meeting that night. 3.5 years later I am sober, productive, healthy, and have a great life. I owe my life to my mom and to God.

Thanks,
Kellye

kelsh

I guess I still think inpatient treatment is a place to dry out and to gather information about alcoholism and how to stay sober...the ones that advocate a 12 Step Program when you return home.

I used the AA Program and before that had sobered up another time with a book called Women for Sobriety...which helped me a great deal.

I needed the AA Program and all of the sober men and women to help me get on the right road to a sober life. I had a good Sponsor and still keep in touch with her. The face to face meetings saved my life.

I do most of my AA stuff on the Internet now but if I want to or need to go to a meeting I go.

The Serenity Prayer still is a big part of my daily meditations and prayers for others that still suffer out there.

I knew what was happening to me and I also knew that I wanted to be sober more than anything else in my life.

I asked for help for my alcoholism and severe depression....was diagnosed with depression as a teen. I knew I had to do the work that goes along with the 12 steps to get and stay sober. It was my only goal when I started the first year of sobriety which has now added up to 19 years.

kelsh