paulokes

There is a very old fashioned but great article by Psychologist Dr Harry Tiebout...title "Compliance and Surrender", or something similar.

Surrender is giving in to your current difficulties and becoming willing to change because you really want to. Compliance is temporarily changing your behaviour because you feel you should. Surrender is the path to real change and has the potential to be long term. Compliance is usually temporary and driven by external pressures.

Very interesting read

P

hopeful4

It's important to point out, on Intervention, the families are saying you cannot stay w/us any longer, we will also no longer give you money or support. So most of them are likely getting kicked out of their homes or losing their access to funds as most who end up on that show don't work.

They are also being put in a high pressure situation where a plane is waiting for them that same day. It's also done by professionals. Families who try it themselves are much more likely to cave, let them stay in the house, continue to supply money, and let them think about it for a while, which means they would likely come back and say No, I am not going to go.

I think that is the reason that the professional interventions are more successful than a family or loved one trying to do it themselves.

That is just my opinion as I watch the show often and have put some thought into it.

hopeful4

I also think it's worth a mention that the Intervention at least lets the families know they have tried everything. It's important for them to have reached out, have tried to get their loved ones to embrace recovery even if they are not ready to do it.

tomsteve

Would an intervention have made a difference?

is that question for us or yourself?

me? nope.
had a few instances where my drunkin and the problems associated with it were brought up.
i tossed those people outta my life if they didnt toss me out.

Gottalife

I think it is one of those "What if" questions. I have discovered that, on this journey, ifs don't count.

aasharon90

Intervention for me 26 yrs ago by my family
saved my life. It actually gave me a second
chance to start my life over learning healthier
ways to live my life without the use of a
poisonous substance that was ultimately
killing every inch of me inside and out.

My family didn't know what to do with
me when I took too many pills and refused
to be taken to the hospital voluntarily. So
with some phone calls and guidance I
was placed in the hands of those capable
of getting me professional help for my
addiction and state of mind at that time.

Once I was settled in rehab I took that
opportunity to do what I could do so that
I wouldn't loose my family. To do whatever
I needed to do to not return to the insanity
of my addiction each day I remained sober.

Yes, intervention saved my life and helped
me rebuild it to live a healthy, honest, happier
state incorporating a program of recovery
taught to me and use to live by for many
one days sober down the road.

To know that I/we never have to tackle
recovery alone was and still is comforting.

steve-in-kville

The group in general. Personally, and I mentioned this, whenever I was approached about my drinking only made matters worse. I just got sneakier about it, and even switched up my routine a bit just to throw people off (or so I thought!).

KAD

Everyone is different but, in my own personal experience, there were numerous unofficial "interventions." They usually consisted of being caught (again). At the moment I was being confronted, yeah, I would feel remorseful, humiliated, wonder what's wrong with me, promise to get help some way or other, etc. I would even mean it...in that moment. But later, resentment would settle in again, followed by the old familiar compulsion to drink. I would just vow to get better at hiding it. I don't know any stats for how well interventions work in general. I just know, for me, they never did. Unless you count what happened to finally get my attention as an intervention.