When a loved one struggles with addiction, it’s scary and heartbreaking in a way that can never be fully understood by those who don’t experience it. Despite any potential attempts of your loved one to deceive you, you can likely see that the person is struggling even if you don’t understand how the situation got to where it is.
You might feel that things are on a downward spiral, always seeming to lead to more denial, more destruction, and of course, more drugs and alcohol. If your next step is planning an intervention for your friend or family member with qualified professionals, what are some ways you can prepare?
If you’re concerned about a loved one’s drinking, it is important to get help. There are several ways in which you can care for your loved one. One way is to contact an alcohol intervention specialist. An alcohol intervention specialist will be able to help your loved one quit drinking in a healthy way.
The Harm Reduction Journal describes harm reduction as an umbrella. It includes prevention and treatment aimed at reducing the severity or incidence of negative outcomes from behaviors, even if the behaviors are not completely abandoned.
While harm reduction’s objective is applied in society all the time, such as with life vests or seatbelts, the term harm reduction is usually attributed to drugs and alcohol, or substance use disorders (SUDs).
Specifically, it may refer to intervention services like needle sharing programs, which have been gaining traction in Philadelphia and other cities around the world.
The pressing need for practicality over idealism led to harm reduction. It’s already been about three decades since the opioid crisis began, with three waves to date. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2017 nearly 20 million in the US battled drug or alcohol addiction. Since COVID-19, few dare to claim that the number has decreased.
Harm reduction uses a person-first viewpoint that keeps the person with addiction in the forefront as someone worthy of respect and their own free will. It considers the numbers, too—not just the 20 million and likely rising for whom abstinence is not currently working, but the idea that one more shot at recovery is better than one life lost.
A drug or alcohol intervention must be planned delicately, so seek out professionals who take the time to understand you and your family’s specific circumstances before proceeding. Following are three tips that can help make the intervention as caring, realistic, and effective as possible despite the difficulty of the situation.
The leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50 is from alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is a treatable disease and can be prevented or treated. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcoholism, give us a call at 1-888-972-8513 for a free alcohol intervention specialist in Philadelphia today.
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