Peer Advocacy for Impaired Nurses, LLC © 2008-
This is similar to other chronic diseases such as lung cancer or hypertension. When the right person is exposed to the right chemical, in the right dose, for the right amount of time, a given disease will occur.
Notice, the presence or lack of intelligence is no where to be found in the risks for developing the disease of addiction. That's because it IS a disease. Comments such as “He's too smart to become an addict” make no more sense than saying, “He's too smart to get cancer (or heart disease, or diabetes, or Alzheimer's, etc.) Sadly, our society still holds on to the notion that addiction is a moral weakness. This perpetuates the stigma associated with the disease, feeding the denial that prevents early recognition and treatment. If treatment isn't started at the earliest signs, it will progress through a predictable course. Without treatment, the individual will eventually die as a result of the disease. This is why addiction has been described as "unnecessarily fatal" since evidence based treatment protocols do work.
Treatment is delayed because of the denial in the addict and of those surrounding the addict. Treatment is delayed because of the myth that "an addict can stop using if they want to. They just don't want to." Treatment is delayed because of the misconception that they must "hit rock bottom before treatment will be successful."
Intervention is a technique used to create an ARTIFICIAL BOTTOM by allowing the negative
consequences of substance misuse to apply pressure to the addict to enter treatment.
When an intervention team composed of family, friends, and colleagues, confront the
addict with factual information pointing to their addiction, it becomes more difficult
to continue denying the obvious. Even if they DO continue in denial, allowing the
full weight of the consequences of their actions to fall on them can be the final
“tool” to break through their denial and get them into treatment. Unfortunately,
the DENIAL of family, friends and colleagues must first be overcome before the denial
of the addict can be addressed. This is where education by an interventionist or
a state peer assistance advisor is crucial. If you think a colleague or family member
may be suffering with substance misuse disorder, please contact a member of the peer
assistance committee. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We've been
there. We know the desperation and isolation this disease causes. There is hope.
No one has to continue living in the hell-
Contact us. Take that first step to get you or the one you love the help they need and deserve.
Intervention (continued from page 2)
