Intervention

[sweetrebel]

Well, for any addict to get clean and stay clean, they have to want it. Not their parent, other family, friends-THEY have to want it for THEMSELVES or it will never work.
My brother is a crack head who says he is clean, but being clean to him is trading one addiction for another-he doesn't smoke crack but pops pills-doesn't smoke crack but drinks a fifth of whiskey...
He has been clean many times for long stretches of time-when he is locked up in the mental ward or in jail. I have seen him clean for 6 months and the first day out he is smoking crack again. It's a terrible cycle that will eventually kill him or get him killed. I have seen crack dealers drive him home in his own car and put him out because he has sold his car for crack-he has sold his women for crack-my stepfather has pulled guns on crack dealers that are knocking on the door at 3 am wanting the money that my brother owes for crack...
You don't have to be an addict to see the damage it does to the person and the family. Chances are being on the outside looking in you see the truth that the addict can not see or chooses not to

[A*O]

The show illustrates very clearly that there are a lot of different addictions out there, not all related to drugs and/or alcohol although most are. It also shows that no amount of nagging, begging, ultimatums and even formal interventions are going to make ANY difference at all if the addict does not acknowledge they have a problem. And even if they accept the help they are offered the chances of then staying clean/sober/whatever are still very slim unfortunately. The gambling addict shown did acknowledge she was addicted in a vague sort of way, but didn't accept that it was a problem and in any event she was going to win that elusive jackpot the next time she goes to the casino. And when the intervention happened she because extremely hostile and defensive and flatly refused to cooperate, not helped by her spineless boyfriend and parents who have been subsidising her habit and clearly intended to continue doing so.

[dakodas]

Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. I had an eating disorder for years and it is NOT the same thing. I never gave anyone a hand job for a cheeseburger....

Originally Posted by AliceInWonderland

no but i've noticed your jekkel come out lately. oh and btw I will always love U I take the good w/ the very bad

Oh, how very interesting since when I WASN'T drinking lots of peeps said I should be because they hated my personality when I wasn't crazy...I am not here to please anyone...

[KD]

Originally Posted by dakodas

Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. I had an eating disorder for years and it is NOT the same thing. I never gave anyone a hand job for a cheeseburger....

Good for you, if you have finally conquered your eating disorder. VERY hard to do, and your last line had me nearly spitting coffee out my nose.

[dakodas]

Originally Posted by KD

Good for you, if you have finally conquered your eating disorder. VERY hard to do, and your last line had me nearly spitting coffee out my nose.

I have been in and out of recovery for alcoholism and cokeheadism for years. I just assume that when I conquer those demons it will be much the same as how I stopped sticking my fingers down my throat and starving. I got tired of it...I felt like I cockroach...

[KD]

Well, you definately know of what you speak. Your total honesty is very refreshing. I hope you find what you are looking for, I realize it is a hard road. Hope this doesn't come off as patronizing, but (((hugs))))

Were you in rehab? Did you try AA? I went to AA w/ mom a few times to try and support her sobriety, BUT rules do not apply to her, so she can't/won't follow the 12 step program. She will die an alcoholic. IMO, alcohol is ONE of the most destuctive drugs there is and definately destoys lives and families. Some that I know personally who have multi addictions had to quit drinking first in order to conquer their other addictions as alcohol lowered their inhibitions to reach for the XYZ.

[dakodas]

Originally Posted by KD

Well, you definately know of what you speak. Your total honesty is very refreshing. I hope you find what you are looking for, I realize it is a hard road. Hope this doesn't come off as patronizing, but (((hugs))))

Were you in rehab? Did you try AA? I went to AA w/ mom a few times to try and support her sobriety, BUT rules do not apply to her, so she can't/won't follow the 12 step program. She will die an alcoholic. IMO, alcohol is ONE of the most destuctive drugs there is and definately destoys lives and families. Some that I know personally who have multi addictions had to quit drinking first in order to conquer their other addictions as alcohol lowered their inhibitions to reach for the XYZ.

I appreciate your concern. Yes, I have been in and out of AA for 13 years. I have multiple psychiatric diagnoses as well. Chicken or the egg, but at this point it doesn't matter. They are largely controlled. (Don't ask Mooms and Alice, they will say differently. )

[A*O]

Well our darling Alice is clearly batshit crazy WITHOUT the drink and/or drugs so she's probably a good person to ask! [Luvs ya Alice xxx]

[sweetrebel]

Originally Posted by KD

Well, you definately know of what you speak. Your total honesty is very refreshing. I hope you find what you are looking for, I realize it is a hard road. Hope this doesn't come off as patronizing, but (((hugs))))

Were you in rehab? Did you try AA? I went to AA w/ mom a few times to try and support her sobriety, BUT rules do not apply to her, so she can't/won't follow the 12 step program. She will die an alcoholic. IMO, alcohol is ONE of the most destuctive drugs there is and definately destoys lives and families. Some that I know personally who have multi addictions had to quit drinking first in order to conquer their other addictions as alcohol lowered their inhibitions to reach for the XYZ.

Anyone who doesn't think alcohol is a destructive drug should look at the pics of my MIL from 6+ years ago, then 2 years ago, then at the time of her death....sad doesn't even begin to describe it. Anyone who isn't familiar with her would look at the pics and say, no way-that is not the same person...she probably struggled with alcohol most of her adult life, but the last 10 years killed her...I knew her 5 years, and she was dying the whole time-right in front of our eyes. Nothing helped-begging, yelling, crying, threats-nothing could make her break that hold...

[LynnieD]

^^Truly sad sweet....just heartbreaking, obviously for the family since you were witness to it first hand.

I just caught this show again last night. Neither of the Interventions went very well....unfortunately I feel asleep and have no idea how it ended up, but both women were like NO WAY.

[Sojiita]

Originally Posted by LynnieD

^^Truly sad sweet....just heartbreaking, obviously for the family since you were witness to it first hand.

I just caught this show again last night. Neither of the Interventions went very well....unfortunately I feel asleep and have no idea how it ended up, but both women were like NO WAY.

I caught it..the one with the cocaine addicted bro got clean..but then was later drinking once a week..the other...the really bad one they had to chase down ended up (with her mother) buying some treatment house..I believe in Arizona..and was CLEAN as of the latest! can you believe it? the other one they had on was really pathetic..some young kid alcoholic who as soon as he got out of the program went and got alcohol..


the other was a man addicted to painkillers..he did better with his addiction but still seemed very bitter about his estranged wife(who was dying of cancer during the show And died during his rehab i think)

[KD]

Originally Posted by sweetrebel

Anyone who doesn't think alcohol is a destructive drug should look at the pics of my MIL from 6+ years ago, then 2 years ago, then at the time of her death....sad doesn't even begin to describe it. Anyone who isn't familiar with her would look at the pics and say, no way-that is not the same person...she probably struggled with alcohol most of her adult life, but the last 10 years killed her...I knew her 5 years, and she was dying the whole time-right in front of our eyes. Nothing helped-begging, yelling, crying, threats-nothing could make her break that hold...

This will be my mother and her 2 brothers. It was her grandfather and her mother. My mother's only sibling (3/4) that did not have an alcohol problem passed away about 6 years ago from breast cancer. It is just such a destructive drug.

[pacific breeze]

^^It can be a destructive drug, but not everybody becomes an alcoholic. Some people can drink without becoming addicted. I'd just like to clarify that.

[KD]

My husband drinks and has no problem with alcohol. We usually have beer in the house and his drinking doesn't bother me one whit. Still, IMHO, as much damage as alcohol does to the world, I wish did not exist. Does far more harm than good.

[A*O]

I don't know KD. I think there are Addictive and Non-Addictive personalities out there and it's genetic. I know that many alcholics learn their drinking behaviour from their family if they live in among alcoholics, but I firmly believe there's a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, although it's never been proved.

I know several alcoholics who have kicked the habit with varying degrees of success, but every single one of them has swapped one addcition for another like smoking, caffeine, various drugs or even things like gambling or shopping. I agree that alcohol probably causes more damage to people, families and society than all the other drug problems put together but even heavy drinkers are not necessarily alcoholics. It's the luck of the draw in many instances.