 |
 |
At Intervention Today,
Susie Hopson does everything in her power to help
addiction dependent individuals, their families, colleagues and friends to
arrest the disease of addiction, allowing everyone to go forward fulfilling
their lives free from the worry and problems that addiction creates.
Her goal is to provide quality
drug
interventions, consulting, and monitoring services. She emphasizes early
identification, intervention, referral for treatment and monitoring. She
recognizes the need for all involved to commit to the ongoing journey
towards recovery using the 12 Step Recovery model as her basic philosophy.
Susie Hopson believes that contributing her services to the community will
assist corporations, agencies, individuals, and families cope with many
different types of impairments, such as chemical dependency, mental illness,
crisis
intervention, and the negative influence of others. These services
include consulting, addiction interventions, addiction treatment
coordination and addiction monitoring.
Drug Alcohol Intervention
Drug
alcohol intervention can be a discussion with a friend or family member
about your concern for his or her health. It can be a call to the doctor of
someone you care for to share what you observe. Sometimes talking might be
enough. Other times, more may be needed.
Drug
Intervention can be a doctor tapering the dose for the drug causing the
problem. It may be one or more short counseling sessions with the older
adult to provide education on the problem and set goals for change.
Treatment can be tailored to the needs of individuals.
The rule is to start with the least intensive options
first. Treatment can be tailored to the needs of individuals.
Brief Interventions
A brief
drug alcohol intervention is one or more counseling sessions, which may
include:
- Educating on the effects of drinking or drugs
- Asking direct questions and giving feedback
- Establishing goals and a contract for a change in
behavior
The goal of a brief intervention is to motivate the
older adult to change problematic behavior. Personal goals can be flexible,
allowing the older adult to choose between reducing use and stopping
completely.
Trained clinicians, home health care workers, social
workers, and professional counselors can conduct brief interventions. These
interventions can be done in a doctor's office, clinic, hospital, or at
home.
The following challenges are unique to older adults,
making them particularly vulnerable to alcohol problems:
- Many older adults are ashamed about their drinking.
Others may be unaware of the problems caused by alcohol. Therefore,
interventions need to be nonconfrontational and supportive.
- Chronic medical conditions make it difficult to see
how alcohol contributes to a decline in functioning and quality of life.
- Older adults are more sensitive to the effects of
alcohol. Even small quantities of alcohol can be dangerous to their health
and well-being.
Drug Addiction Intervention
If brief interventions don't help, a pretreatment
intervention may be needed. Several people who are significant in the older
person's life speak to him or her. They confront the person with firsthand
experiences of drinking or drug use.
Generally, a professional counselor meets with the
family before the session to gather facts and emphasize the importance of
remaining emotionally neutral. The goal of an intervention is to get
individuals to recognize the effects of substance use on those they love.
Older adults present certain challenges with this
method:
- Often the impact of the alcohol or drug misuse is
difficult to detect.
- Denial is strong, particularly with prescription
drugs originally prescribed for a legitimate medical condition.
- No more than two people should be present with the
counselor, as it can be confusing and emotionally overwhelming for an
older adult.
The effects of prescription drugs, recognizing alcohol
and medication abuse, common signs and symptoms of alcohol and medication
abuse, speaking about abuse, screening tools to assess abuse and strategies,
tips, and tools for preventing alcohol and medication abuse is available
through an interventionist.
Remember, if you know a person with an alcohol or prescription medicine
please remember: They can get help, talk to a doctor, a counselor /
interventionist, or a trusted friend, A variety of treatment options are
effective.
You are not alone. Information, resources, and support groups can assist you
|
