Thanksgiving Wishes

Intervention Knows No Season

Fall . . . a time of year when we think of holidays, of family, of giving thanks, of being together, of joy and love, good friends and good food. For families suffering with addiction, the holidays are anything but these things. Addiction doesn't go away, take a break or give us a reprieve because the festivities of the season are upon us. In fact, it can be quite the opposite; the ugliness of the disease comes out in all its glory.

As family and friends slowly and with trepidation come to the conclusion that intervention might be a viable option for them, they then struggle with when to move forward and do it. The obstacles are many . . . Thanksgiving with family is planned . . . kids are in college and have exams . . . travel is so hard during the holidays . . . let's not ruin everyone's festive mood . . . Yes, the holidays are a convenient obstacle.

In reality, there is never a "perfect" time to address this issue; it is an issue the family has hoped they would never have to address at all. But alas, addiction runs its own course and holidays are not a shield to illness or a reason for putting off serious healthcare. Rather than focusing on the obstacles of the holidays, consider the benefits they offer; the family is coming together anyway, intervention is a gift of love and what better time to give it than the season of giving, what better way to say "I love you!"

If you or your family need help, there is no better time to reach out for it!

Intervention for Impaired Professionals

When it comes to intervening on a licensed professional or conducting an intervention for a family member or friend of a licensed professional are all interventions and interventionists the same? Or, are licensed professionals a unique population where an interventionist's common background and experience can be beneficial?

Licensed professionals are people such as lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, airline pilots or other license holders. They are indeed unique in a number of ways. Overall, they generally hold a higher level of education and/or specialized training than most of the population. They are in positions of power, trust and authority. They are used to giving direction, not taking it and they are used to being in control. They are people who provide others with help and are not used to being in a position of needing it themselves. Because of this, their denial is unusually very high and is even harder to break through than the average person's. On top of this is an inherent arrogance people in this group tend to possess. They don't like being told what to do and are loathe to accept help particularly from anyone who has less education or no professional background.

When it comes to addressing their addiction licensed professionals have other considerations, too. They often have licensing board and/or malpractice issues that need to be dealt with. Whoever is conducting the intervention needs to be familiar, sensitive and prepared to deal with these issues.

Finally, when intervening on a licensed professional consideration needs to be given to the model of intervention to be used. Johnson model . . . or the invitational systemic model or executive intervention?

Yes, working with the licensed professional population takes certain skill, expertise, education and background in order to increase the odds of a successful outcome. An interventionist who holds a doctorate, shares the same or similar licensing background, knows about licensing boards and how they operate brings to the table something special and uniquely beneficial that other interventionists and consultants without such a background do not.

Addiction is not easy to deal with. Denial is extremely tough to break through. This is particularly so with licensed professionals. Having an interventionist with a professional background provides one more edge in dealing with this very unique population. I guess that is why I feel so comfortable working with this group and why they as a group feel more comfortable with me and so do their families. Having a doctorate degree, taking and passing a professional licensing board, having had a private legal practice for many years and knowing the stresses and strains of a professional life make identification and working with this special population one that goes beyond mere lip service. It is real. It is shared. And, it helps.

There is Help ~ There is Hope