As a highly trained, certified and experienced interventionist, my job is to work with families on how to motivate loved ones in need of treatment to get the appropriate level of care. Here are some things I believe every family should know about professional interventions, and about hiring the right interventionist. First of all, what is an “Intervention?” Interventions are a highly effective tool to place an addicted and/or diagnosed mentally disordered individual on the path to a successful recovery, led by a trained and experienced professional. When conducted properly by a competent interventionist, they are successful in getting the person into treatment about 80% of the time. An i

Addiction is not a spectator sport – the collateral damage affects the entire family. This is a well-documented fact, and professionals in the field work diligently to help the non-addictive family members recover from the trauma and learn to cope with the addiction. Relationships within the family are noticeably strained, often financial security is adversely affected and family members frequently experience trauma symptoms including: Depression that cannot be attributed to physical illness or other life events Changes in personality such as irritability and discouragement Obsessive worry about the welfare of the addicted individual Severe feelings of helplessness and anxiety Loss of slee

Just about anyone with any appreciable amount of recovery will tell you that getting sober is only the beginning – staying sober is the real challenge. For most of us, living in addiction was a full time job and we have either never learned or lost many life skills. We have often been withdrawn from society for an extended period, and it takes time to transition back to societal norms within the context of being drug and alcohol free. Many people who are in the process of getting clean and sober (whether for the first time or after numerous attempts) find this transitional period to be one of the most difficult to conquer. Sober living homes offer a recovering addict a slow and gradual tr