We want to thank Dr. James DiReda for offering this excellent guest post for us! Dr. DiReda has over twenty years experience working with individuals, families, and organizations to address alcohol, drug, and mental health issues. He holds a dual Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Work from Boston University. He is currently Director of Counseling and teaches at Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Kids, Drugs, and Parents: What to do?

I recently received a call from a former client saying, “My 15 year old son is out of control, and I don’t know what to do. He’s drinking alcohol and smoking a lot of pot, he’s disrespecting his brother and me, he’s breaking all rules and ignoring any curfews I try to impose, and I’m afraid he could get physically violent because he’s so angry and enraged.” So we spoke about her situation and what was happening, not just with her son but with her family. We spoke about how to address the issues (alcohol/drug abuse, anger, unhealthy family relationships) they were struggling with, and how to change some of the dynamics that were allowing the “out of control” behavior to continue. I sensed my suggestions were not what she was hoping to hear. She was looking for an answer, the solution to fix her son and stop his behavior. It’s a parents’ nightmare when situations with their children are out of control. It can be scary, threatening, and extremely stressful, especially when parents aren’t really sure what their child is using. So, what do we (professionals, experts) tell them? Often it’s not what they hope or expect to hear.

I can’t count the number of calls I have received from parents, loved ones, friends, and even employers regarding someone they know who is in trouble and struggling, but they don’t know what to say or do to help. It’s a difficult position to be in, to watch someone you care about spin out of control and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to stop or change it. This position really can make a person feel powerless and helpless; but are we? That depends. There are times and instances where you simply cannot protect or save a person from themselves and their self-destructive actions no matter what you do. That is a very bitter pill to swallow, and often the only option is to keep stay healthy yourself and set clear boundaries in the relationship. There are other times though, which you can do something effective in bringing about change and help get things back under control. This usually entails examining our role in the family drama that is taking place and making changes in places that we do have some ability to control.

Educating parents about alcohol and drug use is good information to have, and very useful in helping them recognize and label the condition. It helps them see warning signs, identify suspicious behavior, and know the differences among various drugs and their effects. It’s a good start, but it isn’t enough. Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes. So what will help? What do we tell them? It’s more than what we tell them to do; it’s a change in thinking and behaving on the part of the parent or loved one. It’s a different mind-set in looking at or trying to manage an out of control situation. I’ll share something that I learned from a Family Therapist I worked with early on in my career about working with individuals and families struggling with alcoholism, drug abuse, and dependence. It’s affectionately known as the “3-C’s,” and they were pasted on his office walls to share. He would simply explain to parents and loved ones that 1. You didn’t cause this condition. 2. You can’t control it, and 3. You can’t cure it. This might seem like strange advice in some ways, especially after reading my comments saying you (parents/loved ones) do have some control in this. It probably seems confusing, and it can be. But, using rational and logical thought processes when dealing with irrational and illogical behavior (alcoholics, substance abusers) and out of control situations doesn’t usually work very well. So here’s a different way of looking at it, thinking about it, and managing it.

A common scenario in working with individuals and families around alcohol/drug abuse and dependence looks something like this: The person abusing substances, regardless of which ones, usually ends up in trouble at school, work, legally, in relationships within the family and outside the family. Due to their drinking and drug use, and their out of control behavior they become the focus of attention and labeled as the “problem” or “troublemaker.” In the treatment world they are called the identified patient. To the family and loved ones these individuals need fixing so the family can get back to being “normal.” Much of the energy and attention (and blame) is put on those individuals to change their “crazy” behavior. The problem is that often times they aren’t able to at that point, so you’re asking someone who is out of control to take control. It usually doesn’t work, and continues to worsen until finally the court, police, families have to take control. So if the 3-C’s say “you can’t control it,” what do you control? Well, if enough pressure is exerted upon an individual (jail, job loss, divorce, eviction) they might agree to go into treatment which will, hopefully, begin the process of change. However, entering treatment can be used as an escape from the current situation and once it ends the individual quickly returns to their prior behaviors and lifestyle. Treatment is useful, even vital, but it is limited; it’s a beginning. If all the pre-existing conditions (stressors, relationships, etc) in a persons’ life remain unchanged, returning from treatment and maintaining change can be very difficult. Many families I’ve worked with believe that by sending someone to treatment “cures” them and they should never want to use again. That has not been my experience over the past twenty two years working in this field. What I have seen is that families get sick together, and families recover together; if they change.

In speaking with my former client about her son I couldn’t help but think about the entire family and also ask her, how did he become so “out of control?” It’s unusual that one particular family member would be out of control for no reason. As we spoke, she told me about what had been going on in their family since I saw her last. After hearing her story, it was not surprising that he was acting out, what surprised me (again) is that all the emphasis and focus is on him and his behavior, not the family. Understanding families and family dynamics is difficult enough, but adding alcohol and drugs takes it to an entirely different level. Many families have little or no understanding of alcohol and drug abuse or addiction, and are scared and confused by it. It’s difficult to figure out without help. What do I do? What do I say? And, how do I say it? These are the questions I get asked by parents, spouses, and concerned others who are at their wits end, struggling to make sense of their situation and in fear that a tragic ending is on the horizon.

I find myself returning to the 3-C’s time and again when trying to offer advice, or guide others in this situation. I start by validating for them that they are not the cause of this condition, nor can they control it, or cure it. But, that doesn’t mean they have to sit around and wait until their loved one decides to change, which could be a long wait or something that might never happen. The choice is a hard one to make, but it can be very effective in jump-starting the change process with those who are out of control, or not interested in changing their behavior. I also help them identify and label what changes within their power and control they can make. I emphasize that any changing has to begin with them, and that will vary depending on their relationship with the IP or out of control individual. Often times when we change, those around us change as well if they want to continue in the relationship.  Seeking treatment is often the beginning of this change process which, hopefully, leads the individual and the family into lifelong Recovery.

We hope you enjoy this article from one of our guest writers, Gerald “Jerry”  Shulman. Treatment Solutions Network is honored to have Jerry contributing to our blog. Jerry is a pioneer in the field of substance use and dependency and we thank him for putting his good name behind our company. Look for more from Jerry in the coming weeks. Also be sure and sign up for one of our CEU approved seminars led by Jerry.

The problem with the above is not with the answer, it is with the question.  The way the question is worded assumes that all people who use substances comprise a population composed of similar individuals, while in reality we find people experiencing a range of substance use patterns and problems.  Some definitions are in order.

Harm reduction is the process of reducing harm to the individual or society without necessarily reducing or eliminating the substance use.  Examples of such strategy are drinking low risk amounts, changing the drinking pattern such as not drinking and driving or taking prescribed psychoactive medications only as prescribed.

In contrast, the disease model describes a disease, disorder or illness which is progressive, fatal and incurable.  It is also described as a chronic, relapsing brain disease, for which there is currently ample evidence, and for which the only reasonable intervention is total abstinence. These two positions initially appear to be totally incompatible until one looks at the different patterns of use and the best way to do so is to divide the population of users by degree of risk.

There are individuals who make low risk choices characterized by drinking low risk amounts, not drinking in high risk situations (e.g., driving or operating machinery), using prescribed psychoactive medications only as prescribed and no use of illicit drugs. We will refer to this as “Risk Phase 1. Their use results in no problems and there is no significant increase in tolerance.  The harm reduction strategy for this population is to continue to make low risk choices, or said another way, no change from the current pattern.

In this next phase of risk, Phase 2, individuals are beginning to use substances in a high risk manner such as drinking high risk amounts and making high risk choices (drinking enough to be impaired when driving) or misusing prescribed medication. In this phase, individuals may develop social dependence and we see the onset of state dependent learning.  The individual may begin to have problems such as a single DUI or missing work but as yet without consequences but does not meet diagnostic criteria for substance abuse or dependence. A harm reduction strategy for these individuals is to return to Phase 1, return to making low risk choices. .

People in phase #3 present a more complex picture.  In this phase we find the development of psychological dependence, the substance use is more integrated into the person’s life, there is state dependent learning, high risk choices become more important than relationships and we find the individual defending his or her use choices. This phase tends to correspond to substance abuse or substance dependence without physiological dependence.

Individuals in this phase manifest substance-related health or impairment problems, blackouts and drinking to cure hangovers. While return to low-risk drinking choices may still be possible, only about 50% may be able to do so and the individual may require outside help to change choices. The critical issue here is that continued use likely to lead to Phase 4 (see next) and the safest choice at this point is total abstinence.

Phase 4 represents the most severe pattern of use and corresponds to the diagnosis of substance dependence with physiological dependence. In this phase we see physical addiction, withdrawal, compulsion, loss of control and increasing tolerance. The substance use now results in more negative, more severe outcomes than in Phase 3 up to possible institutionalization or death. Since return to low-risk choices no longer possible, the only rational response requires total abstinence, which usually requires outside help to achieve and maintain.

For many clinicians who hold to the disease model of addiction, the idea of harm reduction is repellent because they think of it as applied to those people that find their way into treatment.  However, on average, these patients in treatment are in treatment because they have the most severe substance use disorders and its resulting problems (e.g., legal, employment, medical, family). They are generally in Phase 3 or 4.

For those in Phase 3 harm reduction (trying to return to a lower risk pattern of use) may be hazardous and for those individuals in Phase 4, harm reduction is inappropriate and contraindicated.  However, for those in Phase 4 who are in the Precontemplation Stage of Change, a non-abstinence approach such as reducing amount or frequency of use, is sometimes employed as an intermediate goal.

Returning to the original question of whether harm reduction and the disease model of addiction can coexist, the answer is a definite “yes” and is clearly related to the degree of risk or problem severity of the substance user.  While the only totally safe alternative for every drinker/user is abstinence, people in Phases 1 and 2 are unlikely to choose abstinence, and by forcing them into this position we risk the opportunity to apply harm reduction strategies to halt the progress of the problems and thereby reduce the harm to the individual or society.

Another interesting article from one of our guest writers, Michael Plahn, Founder of Life Skills Authorities. We hope you continue to his website and read the entire article there.

Following is a flat-out myth that I have encountered with multiple clients and prospective clients in the past few weeks; it is a commonly accepted view held by many (even some in recovery, who are unaware of proven clinical methods) about the addicted or persons suffering from certain mental illness.

“I know they (addicted person) must “hit bottom” before they can get help. I know there is really nothing anyone can do until this happens and they become willing to change.”

Yes, an addicted person is likely unable to change without help.  One of the main reasons is that addiction affects the mind and prevents some of the brightest and even high-functioning individuals from seeing the same reality as seen by an outsider.  Addiction and/or untreated mental illness can create extreme levels of denial and self-deception. Continue Reading

Substance abuse is a major problem in our country today. It has reaching effects on people’s physical and mental health, financial stability, and relationships. Substance abuse does not target a certain group of people anymore – anyone can be subjected to it. There are addicts who are elderly and on Medicaid, those who are wealthy businessmen, those who are housewives in the suburbs, those who are inner city residents, and those who fall somewhere in between.

Anyone who feels they are strong enough to avoid substance abuse, or thinks that their children and loved ones can’t be affected by substance abuse, is putting up blinders to the reality of drug and alcohol abuse in our country. Probably the best way to keep from getting involved with substance abuse is to realize that it is an actual possibility, and to develop the right strategies to overcome the temptations to do drugs or alcohol.

Early Intervention

Not only does substance abuse affect the addict’s own physical and mental health, but substance abuse also ruins families and professions, and it costs billions and billions of dollars in expenses for health care, legal system, and other expenses. In addition to this, treating substance abuse takes a lot of dedication, endurance, and resources, and relapse is common. The most effective way to treat an addiction is to get help to the patient quickly. Early intervention is the key, but unfortunately, people either do not seek help for themselves or a loved one right away, or the patient is not given the kind of help they really need. Sometimes, the person does not know that they need help, or simply doesn’t know where to turn.

Helping Professionals Help Others

The federal government has developed a program, called S.B.I.R.T., that helps our current healthcare workers to identify and make referrals for patients with substance abuse disorders. These health care professionals; doctors, nurses, and medical staff, regularly see patients in doctor’s offices, emergency rooms, and trauma centers who are either abusing drugs or alcohol, or they are at risk to abuse these substances. Through this program, healthcare workers are given the resources to screen for substance abuse, intervene briefly, and then refer the patient to more complete care. A S.B.I.R.T. sequence of events looks like this: A doctor quickly assesses the severity of substance abuse of a patient through Screening. Then, a Brief Intervention helps the patient gain insight on their substance abuse and motivates them to want to recover. Finally, a Referral to Treatment provides the direct access to the type of care the patient needs to recover.

Sometimes, even with this kind of government funding and help, healthcare professionals could benefit from even more resources to connect patients to the right kind of treatment. Not all treatment is the same, and it is important for patients to be matched up with a facility that can provide the most beneficial program to them. Healthcare professionals can use the services provided by Treatment Solutions Network to effectively connect their patients with the right treatment.

Sources

S.B.I.R.T.

PA SBIRT

SBIRT

Maria Sorensen is a registered intervention in the New England area. We are proud to have her available to us as one of our Recommended Interventionists. Maria will also be writing guest posts for our blog. Here is the first of her articles, we hope that it encourages you to take the necessary steps to get your loved one into treatment.

Recently, I facilitated a family intervention and I’d like to share some thoughts on it. When the family called me for help, they were deeply concerned and frustrated with the alcoholic’s behavior. I was able to comfort them with the reassurance that treatment works and recovery is possible. They decided they wanted to be part of an intervention because they believed they needed to do something to help their loved one get into treatment.

I began the intervention process by getting to know each family member. Throughout the initial process, I helped the family gain more clarity on their feelings, thoughts and the goals of the intervention. Soon they began to work as a team with a well thought out professional plan to address the alcoholic’s disease. They learned how to express their concerns for the alcoholic in an honest, direct and non-judgmental way. As a result of this joined effort, we succeeded in getting the person into a thirty day residential treatment program and changing the family dynamics in a positive way.

As a substance abuse therapist and family interventionist, I’ve been able to witness how a family intervention can be a powerful tool in helping a person get into treatment. Most addicts and alcoholics are unable to stop on their own. It usually takes a crisis such as an arrest or a hospitalization to break an addiction cycle. We know that alcoholism is a disease which is chronic, progressive and fatal and like any disease it needs to be treated.

Alcoholism is a family disease and the family is often uncertain as to how they can help their loved one whose drinking has become out of control. This often leads to frustration, enabling, constant worry and many unsuccessful attempts to control the alcoholic’s drinking. With the expertise and objectivity of a professional, a family intervention can be highly beneficial to the alcoholic as well as the family. The purpose of an intervention is to get the alcoholic into treatment where he/she can be safe and begin their recovery. An intervention also…

1. Provides Substance Abuse Education- During the intervention process, the family receives useful information and begins to learn about alcoholism/addiction, codependency, treatment and the recovery process. Al-Anon’s three C’s-You didn’t cause it. You can’t control it. You can’t cure it.

2. Promotes Healing for the Family- Alcoholism is a disease of denial. The family finally has the opportunity to overcome their own denial. “He/she’s not that bad.” “He/she doesn’t drink every day.” “He/she has a good job.” The power of the individual is transformed into the power of the group which allows the family to honestly express their love and concern for the alcoholic in a group setting with the increased possibility that the alcoholic will listen to them.

3. Empowers the Family- Often the family feels powerless and uncertain as to what action to take which often adds to their despair as they witness the destructive behavior of the alcoholic. An intervention allows the family to know they did something positive and healthy for the alcoholic whether he/she chooses to go into treatment or not. They have at least planted the seed.

4. Raises the Bottom- Many people think an alcoholic must hit bottom. The truth is alcoholics can hit many bottoms and still continue to drink. Sometimes this is due to the fact that he/she still has enablers who unknowingly support his disease. The alcoholic can often dismiss, manipulate or justify their drinking to one person. During the intervention, when he/she is faced by family and friends who are prepared to tell the truth in a kind and loving way, the alcoholic is positioned to take a more honest look at their destructive disease.

5. Teaches Healthy Boundaries- Although you are unable to change the alcoholic, you can change the way you relate to them. Setting boundaries is all about telling the alcoholic what you will do if they continue with their unhealthy behavior which is exactly what takes place in the intervention.

6. Express the Love of the Family- It’s easy to confuse the person you love with the disease of alcoholism. Many times family members can become critical, judgmental, angry, and resentful toward the alcoholic and the love for that person seems to be lost. An intervention helps each family find that love again and use this love as a transformational tool toward recovery.

7. Changes the Family Dynamics Forever- The intervention usually helps the alcoholic get into treatment. However, even when the alcoholic refuses to accept help, the family has benefited greatly. The dynamics of the family have changed. The family is now educated about this disease. They are now more honest and willing to seek their own treatment. They told the truth and reached out to their loved one. They followed through on their plan.

Why are we so afraid to fail? Isn’t it true that the some of the most valuable lessons that we have learned in our lifetimes are gained from the honest feedback and lessons that life give us when we try yet do not get what we want? A good friend of mine taught me a phrase that I have remembered for years and have passed on to friends and clients alike. That simple phrase is “maybe God is doing something FOR you and not TO you.” The difference should be obvious in that the answer lies in our perspectives. Are we grateful or are we consumed with self-pity? The unfortunate attitude that I run across as an Addictions Specialist, Life Coach, Executive Coach, Interventionist, Recovery Coach, son, significant other, father, and friend is not one that embraces or even accepts failure well. In my experience, most people tend to gravitate toward an attitude that life is somehow unfair.

I guess it all depends on your perspective, right? I prefer to look at life and situations that do not go the way I initially would like, as opportunities for something greater. Maybe something better later? Maybe this is the way things are really supposed to be? Don’t get me wrong, I am human and I get discouraged and have all the emotions that any human has from time to time. However, life is always much sweeter when I remember that I don’t know everything, and I certainly do not know how the future is supposed to unfold. When “she” didn’t want me back, when my father didn’t recover from lung cancer, when my real estate investments didn’t turn into the successes that I had hoped for, and when my personal decisions nearly cost me my life, was I a failure? In many ways, absolutely. But I have learned to embrace this so-called failure because I have changed for the better as a result of this “failure.”

I embrace failure because it teaches me valuable lessons that I would not learn if I succeeded with my plan. It is in the trying and failing that I have grown from a self-centered thirty-something boy into a man who thinks of others (hopefully more and more each day) and can be of service to them.

The real failures and tragedies occur when people succumb to their fears and do nothing. They take no action. Whether they are of the known or unknown variety is immaterial, fear does and will continue to exist in your life and mine. The question is, do we have enough faith and courage to walk through the fear and learn from the results (whether they are what we would like or not)?

My hope for you is that you can find the courage to fail today because I want you to continue to grow as a person. It is simple, we are either growing or we are dying. Its time to get growing!

Michael Plahn
Program Director

330 West Grand Ave., #2006
Chicago, IL 60654
312.265.0909
www.lifeskillsauthorities.com

Does anyone really want to have to participate in an intervention with a family member? It’s usually a very hard thing for people to do, because we feel like we will upset the person, or make them feel bad, or drive a deeper wedge between us. Or maybe we are so frustrated and resentful of the person that we don’t even want to take the time to tell them that we do care about them. Many people think interventions are full of confrontation and accusations, with everyone in the family ganged up against the one. We’ve all envisioned them in our heads before – the time to let loose and tell the person how we really feel about them, how angry they make us, and what they need to do to make it better. It doesn’t really sound like fun.

But well-planned interventions are designed to be a benefit to both the alcoholic and their family. With the help of a professional, interventions can be organized, controlled, and enlightening.

Goal

The goal of an intervention is to help the alcoholic see the effects their drinking has on others, that they have a problems with alcohol, and that treatment is necessary. It should never be done to attack the person, or get them back. Blaming a person or making them feel bad is not a way to make ourselves feel better. Family therapy is designed to help family members that feel cheated or wronged by the alcoholism – it should not be handled at the intervention.

Getting it out in the Open

An intervention should bring together the close family and friends of the person that have been impacted by the person’s drinking, or that firmly believe it is in the person’s best interest to seek treatment. The professional that is coordinating the intervention may ask everyone to write down their feelings in a letter to the person, laying out concrete examples of why they feel the way they do. These letters may be read at the intervention, or they may help prepare the family members for speaking out at the intervention.

At the intervention, family members will have the chance to say what they’ve prepared and let the person know that they care about them and are concerned. The professional will be there to moderate and make sure things continue to move along without getting too caught up in finger pointing.

The result of the intervention will hopefully be that the alcoholic agrees to get help for their disease. The family should have treatment options lined up already, so once the person agrees to it, they can quickly be admitted to a facility that will give them the help and support they need to regain sobriety.

Sources

Intervention

Alcohol-Related Problems: Recognition and Intervention

How To Do an Intervention for an Alcoholic

Recently, I hit another milestone in my life. My 4-year old daughter told us that she wanted to run away because we didn’t love her and were mean to her. The precipitating event for her decision was the fact that her mother would not let her eat chocolate before bedtime. The nerve of that woman, how could a mother be so cruel!

I sat down on the couch with my daughter and helped her decide what she would need to pack; some food in case she got hungry, some warm clothes in case it got cold, some toys in case she got bored – but only a couple of her favorites because she couldn’t carry too many, and of course an umbrella in case it rained. Wow, lots of stuff! After our discussion, she decided she didn’t want to run away anymore and could suffer some chocolate deprivation.

I refer to this as a milestone in my life because I have used this example with many client parents we have had in treatment but had never experienced it firsthand. I have told many parents whose children call them to report, “the treatment center is locking them in the closet and beating them with sticks,” that situation is not unlike the little kid who wants to run away. If you let them go they get down the street and look at the great big world, it won’t be long before they hightail it home.

It is not unlike that with some of our clients; they are confronted with their pain and told that they are going to have to relinquish their coping skills and deal with it in unfamiliar ways. The whole experience is extremely painful. Their first instinct is to run but it is a well known fact that most addicts do not have the ability to sustain their addiction without some support, therefore we encourage family and friends to withdrawal any support other than supporting treatment and recovery.

I have had many clients prematurely leave our facilities, but once they found that no one would support/enable them, they quickly returned and began a meaningful treatment experience – not unlike the little kid who runs away from home.

I am somewhat making light of this but the analogy is a basic reaction. I know that absolutely nothing rivals the anguish and pain family members go through when they have to cut a loved one off in order to save the addict’s life…especially parents. It is completely against every paternal instinct and inclination. It is however, always necessary.

I am reminded of a story I once read about a missionary who was in a remote location in India and had a son born there with a clubfoot. This condition could easily have been corrected with surgery; however, there was no hospital for miles. One of the missionary doctors explained that everyday this man would have to turn and hold his son’s foot for 20 minutes. This was very painful for the little boy. The missionary spoke of how painful it was to cause such pain for his son. He spoke of how his son would scream, cry and yell, “I hate you,” while he turned the boy’s foot and how those words broke his heart. Then he spoke of the joy he felt when some years later he watched his son run across the soccer field.

The fact is, it is very easy to focus all of our attention on the addict and neglect the pain that their loved ones are suffering. We are constantly asking parents and significant others to practice behaviors that are completely unnatural to them. I don’t know what I would have done had my daughter got up and walked out the door or if I would have had the wherewithal to stand back and allow her to fully experience the consequences of that action; would I be able to sit on my hands until she decided to come back; honestly, I doubt it. I just want to say that we at TSN try to be aware of the family’s needs while we are taking care of their loved ones but I believe today I have a better understanding of what we are asking of them and I know I will be more empathetic. It is not that what we are asking them to do is wrong – it truly is the best thing they can do. That does not make it easy and we need to have patience with them. I also know that without stories like the young girl’s in the article below, I don’t think I could go on in this business. I am including it because I believe it may give some parent out there hope. This young girl came in kicking and screaming and wanted to leave after a week.

By Ann DeMatteo, Assistant Metro Editor
NORTH HAVEN

For the first time in four years, Barbara Hoffman is clean. ??

A drug user since 14, the 18-year-old is living in a halfway house in Florida after 60 days of treatment. “All my energy is back. My head is a lot clearer. I don’t need to lie, cheat or steal from my parents,” said the teenager, who estimates she stole money and goods from her parents worth $20,000 from the time she started drinking and using marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Xanax.?

Her parents, Adam and Joanne Hoffman of North Haven, knew their daughter smoked pot, but were shocked to learn she was addicted to prescription drugs. Now that she’s in rehabilitation, they’re coming forward because they don’t want another family to suffer their pain.?Their world blew apart when they learned a week before Barbara Hoffman was to leave for college in September that she was on a downward spiral, addicted to OxyContin.?“I want to save another parent, another kid, from going through what our family has gone through,” Joanne Hoffman said. “Drugs should not be a secret. That’s how they thrive.”??Prescription pill addiction became an issue in North Haven about a year ago, when more than a dozen people were arrested for numerous burglaries, some dating back to 2006. Police said the burglaries appeared to be connected to the abuse of prescription drugs by some of the young people arrested.??

In North Haven in 2008, there were seven arrests involving illegal possession of OxyContin and 26 heroin arrests, according to Capt. James Merrithew, who runs the detective division. In 2009, police made 16 heroin arrests and 19 arrests for pills. Authorities said most users graduate from pills to heroin because it’s cheaper.??Police believe the addictions force users to take advantage of any opportunity to commit burglaries or larcenies.??The town’s Substance Abuse Prevention Council recently created and mailed a brochure to residents about the dangers of prescription painkillers. The town also plans to apply for a $125,000 federal grant that would help the town fight the problem, said Director of Community Services and Recreation Gerardo Sorkin.??

The council will continue to educate the community, and this spring hopes to have a program so residents can get rid of their unused prescription drugs. Talks also are planned for the schools.??“We’re very concerned that kids don’t understand how serious addiction to prescription drugs can be,” said Superintendent of Schools Sara-Jane R. Querfeld, a council member. “We’re not seeing any evidence of it at the high school but that doesn’t mean they’re not doing it.”??FROM A GOOD HOME??North Haven parents have been reaching out to Parents 4 a Change, a Southington organization run by Mary Marcuccio, a woman credited with saving the lives of numerous young people, including Barbara Hoffman.??“It’s sad, but the good thing is families are getting help,” said a North Haven mother whose daughter is no longer addicted to OxyContin. She and her daughter continue to be active with Parents 4 a Change.??Parents 4 a Change instructs parents to create an unfriendly environment for their children if they suspect drug use. Parents need to know their children’s friends and need to know where their money is going. Parents in the group said their kids have taken money from their bank accounts or have stolen items from their homes to buy drugs.??

The mother said the parents involved in Parents 4 a Change are caring people who were close to their children and made extraordinary efforts to help them once an addiction became known.??Take the Hoffmans, for example. Married for 25 years, Adam Hoffman owns Godfrey-Hoffman Associates, an engineering and surveying firm. Joanne Hoffman is a nutritionist who runs her business in her husband’s building on Broadway. Joanne Hoffman was a room mother when her daughter was in elementary school. She belonged to the PTA, she was a Girl Scout leader, and Adam Hoffman never missed a soccer game.??“I never thought my kid would be involved” with drugs, said Joanne Hoffman.??“The Hoffmans are a good example of parents who are willing to educate themselves and take productive steps to help their child,” said Marcuccio, whose monthly meetings at Derynoski Middle School in Southington now draw 80 people. “Parents are coming out of the closet.”??

Barbara Hoffman, 18, graduated from North Haven High School in June. She earned almost straight A’s, took Advanced Placement psychology, was a CAPT scholar, a varsity soccer player for four years and was in the Latin Club. She was planning to major in business.??But a week before she was to leave for Bryant University in Rhode Island, her parents found out she had an OxyContin problem. They had been aware, previously, that she smoked pot, and asked her to stop.??Barbara Hoffman said that starting at 14, she smoked pot about five times a day, every day. It wasn’t that hard to get. Drinking was more of a weekend thing, when friends would steal liquor from their parents’ homes or liquor stores would sell to underage youths.??

Barbara Hoffman said her parents didn’t know what she was doing, but some kids had parents who didn’t care that they drank.??When she was 16, she started to experiment with other drugs, OxyContin being the first. She was addicted immediately. Drug-addiction experts and many medical studies, including at Yale University, have linked addiction to genetics. In other words, some people may be genetically hard-wired to become addicts.??“We were just bored. We thought it would be fun. We thought it would be a good idea,” she said of the people she used to hang out with. She tried cocaine a couple of times and didn’t like it, but she liked Ecstasy. When her friends stopped doing it, she continued. When her parents saw the pills, she convinced them they didn’t belong to her.??“I’m a good talker,” she said.??

Her parents forbade her to smoke pot, and they started testing her for drugs. So, she stopped smoking and picked up OxyContin, which the tests didn’t pick up.??“During this time, I was breaking up with my boyfriend of three years. I started doing Oxys every day,” going from a few 40-milligram pills to 10 80-milligram pills a day.??She had a job so she had her own money.??“I stole from my parents a lot. … I pawned all my gold, my parents’ gold. At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal because it seemed like everyone was doing it. Now I feel terrible. They worked hard for that stuff and I just took it and sold it like it was mine. I can’t even go by a pawn shop any more,” she said.??INTERVENTION??The moment of truth was Aug. 27, 2009.??“We confronted her with it. … Her new boyfriend, from Hamden, was the dealer,” Adam Hoffman said.??“It was right out of a movie. She acted like a caged animal and said she wasn’t an addict. It was horrifying,” Joanne Hoffman said.??During the confrontation, they had Marcuccio on the phone and she told them what to say.??“Without Mary, the kid would be dead,” Adam Hoffman said.??She was taken to the Stonington Institute, but ran away three times and came back home, saying she could get clean on her own. She then received outpatient services at the University of Connecticut Medical Center and received a shot of Naltrexone, an opiate blocker. She was going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings.??Barbara Hoffman said she hit rock bottom on the night of Oct. 30, when she totaled her car on Interstate 91 after snorting crushed Xanax pills. She was arrested.??

Her parents gave her an ultimatum: out-of-state rehab or be kicked out of the house.??On Nov. 3, she was flown to Treatment Solutions of South Florida on the recommendation of Parents 4 a Change.??“She can probably never live in North Haven again because of the sights, sounds and smells. Everyone she knows does anything from drink to use heroin. She can’t handle it,” Joanne Hoffman said.??Adam and Joanne Hoffman attended three “intensive days” of instruction about pharmacology, drug addiction and its causes through the Treatment Solutions Network. They’ll have to attend Nar-Anon, which helps parents of addicts.??They believe that their daughter took drugs to feel better.??“She tried it and had no reason to stop. It made her feel good,” Joanne Hoffman said.??Michael Blackburn from Treatment Solutions Network says there’s a need for what his group does.??

Barbara Hoffman had 60 days of inpatient treatment before being transferred to the halfway house, where she lives with five other young women. “She’s doing well,” Blackburn said.??“This rehab is like no other. They call you on your (expletive). It was good, honest. It’s the first time I’ve been to rehab where I actually want to be clean,” she said.??Being in an area in which a recovering addict is unfamiliar helps because the person doesn’t have access to dealers. It challenges the person to get well on his or her own. “The program teaches life and living skills,” Blackburn said.??“She’s seeking a job with the support of Treatment Solutions,” Joanne Hoffman said. “She’ll start college in the fall, knock on wood.”?

If you are in love with someone who is struggling with an addiction we have many resources listed on our website www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/families

Jim Bevell
CEO Treatment Solutions Network
561 577-3174
jimb@tsnemail.com

When is the most difficult time in the process of addiction treatment?  This is a very subjective question and depending on whom you ask and their personal or clinical experience, you may find different answers.  Certainly, if a person never gets to a treatment facility that is properly geared to treat their disease, then the chances for successful recovery from addiction are likely very poor.

 However, if an addicted individual is placed at a proper chemical dependency treatment program there are many factors that affect their abstinence rates, and the quality of their lives, one year after entering the treatment facility.  There are a lot of people and companies in the treatment profession that represent success rates, but the key questions to ask are: Who determined their success rates?  Were they independently validated?  Find out if this was an actual scientific study or did the numbers just get massaged to help in marketing efforts.

While there is much debate about the aforementioned question, there is little debate about the positive correlation between longer treatment and more efficacious recovery results.  Lengthy treatment stays, however, do not always translate to healthy coping skills.  Witnessing this firsthand for years, I have seen individuals thrive in the treatment setting – even if it is for 90 days or more – but when they return home disaster strikes.   Difficulties may stem from re-acclimation to home, work, or social life, finding ways to fill free time, embracing a new healthy lifestyle, applying the treatment principles in the “real world,” or any number of individualized challenges.  A unique complement (not an alternative) to combating these difficulties that may arise in today’s typical treatment protocol can be found with a long-term recovery coaching model. 

To smooth such pitfalls, I developed a comprehensive program for my clients to establish a coaching relationship throughout and beyond the first year of recovery.  Often that relationship starts prior to an intervention, and includes contact with the coach during treatment (with the coach present for the critical transition of discharge from treatment), and adhering to a holistic recovery coaching protocol for a minimum of 52 weeks post-discharge.  This creates a lifestyle change in the addicted person to help them embrace and succeed in a recovery that goes well beyond abstinence.   A change that encompasses mind, body and spirit is necessary, and importantly, one that makes sense for that individual’s lifestyle is critical for the effects to last.  For example, at LifeSkills Authorities we have programs specifically geared toward executives and attorneys that take the nuances of their high-stress corporate lifestyles into consideration.    This unique approach is developing a national following in a short period of time because of the thoroughness of working with clients to manage all touchpoints of early recovery.

If you have fallen prey to the difficulties of recovery and want help for yourself or if a loved one is struggling in recovery, I encourage you to consider a new approach.  Visit our website (http://www.lifeskillsauthorities.com/) and really spend the time to find out what the LSA philosophy and programs are all about.

Many cities have been brought down by crimes associated with drugs and drug dealing. Some communities have given up and law enforcement finds itself fighting a losing battle with the drug market. An unlikely solution is making its way across the country, bringing with it both more peaceful neighborhoods, and an end to the conflict between neighbors and drug dealers.

High Point Intervention

High Point Intervention was first created to address drug-laden areas of High Point, North Carolina. Led by Chief James Fealy in 2003, the new strategy did more than simply arrest drug dealers and put them in prison. While we want to get drug dealers off the street; simply holding them in prison and then releasing them to the public to do the same thing in the same neighborhoods, is not a good solution. But by taking control of the drug market and helping give these criminals the chance for real reform, cities are able to heal and move forward.

High Point Intervention starts with creating a bond between law enforcement and members of the community that are willing to help the neighborhood turn around. Violent drug dealers are identified and arrested, but non-violent drug dealers are given a second chance. Not just let go, but rather, given the support and help needed to start a new life apart from drugs. In order to do this, all resources must be put in place, including all the evidence for a criminal case against the individual, as well as help to get out of the drug scene. The offenders are brought into a room full of law enforcement, individuals from the community, and ex-offenders. The situation is explained to them that there is a case built against them, and they are one step away from being locked up, but that they are being given one final chance. If the person agrees to give up the drug dealing by making use of the support of social services and others in the community, the case against them will be put on hold. But at the first slip up, they will be put in prison.

Helping People Succeed

This method has been effective in High Point, as well as 25 other cities across the country that followed the same approach. The fact that these people are on their way to prison and given a second chance is really a powerful tool in motivating them to clean up their lives. But it is important for services to be coordinated beforehand so that the individuals has a way to earn an income, can get help with their own drug and emotional problems, and feel like they will be able to become a contributing member of society. Without the extra help, support, and follow through, this program would simply trick someone into behaving for a while before going right back to what they were doing.

There are concerns about this program because of the fact that it lets non-violent drug dealers back on the street. But High Point Intervention has had success in each city where it has been used, and these communities now work together to keep these ex-drug dealers on the right track.

Sources

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Drugs, Race, and Common Ground

Drug Market Initiative