Intervention Types
Announcement: How to Do an Alcohol Intervention on a High-Functioning Alcoholic
We suggest you first read “How to Recognize a High-Functioning Alcoholic” to help you eliminate any denial or soft-pedaling by family members. The high-functioning alcoholic can be one of the most difficult to do an intervention on because denial is so strong.
Families often proceed with an alcohol intervention when the alcoholic has really done significant damage, such as been arrest for DUIs, ended up in the hospital, been in a car wreck, or has completely ruined their financial, professional, and family lives. Full Story
Does Substance Treatment Reduce Violence in People With Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis is a serious health condition characterized by overlapping symptoms of substance abuse/addiction and at least one other diagnosable mental health problem. Many people in the U.S. dealing with substance issues meet the criteria for this condition, and subsequently have worse mental/physical outcomes than others who do not meet the criteria. In a study published in November-December 2014 in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, researchers from three U.S. universities concluded that effective treatment of substance problems in people with dual diagnosis may lead to a decline in violent/aggressive behavior, a phenomenon linked to several forms of mental illness. Full Story
Emergency Room Good Place for Alcohol Interventions
Brief alcohol interventions are short sessions that doctors and other health professionals use to identify people affected by serious drinking problems or at risk for such problems, and also to encourage a switch to safer patterns of alcohol intake. Current evidence indicates that these interventions have a positive effect in a number of settings. In a study published in September 2014 in the journal Substance Abuse, a team of American researchers explored the usefulness of brief alcohol interventions given to young people receiving treatment in an emergency room. Full Story
Young Adults’ Self-Control Over Alcohol Boosted by Intervention
In the U.S. and many other countries, early adulthood is known as a time of high alcohol consumption and involvement in risky, potentially life-threatening alcohol-related practices. For young adults (and the members of other age groups), the ability to limit alcohol intake is linked to a belief in one’s ability to control drinking urges and behaviors. In a study scheduled for publication in July 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, researchers from Great Britain and Iran investigated whether young adults can learn to increase their perceived level of drinking self-control.
How Do ‘Brief Interventions’ Affect Cannabis Use in Teens?
Brief intervention is a general term used to describe short sessions of counseling or advice designed to educate people about various critical health issues. Substance abuse and addiction experts sometimes deliver information in this form in order to help reduce or eliminate an individual’s use of drugs or alcohol. In a study published in October 2013 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers from four U.S. institutions examined the effectiveness of brief interventions in reducing the impact of cannabis use among U.S. teenagers. Some of the interventions under consideration were administered via computer, while others came directly from a therapist.
Screening Teens for Gambling Problems
Gambling problems are gambling-related behaviors that detract from a person’s ability to maintain mental equilibrium and participate functionally in society. Some affected individuals have problems severe enough to qualify them for diagnosis of an official condition called gambling disorder. However, doctors may sometimes miss the presence of dysfunctional gambling-related behaviors in teenagers. In a study published in October 2013 in the Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, a team of Australian researchers examined the usefulness of a screening questionnaire, called the Victorian Gambling Screen, in detecting teenagers’ gambling problems.
Should Doctors Do More to Educate Their Patients About Alcohol Risks?
When you visit your doctor there are a few standard questions you’ll be asked: How are you feeling? What’s going on in your life? Do you have any health concerns? Now the government agency that keeps tabs on our nation’s health is asking doctors to spend more time discussing alcohol use with patients.
Arming Parents with the Knowledge to Confront Teen Drinking
Studies have shown that parents are the most significant factor in whether a teen decides to drink alcohol. Peer pressure gets all the media attention, but research has shown that parental influence lasts through their children’s adolescence.
Senior Women Fastest-Growing Group of Problem Gamblers
Twenty miles from the river on an east/west highway running through central Mississippi, there’s a billboard, one of those really big ones. This billboard is a party, a sparkling carnival, a live action vaudeville show. It’s so thrilling that passersby never fail to notice it, and some have been known to slow down just to stare. It’s not unusual that this billboard features a slim, attractive woman with her head thrown back, a look of wild abandon painted on her face as colored lights spin and blur and loom behind her. What is unusual is that this woman is probably 75 years old.
Middle School Pupils at Highest Risk for Inhalant Use
Inhalants are a diverse range of household, industrial and medicinal chemicals that sometimes get adapted as drugs of abuse. Young people have especially high chances of beginning inhalant use, at least partly because they have less access to legal intoxicants than adults.
Need Help Finding an Intervention Specialist?
We can refer you to an experienced interventionist who can help you help your loved one.
The Addiction Primer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Help for a Loved One
A very inexpensive yet indispensable guide for anyone struggling with a loved one's addiction. Chapters on intervention, what to expect from rehab, and information on how addiction impacts the family.
