Admitting: 800-523-8198 • Inpatient: 810-227-1211 • Outpatient: 810-225-2530Medical Services: 810-225-2580 • www.brightonhospital.org
According to the Partnershipfor a Drug-Free America,the point of any interventionis to ask the person to takeconcrete steps to address theproblem and lead them tothe help they need.Thesteps may include beingevaluated,attendingcounseling or enteringin - or outpatient treatment.In the area of intervention,Brighton Hospital worksclosely with nationallyrecognized interventionistssuch as Jeff and Debra Jay,the founders of Jeff andDebra Jay & Associates,aprivate practice that includesinterventionists throughout the United States andEurope.They have writtenextensively on addiction inbooks that include
LoveFirst:A New Approach toIntervention in Alcoholismand Drug Addiction,
and
No More Letting Go
.Debra’slatest book,
At Witt’s End
,is co-authoredwith anotherexpert.“The need forintervention is huge,”saysDebra.“People think inter-vention is about the addict,but it is really all about thefamily.”Referring to thefamily system,Jeff says,“Once we turn the ‘enabling’system into an ‘intervening’system,everything changes.”“A family intervention beginswith one person,”say Jeff and Debra.“Looking for away to end the problemscaused by alcoholism orother addictions,one familymember or friend bringsother people together tolearn how to help.Thosewho love the addictedperson put aside everythingthey think they know,andbegin anew.With a thoroughand updated education,the family makes a well-informed decision about intervention.”Both agree that a keyelement in an interventionis the experience of theinterventionist,who iswalking into a family that is often in crisis and maybe multigenerational in itsaddiction.They say that some 85 to 90 percent of their interventions result in the person enteringtreatment immediatelyfollowing the interventionand most enter treatment eventually,“especially if thefamily does not
‘
fold’ on itscommitment to help them,”adds Jeff.In their book,
Love First: A New approachto Intervention in Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
,Jeff and Debracall intervention “the most effective technique familiescan use to help a loved onesuffering from chemicaldependency.It is also themost ignored.But just asCPR is often the first,lifesaving step in helping a heart attack victim,intervention isthe most powerful step that a family can take to initiatethe recovery process.“The key to an effectiveintervention is love,not threats,”say Jeff andDebra.“All participants areencouraged to acknowledge,and sometimes dig way back to recall,the good in theperson and the good timesin the family’s past.”To learn more about intervention,go to Jeff and Debra Jay’s website:
www.lovefirst.net
,or thePartnership for a Drug-FreeAmerica website:
www.drugfree.org.
Books Help Prepare for Intervention
Jeff is a formerBrighton Hospitalemployee and he andDebra have beengenerous in trainingclinical staff onintervention, no lessthan once per year.
2
Interventionists and Authors,Debra and Jeff Jay
Not so long ago a societal myth existedabout alcoholics anddrug addicts. It was thought they have to hit rock bottomor be at an all timelow before ready to accept help,enter treatment or seek recovery.Many held the opinion that there was nothing they could do but watchan addicted individual’s relationships,health and life deteriorate.Thankfully, healthcare advancementshave penetrated this stereotypical wall of addiction fiction.Research now demonstrates that addiction is a chronic disease that has a significant hereditary component. The most effectivepath to recovery requires that werespond to both components without judgment and withefficacious treatment.Early intervention is the newcare approach used to help anaddicted person get help for hisor her chronic illness sooner, rather than later.Intervention refers to talking to the person, formally or informally,and asking him or her to take theconcrete steps necessary to address the problem of addiction. Familiesand friends who choose to intervene with a loved one are performing anact of love that can be lifesaving andlife altering.Brighton Hospital works collabora- tively with physicians, employers,employee assistance programs, therapists and professional interven- tionists to assist addicted individualsaccess treatment early in the diseasestate. As with other chronic diseases,early intervention can lead toenhanced quality of life and anincreased life span.In this issue of the
Brighton Beacon
we’ve focused on key community members and professionals who arededicated to helping addicted menand women, and their families,access the healthcare they need atany point in the addiction diseasecontinuum.
Message fromour President
Denise Bertin-Epp
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