Pubdate: Sun, 29 May 2011 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2011 Times Colonist Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Bill Cleverley Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) FAMILIES, FRIENDS VITAL IN HELPING ADDICTS HEAL Families can have a tremendous influence in helping someone deal with drug or alcohol problems, says Victoria addictions counsellor Sue Donaldson. "The [addicted person] can't see what's going on with them. It's part of the nature of alcoholism and addiction is you can't see clearly what's going on. So you need the clear sight of a family to affect change," she said. An addictions counsellor and certified interventionist, Donaldson, who owns Pegasus Recovery Solutions, has been involved in addictions counselling since 1995. She facilitates about two interventions a month. "Often intervention is the last resort. They've usually exhausted talking, pleading and cajoling and begging. Most people have exhausted their resources by the time they seek the help of a professional," Donaldson said. "An intervention, to a large degree, is helping the family understand what leverage they can bring -how they can help motivate their loved one and not just sort of stand and turn a blind eye." Typically, an intervention begins with a call from a family member. "Generally it's either parents or a partner or adult children who are concerned about a loved one. It could be alcohol or drugs, often they don't really know what's going on. They just know that all is not well," said Donaldson. Neal Berger, executive director of the Cedars recovery centre, says family interventions represent the single best thing he's seen in 30 years in the field. "Our evidence shows that people who are forced into treatment tend to do the best." Donaldson's first task is to ensure the problem is really substance abuse, and not a family member with an ax to grind. Much of her work is in preparation. Donaldson has to spend a lot of time -a day or more -with family, friends and concerned individuals to sort out what needs to happen, and how to engage the addicted individual. Treatment options will be teed up. Donaldson will help those involved eliminate potential barriers -from jobs to money to looking after the cat -that the addict might raise as a reason why he or she can't enter treatment. Family members learn that it's not just the addict who will have to make changes. "If there haven't been some fundamental changes made with the family and the other family members, you haven't created a context for them to stay clean and sober and on track in recovery." The cost of interventions can range from about $3,000 to $7,800, including six months of post-treatment monitoring and aftercare. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom