Thursday, March 7, 2013

When You May Need An Alcohol Interventionist


Alcoholism is a mental disease that is characterized by alcohol dependency. It leaves a destructive pattern of a strong compulsive need to satisfy drinking cravings, loss of control to stop drinking, dependency on alcohol, and intolerance leading to ingesting higher amounts of alcohol before any feeling of high. Alcoholism is sometimes perceived as a weakness of character, but experts consider it otherwise. It ranks 3rd as the most common mental disorder, affecting over 140 million worldwide.

Alcoholism is not about how long one has been submerged in alcohol drinking, how much alcohol they have consumed, or what form of alcohol they take. Rather, it is about the person's inability to control the need to consume alcohol. There is no gender preference for an alcoholic. Men or women and young or old can succumb to uncontrollable drinking. In fact, records show that teens as early as 11 years old have gone through alcohol abuse.

Like any other substance abuse, Alcoholism brings about numerous health-risk factors. And alcoholic can develop anxiety disorders, mood swings, depression, and behavioral changes like being violent. They can also show tendencies of isolation, antisocial behavior, irritability, and low self-esteem. Among others, alcoholism can also lead to poor performance, memory lapses, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, hostility, liver disease, and in some cases, insanity and death.

How Does One Become Alcoholic?

Why, then, can many can drink until the last drop and wake up the next morning without a hint of addiction. There are numerous factors that can lead to alcohol abuse. Part of it is our genes. If one of your family members, your parents or grandparents, have been addicted to alcohol, you are more likely to become vulnerable yourself.

Other factors lie on the physiological and emotional makeup of an individual. People who suffer from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and those searching for something to help them cope with their stress, trauma, or problems are at risk of alcohol abuse. Over time, constant drinking of alcohol can change the neurochemistry of brain. It makes the body crave alcohol to bring back pleasurable feelings that can help them avoid negative thoughts and emotions.

Gender is another factor. Men are more than likely to develop alcoholism than women.  Around 4 out of 10 men drink alcohol more than the required consumption amount. This has to do something with their biology. Men weigh more than an average woman, so they have more tissues to absorb alcohol. Men also have a lower ratio of fat to water making them dilute alcohol more within their body. Lastly, men are not emotionally inclined. They would rather resort to drinking or keeping their problems to themselves.

One thing that not everyone is aware of is that our society also plays a big role in alcoholism, especially the influences of the media. We see it every day. Men having this "stud" image every time they party with their friends having their favorite drinks, or how many girls they can woo while sitting at the corner of the bar, and how women look hot when they get drunk and party in the middle of the dance floor.

Things like this can influence even the youngest of our generation. Studies show that 2 out of 10 children age 10 to 15 are now involved in frequent alcohol drinking, which later leads to future risk of alcohol abuse. Added to that is peer pressure that encourages teens to be one of the crowd, to be hot and "macho," just like what they see on television.

What Help Can You Give An Alcoholic?

Sometimes when alcohol abuse reaches a level of crisis, the only choice left is to seek a professional alcohol intervention. Intervention is considered to be one of the most effective processes of confronting an alcoholic of the dangers and effect of their alcoholism to themselves and to the people around him. It is carefully planned by professional counsellors, which involves the help of the alcoholic's family members, friends, and even his colleagues to convince them to undergo a series of intervention programs.

The program includes confrontation talks in regard to their denials, support talks, and social interactive activities; all are done in controlled environment. Intervention also includes detoxification processes, lifestyle and diet change, building a series of activities that they can be interested in, practicing how to say "no" to alcohol, and many more.

Intervention works in such a way that the alcoholic feels secure, safe, understood, and not ambushed. It is important that they feel accepted and important and are not blamed for whatever mishaps that have come their way because of alcoholism.  If they feel otherwise, the program will not be successful. They will instead feel angered, refusing and denying any help given. Intervention is not intended to manipulate, but is used for self-awareness and self-motivating purposes to accept change and stick to the help plan provided to them.

Brad Lamm
Alcohol Interventionist
Intervention-Interventionist.com

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Treatment Action Plan Free Referral Service



It is no secret that addictions have the potential to ruin a loved ones live. The first step in recovery is to  seek the assistance of an addiction treatment center. They know the methods and techniques that will become useful in helping you to get rid of your addictions. You can find a large number of addiction treatment services available and Treatment Action Plan (TAP) can be considered as the best one of those. They have a unique referral service which can assist people to get rid of their addictions in a convenient way.

Different types of addictions can be seen among individuals. Each person is unique and they have individual needs, so it is important to look for quality addiction treatment centers which offer customized treatments. There are different reasons behind every addiction and they should be treated in different ways. For example, the human body responds in a different way to alcohol addictions and drug addictions.

Addictions can also be divided into different categories. They can be an addiction to consume something, addictions towards sexual acts or even an addiction to engage with something on a regular basis. They will lead your life towards a negative path, but you will not be able to help yourself. That’s why you need to join a reputable addiction treatment program like TAP. TAP offers their services from several treatment centers. They will analyze your habits and refer you to the perfect addiction treatment center. This will assist you to get a customized addiction treatment from expert practitioners.

The main objective of TAP is to refer people who suffer from addictions to a customized addiction treatment center and provide them with an effective and efficient treatment. When your addiction treatment plan is more efficient, it will be easier for you to get control over your addiction and return back to your normal life within a shorter period of time. Addictions can ruin relationships as well as your life. Therefore you need to visit a quality addiction treatment center and get their assistance to eliminate your addiction.

All the treatment plans that are offered from TAP are individually tailored and they will provide better long-term results for addicted people. They will guide you throughout the entire process and you will not have to worry about anything other than getting the help you need. Seeking the assistance of Addiction Recovery Services to get rid of your addictions can be considered as a great investment done towards a better future.



For more information on how to help the one you love contact:

Brad Lamm
Intervention Specialist
TreatmentActionPlan.org

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

When To Call a Professional Interventionist


Many people these days suffer from emotional pains and physical distress. This is due to a lot of factors, such as family orientations, peer pressure, financial crisis, and even lifestyle changes.

Some people can give up easily and thereby turn to vices like taking drugs or alcohol, becoming emotionally depressed or, worst-case scenario, may consider of a way out like ending their lives.

Family members and friends may be left clueless about ways to help and reach out their loved ones. This is where intervention programs come in. They help people face their problems, see beyond them, and collaborate with effective approaches for them to recover.

Who is Brad Lamm?

Brad Lamm is one of the most sought-after Interventionists in the country. He has been in this business since 2001, and has written many books about life, intervention of a loved one, and easy steps to lose weight.He is a regular contributor on The Dr. Oz show and produces a show on The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Despite his many achievements, like his patients, Brad Lamm also underwent his own set of life challenges. Through his adolescence, he struggled against low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders.

Though he managed to finish a college degree and worked as a TV anchor, he continued his vices and was even involved in cocaine addiction.He was hitting rock bottom when he received an intervention from his group of friends. He decided to fix his life and, after his rehabilitation, his journey began to change other's lives using his own life experiences.

Who Can Benefit From An Intervention?

An intervention program is not only limited to helping drug addicts, chain smokers, and alcoholics. People who suffer from eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia may also receive help and care. Same goes with those who are struggling from obesity, depression, behavioral changes, and even those going through pain of losing someone can seek help.

An intervention is not all about counseling and talks. It is a customised help-care assessment that is programmed to give support through steps like getting the cooperation of family and friends, case profiling, family mapping, recovery activities, 24/7 companion assessment, and follow-up services; all to save and change a life.

When To Call An Interventionist

A simple problem with your teenage daughter's or son's grades can be an example of a case where you may want to consult with your interventionist. You don't always know what is going on in your children's lives, especially when you are not always around. With all the threats of bullying, peer pressure, and social-networking influences; any of these issues may affect your love one.

There is no time frame as to when to call for help, but it is better to prevent things before they worsen. Certified Professional Interventionists can pinpoint the real root cause to their clients' problems and can map-down successful strategies to help and instill positive changes that can improve a person's welfare and may even save lives.

An interventionist can set how many sessions needed to help out, depending on the severity of the problem. There are different stages to undergo. The first is to build a support system because most addiction and problems develop isolation. Through strong support, the patient can accept change quickly.

The next stage is to ask the patient's commitment to help himself. Any intervention will never be successful if the patient himself does not give his full commitment. This phase includes sessions of talks to cope with the problem, phone calls from love ones, and intervention from friends and even colleagues. For other problems, such as eating disorders, your professional interventionist may also collaborate with physicians and nutritionists to create diet plans for the patient to follow.

The last phase is where your Professional Interventionists instill recovery. This is where the hardest part may lie. A patient may take months and, to some extent, even years because a recovery period also happens outside the program. His post-intervention recovery program can include weekly to once a month visitation as well as regular phone call sessions.

Brad Lamm has been able to create series of intervention road maps that helps not only the victim, but also empowers families to help change their loved one's life through continued care, love, and support. Through his own life struggles, he was able to create something positive, and as he continues to pay-forward all the help, he changes millions of lives.

Brad Lamm
Interventionist
Intervention-Interventionist.com
TreatmentActionPlan.org