I just checked out Intervention on line.

DDD

Well-Known Member
We have now celebrated :sick: our tenth anniversary of alcoholism with easy child/difficult child. Yes he turned 23 yeaterday and was originally diagnosis'd at 13. He no longer uses drugs. Obviously we
are thankful about that but we are getting OLD and his future with-o self discipline and/or family support (with some degree of detachment) is really grim. The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) complicates the whole issue.

He voluntarily completed an application for a local residential rehab in December. They called and left a message for him. He has not returned the call.

Truthfully I have come to the conclusion that a local program will not help him no matter how good it is (and I only know that it is ok). Why? Because in treatment you have to be honest about your past and current life. We are in a small community and he knows almost every addict and former inmate in the area. There is no way he is going to open his heart and share when these people are not strangers. He honestly has a good heart
but only once (at 15) did he share with a counselor his kind nature and his past mistakes.

So...I decided to check out Intervention. They fly people off to facilities where they have exposure to strangers and an opportunity to create a new lifestyle. He would croak if I did it. After reading the A&E site, though, I am more than hesitant. Evidently a number of families feel that they were "Hollywood postured" for the sake of ratings and resent the exposure. I'd give up my pride (or is it false pride) to help him save himself but I don't think I could give up my anonymity for the sake of ratings. Bummer Vent. DDD
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Im sorry that it appears this is true. I have watched this show for a long time and had seen what I had hoped were some success stories. I guess it really only works if they really want it too.

One last thing I guess you could try is writing Dr. Phil and begging him. I know he sends people to a long term facility in TX that he claims is the best. He also doesnt follow them on tv. I know they also do sober living there too.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Dr. Phil...for real? No publicity or filming? That's admirable. I'm just about at the end of possibilities and truthfully don't know if easy child/
difficult child would step up to the plate or not. As his CD name implies,lol, he is like two separate people...minus severe mental illness.

That's a creative idea, Janet. I'll ponder that one as easy child/difficult child thinks he has solved his problem by (l) not driving if he is going to drink; (2) bringing the car home and getting a ride back if he changes his mind and :redface: (3) staying sober until he get home and then hitting the bottle here.

Yikes! It's not likely he will ever "hit bottom" since he has already fallen three floors off a balcony and having brain surgery
and intensive rehabilitation, getting incarcerated for over seven
months because the States Attorney wanted to send him to prison (even with not adequate "points" to do so) and sleeping so much that he couldn't hold a regular job with any employer.

We live in "detached fear" that the sensitive system will get hold of him again and his future will be even more dire. Yep, this is
yet another whine..lol. I have never heard of Dr. Phil's help ao
I'll try to access info. As my Dad used to say "hope springs eternal in the hearts of men...". Thanks, DDD
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
DDD, I have seen many shows where he has had people on who have pretty severe addiction problems and he has worked with them. The added Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) problem may actually be a bonus interest to him because of his cohort Dr. Frank Lawless. He is now a member of the Dr.Phil team and he does tons of testing on lots of the people who they feel it is needed on. All these diagnosis's that easy child/difficult child has would probably intrigue them.

It couldnt hurt to write them and write them often begging for help considering your age, your circumstances with him and all you guys have been through. You might just get a show and some very intense help. Even if you have to do one show the following help would be worth its weight in gold.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
DDD -

I just did a quick check on that site. I didn't spend a lot of time, but if the post you are referring to is from Linda, take it with a huge grain of salt. I saw that episode. She was addicted to fentanyl. She claimed she had EDS (Ehlor Danlos Syndrome), but her symptoms didn't fit. She was *extremely* paranoid. Extremely. From the drugs or an underlying mental illness - who knows.
 
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