The senior substance abuse is unfortunately not properly addressed. Alcohol consumption in the elderly can be dangerous in many ways. It depends on senior substance abuse and its features. Sometimes people can control their alcohol, but mostly it consumes their lives.

When you are looking forward to taking care of your elderly properly and safe them from any disaster look for the symptoms of alcohol abuse first. For instance:

• They drink more than one.
• They finish the drink in one gulp
• High tolerance against alcohol and need more drinks to feel its effects
• Being unreasonable while sober
• Having issue those leads to the alcoholism like financial or medical issues.
• Instances of hurting people or themselves while drunk
• Lying about drinking habits.

Do’s and what not to do?

When you found some or few of these symptoms in your elderly that means it leads to senior substance abuse. You can go for senior alcohol treatment, and it is a long process. First, you need to intervene carefully to get them mentally prepared and stop substance abuse. Here are a few do’s and not-to-do’s for senior addiction interventions.

1. Check the time that fits:

It is not good to start talking about alcohol abuse anytime you visit them. Choose appropriate times like when they are in better condition when they are sober, and there are experiencing bad effects of the drinking problem like hangover headaches.

You can take them about alcohol-related issues and symptoms which emerge with alcohol abuse. If you try to talk them out while they are drinking or already gulped two or more shots, then it is really hard to convince them to leave it. They will also not be in the situation of discussion while drunk.

2. Talk with love and respect:

When you are talking with the senior, it should be different than talking to a pal of your age. Age leaves a negative effect on decision-making, and people ignore their health. Many elderly ignore the risk of excessive alcohol consumption as they are already old. They also say that now they can do anything they want as they are elderly and no one can make them do things.

The talk to senior alcohol interventions can make them feel like talking down. They need to treat the elderly, not treated like a child at home.  Respect and love are entitled to them with their age, and while convincing them out of substance abuse, you have to be careful about it.

So whenever you are talking to them about alcohol abuse, make sure you have a tone of utter love and respect. Respecting and giving love is an effective way of treating someone, and asking them to understand what they are doing is not good for their health and can cause many issues. It will also help them acknowledge your point of view.

3. Do not use labels:

Labels are often offensive, and soon after you say, someone alcoholic, they might get offensive or go the defense state. That is why it is better to talk without using words like addiction and alcoholic. It carries a negative and offensive statement, and the elderly might feel strongly offended by it. The words bring stigma, and with stigma, there comes shame. It might happen that using words might do more harm than benefits.

It can also cause you to lose your opportunity to bring the person back to the senses, and they might not value your opinion after that. Senior alcoholism is a serious matter. So try not to lose the connection between your elderly, and you talk to them with love and support and leave the labels to diagnosing people like a therapist who treats the issue.

4. Talk about alcohol-related concerns:

Talk to the elderly about the serious consequences of alcohol consumption along with physical, social, and financial consequences. For instance, you can talk to them about how lonely they have due to their alcohol consumption habits. Depression and stress are also one of the effects of senior substance abuse. Also, mention politely how it is making a huge dent in their finance.

5. Senior alcohol treatment:

Most of the alcoholic related issues cannot be talked out only. It would be best if you mentioned senior alcohol treatment. It is the best option for the recovery of elderly people. Many studies have shown that treatment is one of the best senior addiction interventions.

They will have better outcomes with alcohol treatment. The senior alcohol treatment includes therapies, counseling, and medically supervised detox treatment.

Conclusion:

Senior substance abuse is a serious concern, but your elderly can lead happy and healthy years of their lives with your interventions, love care, and treatment.

The post Senior Interventions for Alcoholism first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

Those people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs often deny that a problem exists or that the problem is as severe as it actually is.

Addiction can make it impossible for those people suffering from the addiction to recognize the damage their addiction is doing to their life or to the lives of those people who care about them. Begging, pleading or threatening an addict person often has little or no affect on them leaving those who love them feeling helpless to help the person they love.

However, studies show that staging a formal intervention can often be beneficial in helping someone struggling with Addiction.

What Is An Intervention

An intervention is a carefully planned process involving the addicted person’s friends, family, church members, and sometimes employers under the supervision and with consultation with a doctor, professional drug or alcohol counselor or professional Interventionist. During the process, each person present calmly confronts the addiction person and does the following:

• Provides specific instances of the addict’s destructive behavior and the impact that these behaviors have on specific family members and friends. (i.e. a teenager may talk about how they can’t invite friends over because their parent may be calling them names or engaging in abusive treatment.)
• Offers a Prearranged treatment plan detailing specific steps and goals that the addicted needs to strive for. (In many cases, a bed in a treatment facility may be all ready arranged for so that the addicted can go straight into treatment after the intervention while the desire to get help is the greatest.)
• Spells out what each person will do if the addicted does not seek treatment. (i.e. An employer many tell the addicted that they will no longer employee them, a spouse may tell the addicted that they will seek a divorce etc.)

Preparing For an Intervention

An intervention is not something to enter into lightly or on the spur of the moment. Keep in mind that an intervention is going to be highly emotionally charged and every member of the intervention needs to be prepared for the anger and pleading of the addicted person when confronted with his addiction.

Here are the steps needed to plan a successful intervention.

• Get Professional Help- Any intervention should begin by speaking to and getting the assistance of a professional counselor who has training in staging an intervention. This may be an addiction specialist, a mental health professional, or a professional interventionist. Speak to them regarding how to stage the intervention, what to expect, and other issues involved in dealing with an emotional and ill person.
• Do Your Research- Learn the extent of your loved one’s problem and the treatment options that are available to treat the problem and choose one that will be the most beneficial to the addicted person.
• From the Intervention Group- Carefully choose the people who will participate in the intervention. Plan the date and time and how to get the addicted person to the venue without revealing what is going to happen. Plan what you will say keeping the message consistent, practice what you will say and if possible role-play the intervention to help prepared you for the addicted person’s reaction so that you can remain calm.
• What Will the Consequences Be?- Each person that is part of the intervention will have to decide what consequences they will give the addicted person if they don’t seek and treatment and be prepared to follow through on those consequences.
• Hold the Meeting- Keep calm, follow your agenda, and be prepared to help your addicted love one enter treatment immediately if they decide to do that. Also, be prepared for their refusal and to go through with the consequences if they do not seek treatment.
• Follow Up- If your loved one does enter treatment then be prepared to help them in any way possible by seeking counseling yourself, joining in their counseling sessions, changing everyday patterns of behavior to help your loved one fall back into their destructive behaviors.

While staging an intervention may seem like a harsh move, it may just help to save to your loved one’s life and their future.

The post Intervention Helping Someone Struggling with Addiction first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

Alcoholism among senior citizens often is overlooked mainly because it is difficult to admit that strong parent who raised us is struggling with a disease they seem powerless to control. However, the truth is that alcoholism among the elderly is not as uncommon as one might think. The truth is that there may be a number of reasons why people turn to alcohol, as they get older.

The Increasing Risk of Alcoholism for Seniors

As people get older their lives begin to change in a number of different ways and some people have a difficult time coping with these changes and may turn to alcohol in order to numb the feelings that come with these life changes. Some of the changes that could leave seniors struggling to cope may include:

• Loss of purpose– Although many people look forward to retirement, once retired some older people find themselves struggling to find some new purpose in their life. This feeling of loss of purpose can leave a person feeling useless as though nothing they do matters.
• Loss of Income- Many of the elderly find that the loss of income that comes with not working can be difficult to deal with. Social Security and 401Ks often don’t cover the growing needs of people this age, and they may turn to drink rather than visit their problems on their family and loved ones.
• Loss of Loved Ones- Senior citizens have likely suffered significant loss of a spouse, loved ones or friends and turn to alcohol as a way to numb the pain of that loss.
• Loneliness- Many senior citizens live alone and with younger family working and having lives of their own, many senior citizens suffer from loneliness and deal with those feeling by drinking to make time pass more quickly.

Staging an Intervention For That Beloved Senior

Studies show that seniors respond well too less formal interventions than do younger people. However, there are still some things you need to do in order for that intervention to be successful. While you should get the advice of an expert, here are a few tips that may help.

Choose the Right Time To Approach Your Loved One

You should never approach that senior when they are drinking, as they will not be able to think rationally. Instead choose a time to approach them when they are sober, but feeling the effects of their disease such as when they are hung over, or when they have suffered an accident due to their drinking.

Show The Love and Respect You Feel

When talking to your loved one shows them respect. Talk to them don’t lecture them. Make sure that you get their participation during the discussion by asking them questions regarding their goals, their wants and needs and asking them how their drinking affects them reaching their goals, or getting their needs met. Help them reach the conclusion, that their life would be better with drinking. Whatever, you do don’t talk down to them and don’t put labels on their behavior since this will put them on the defensive and they will quit listening to anything you have to say.

Express Your Concerns In a Loving Way

When you show genuine concern for someone you love they can feel your concern and will be apt to take those concerns seriously. Express in a non-dramatic way that their drinking affects you and you ability to enjoy time with them.

Make Sure they Understand That Treatment is An Option

Make sure that your loved one knows that treatment is an option and that there are treatment facilities that can deal with any special needs that your loved one may have whether they have special medical needs or some other need. Assure them that you are willing to participate in their treatment in any way that is needed.

By showing your loved one that you care and are concerned about their well being, you may be able to reach them and get them to agree to the treatment that will help them to deal with their disease.

The post Senior Alcoholism Interventions first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

Kevin Dixon, President of KD Consulting Corporation was contacted by the CBS Early show in order to help with educating America about what is an intervention, how do we help someone who doesn’t want help. He facilitated a professional intervention on behalf of the Jecka Family in saving their loved one Jennifer Jecka. She struggles with substance abuse, mental health, and co-dependency to her boyfriend along with her denial of her addiction. Through Kevin Dixon’s help and preparing the family he was able to prepare them for the toughest part with Jennifer, her saying “NO” to accepting treatment.

Kevin speaks with Tracy Smith on the CBS Early Show.

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The post Kevin Dixon live Intervention on CBS The Early Show first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.

The Coronavirus epidemic has affected most people in a variety of ways and even though the country is beginning to open up once again social distancing and the threat of renewed outbreaks of the virus creates uncertainly that affects many people. For those who have problems with alcohol dealing with the uncertainty of this epidemic can pose additional challenges. Through a professional alcohol intervention can help prevent someone from long term damage of alcoholism. These challenges include:

Increased Anxiety

During this uncertain time, most people are feeling anxious for themselves and their loved ones. Between the rising death toll caused by COCID-19, the amount of misinformation that has been given out, loss of income, and even jobs and the other issues surrounding the Coronavirus epidemic it is only natural that those feelings of anxiety may sometimes be overwhelming. For those suffering from problems with alcohol, those feelings of anxiety can be even worse leading to increase drinking. However, drinking can also make those anxious feelings worse, which increases the likelihood of problems with alcohol starting or continuing.

Isolation

With social distancing still in effect and recommended people are missing connection to their support group, whether that group is family or friends. For people who experience problems with alcohol the feelings of loneliness and isolation can leave them feeling even more alone and in need of comfort, which may increase the urge to drink only, adding to the already present substance abuse problems.

Drinking Can Increase the Risk of COVID-19

Those who suffer from alcoholism have a weakened immune system, which can increase their risk of getting COVID-19 and further increase the risk of them suffering from a more severe bout of the virus. This makes it more important than ever that those who want help for their alcohol problem be able to get the help they need.

Problems with Getting Help During the Epidemic

The problem with seeking help during the Coronavirus epidemic is that many people are afraid of entering rehab facilities due to the possible exposure of being with other people. The same holds true of attending out patient therapy or AA meetings.

Many people feel that by seeking help they are exposing themselves to an increase risk of contacting COVID-19 leaving even those who desperately want help reluctant to seek the help that they need.

Interventions and Treatment Options For Alcoholism During The Epidemic

Those who work with patients suffering from problems with alcohol are taking extra measures to offer their patients safe care including conducting free virtual 12 step meetings online and phone counseling in order to provide patients with safe alternatives to rehab and outpatient therapies. These types of programs are likely to continue for some time as the country waits to see if the re-opening of jobs of public places leads to new outbreaks in the virus.

Even during these challenging times, many loved ones still need help with their addiction to alcoholism. An intervention can still be effective in saving your loved one’s life from isolation drinking.

For those who are looking for help to deal with their alcohol problems calling an alcohol intervention center and discussing with them various treatment options that are open to them can help them to find the help they need.

The post Alcohol Interventions During Coronavirus Epidemic first appeared on KD Consulting Interventions.