A family begins to heal

Please accept this as testimonial for the Staff of Intervention 911. After ten years of desperation, and anguish over our son and his addiction to drugs…we finally figured it out ! We could not fix him, love him, scare him, push him, reward him, cajole him, counsel him, threaten him, shove him or any other verb you can think of him into getting better. The addiction won..every single time.

As we watched our family suffer more and more, and watched Mitch suffer more and more, with increasingly dangerous consequences (including a motorcycle accident and a subsequent fourteen month, five surgery hospitalization) our desperation reached a point of hopelessness. What could we do? What in God’s name could we do? Would he die, become homeless, get worse, break the law, go to jail, hurt someone…what else could possibly happen to make him see he needed help?

But where to start? Who could we trust to bring our only son to treatment? We chose Intervention 911.

I made the call, which was the scariest call of my life. A million questions swirled in my mind. My heart broke to think this is what we had come to. Would it work? Would he go? What would happen? How would it happen? Where would he go? Where should he go? And for how long? In less than 5 hours, I got a call from John Nosack. I felt an immediate sense of calm as he explained the process to me. He literally held my hand in the days up to the intervention. Always there, always caring, always reassuring. I love the man and always will because of this. He helped us select a facility, and most importantly selected an Interventionist that would “fit” our son’s needs. Even after the intervention, he has been there when I need a touchstone of reassurance. I wonder, where in the world did you find such a human being that can give so much to people he does not even know? John Nosack will forever hold a corner of our hearts. Forever.

Then I got to speak with Jerry Bowling, the Interventionist. What can I say about Jerry that you probably don’t already know? Jerry is a blessing in our lives. After a million and one phone calls to him before the intervention day, arranging, crying, being scared, being mad, flipping out, questioning our decision, feelings of hysteria and hope (how those two go together I will never know but they do) were put into perspective with Jerry’s calming, and firm but gentle presence. His message was consistent: you are doing the right thing, stay strong, you can do this, you are doing the right thing, you are doing the right thing, you are doing the right thing. What I love the most about Jerry is his tenacity. He told us “this might take five minutes, or it might take five days. And I’ll be here as long as it takes”. This is more than we could have ever expected. But we received it with Jerry. Thankfully, it didn’t take five days (!!!) and Jerry flew with our son across the country to deliver him safely to what we pray will be his eventual path to recovery. But it doesn’t stop there. Jerry is still there for us. Still tenacious, still supportive, still knowing what we need to do and hear from him fight our son’s disease. Because of Jerry, WE are able to fight. Because of Jerry we know that unless we change, our son does not have a chance in you-know-where to change. Because of Jerry, we have hope. And hope is a commodity that any family suffering along with their addict must have to survive. We hope for our son, and ultimately have more hope for ourselves, as truly we need to recover to have the hope that our son will too. Because of Jerry we have learned to detach, with love, from our addiction to our son’s addiction, the source of the chaos in our lives. Because of Jerry we know we must CHANGE for our son to CHANGE, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean it happens at the same time for us and him. And that it’s OK. Have you gotten the impression that Jerry means a lot to us? He is our general and we are the soldiers in the war. That’s who Jerry is to us.

I can only pray that other suffering families will meet Jerry and John. They have punctuated our lives with HOPE, where there was none. I hope they can be strong enough to make the call, strong enough to lay aside their fear for just one moment and make the call to Intervention 911. We do not know what the future holds for our son and his journey. But now at least, we know we did everything humanly possible to right his path. Thank you seems not a strong enough statement to express our gratitude. Bless you..now that’s better !

Paula Admits Drug Abuse and Treatment

If you are anything like me, you noticed Paula Abdul's seemingly weird and erratic behavior on American Idol in past seasons. I figured she was either just a little odd or more probable, she was taking some type of medication that resulted in her "interesting" behavior on the show.
In a recent Ladies Home Journal interview, Paula has admitted that for the first time in 12 years, she is no longer dependent on prescription pail killers. (Side note: go Paula!)
There are a couple things about this interview I'd like to bring to the surface. First, Paula states that she never taped a show under the influence of medication. However, what is common knowledge within the addiction and recovery community is that drugs and alcohol have lasting effects. Perhaps a person is not under the direct influence at any given time, but their behaviors and tendencies often have changed due to the consistent use of the drug. This may, not for sure, be the case for Ms. Abdul.
One of the reasons Paula gave LHJ for her ongoing use of prescription medication was to deal with chronic pain as a result of being diagnosed with a condition known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. She mentioned that she didn't want to be "counted out" and continued to take the painkillers in order to keep up with hectic shooting schedules and commitments. This sounds about right. Once a person is dependent on a drug, it often seems impossible to be without it due to both the withdrawal symptoms they may suffer by quitting and also the time involved in starting a program of recovery.
Fortunately, Paula checked herself into rehab and is on the straight and narrow this season. Every drug, whether legally prescribed or not, will eventually take it's toll. Dependency on anything, especially drugs and alcohol, becomes often more debilitating than the condition it was originally prescribed for.
Kudos to Ms. Abdul to realizing there was a problem and taking the steps necessary to deal with it. She has become a shining example to us that there is always help and hope for an addict willing to recover.

Intervention Treatment Admissions vs. Getting To Treatment in Other Ways

Find more videos like this on The Intervention and Recovery Network


Is there a difference in effectiveness between typical "Rock Bottom Admissions" vs. "Intervention Admissions"?

Success Story and Thank You

Fabian was an intervention that Ken Seeley did for the A&E show,"Intervention".
Here is what Fabian says, in his own words...

"It has a been a long road to recovery. I'm here to be of service. It is possible. I used to shoot up daily. I was officially hooked. Thanks to an INTERVENTION by Ken Seeley I find myself with more confidence.
Don't get me wrong I'm still fragile and have some shitty days but it gets better. We have a disease, in unity we can fight it. Alone you will eventually will only lead to doom. Discontent, feeling suicidal is a terrible roller coaster of misery. I live in Sober Living in Venice, CA with available beds. I'm here because I care for the suffering addict.

Ken,
Words will never be enough for the gratitude and patience you offered. I ranted, fought my sobriety. Thanks to you and the Lord I'm in a better place. "

FABIAN

Below, watch a clip from the episode of "Intervention" featuring Fabian.

The Promises of Alcoholics Anonymous

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and selfpity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Like most addicts and alcoholics, when I first thought about putting the drugs and the drink down, I wanted to know one thing: what's in it for me?
Enter The Promises taken from pages 83-84 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. These pages were the answer to my question and over the years, I have found them to be true. Looking back, they materialized right before my eyes.
Although beginning a program of recovery is tough and even unpleasant at times, these promises are the reason that people stick it out and stay around. These promises have taken me through some very difficult times and as they say, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, they will always materialize if we work for them.

In The Rooms® Recovery Network

Intervention911 is now a part of the largest growing recovery network on the web! Please join us and thousands of others share our experience, strength and hope with one another.

In The Rooms

Dear Ken...

Here is yet another reason that we at Intervention911 continue to be the hand of help...

Dear Ken:
One week ago my family and I cried out for help and your staff was there to field the call. I contacted the number I saw on your web site and Jeffrey Seltzer answered.

I am sending you this message to thank you for this service. Words alone cannot express my appreciation for Jeffrey Seltzer and the job he did. His passion for helping families in their time of need was overwellming. He matched our case with the perfect interventionist who was the perfect man to help us in our time of need.

Today, my sister is getting the help see needs at Whiteside Manor in Riverside, CA. I can't say enough about your entire staff. They help perfect strangers in their most difficult times. They are forever part of our family.

Thanks again and God Bless

Choose Your Bottom

There is nothing worse than watching a family member struggle with addiction. They simply are not the same people we once knew. As family members watching the tornado of destruction they create everywhere they go, we are familiar with the stealing, string of constant lies and excuses, the anger and the frustration. Above all, we feel helpless to do anything. We have cried, screamed, prayed, and lectured until we are blue in the face. However, there is a way to stop being helpless and start making positive choices for our loved ones. Enter the intervention.
An intervention is not a lot of things: it is not cornering the addict and trapping them into submission, it is not forcing them to go to treatment, it is not a situation that involves blame, criticism or shame. It is a structured, professionally guided, unified show of support and love by a group of people who care too much about the addict to continue to love them to death or to let them die. What's more, it is a way of the family of addicts to take back the power they have lost to help their loved one. Keep reading...
The pure and simple fact of the matter is that every addict or alcoholic is going to hit bottom. A lot of people think that in order to allow the addict to do that, the family has to sit back and watch them suffer until the bitter end. Not so. By being a part of an intervention, the family and interventionist is going to be providing the addict with three things: the gift of recovery, the chance at a new life lived in sobriety and a safe bottom. The keyword is safe.
Take Johnny for example: his family is a wreck. They have been watching him abuse heroin and opiates for years. They have prayed many many times for Johnny to end up in jail or for something so drastic to happen that it creates what will be his "bottom". Unfortunately, it's not really going as planned. Johnny has gone from having a wife and child with a decent job and a car to crashing on couches, sometimes seeing his daughter and leaving his wife with what seems like her only option, divorce. Johnny has overdosed, lost his job and clearly, his life is out of control. One would think that any number of these things would prompt Johnny to see that he needs help to stop abusing drugs and to reach out to get that help. Although Johnny's parents try to do the right thing, they aren't helping. They have bailed him out of jail after he promised to go to rehab, they have been assisting his wife with money to keep Johnny's bills paid and until last month, they were helping Johnny make his car payment. When Johnny needs somewhere to go, his parents will let him crash at their house, all the while hoping he is coming there to get clean.
It is obvious to most that Johnny is not being impacted by the continual loss of the things in his life that used to mean so much to him. It is time for an intervention. The real problem with random bottoms is that we don't get to choose what that bottom will be. It could be a car accident, a fatal overdose, a life lived in prison as a result of a drug related crime, and the list goes on. By participating in an intervention, the family is standing together and saying "we will not help you with your illness any longer, we will only help you in your wellness." Healthy boundaries are set by the family and the addict is presented with this "safe bottom" in a loving, kind way. Each interventionist works with the family to develop a custom strategy for guiding Johnny to the right choice, that choice being treatment. In the end, the choice will be Johnny's alone, but the simple effective way it is presented to him as a result of a professionally guided intervention allows Johnny to see that this option truly is the best option.
If you have a friend or family member that has an addiction, my condolences go out to you. It's definitely not a fun place to be. However, you do not have to sit back and wait for a bottom. Take some control back and give "Johnny" the best gift he'll ever get.

It Didn't Happen Today

As I've blogged about before, I tend to struggle with living in the present. I find myself worried about the future a lot, especially in stressful times, instead of turning my concerns over to God as I have been taught.
So, I went to my homegroup last Friday and was listening to someone talk about this very topic. What she said was that sometimes at the end of the day, it's very helpful to remember that all those worries and concern DIDN'T HAPPEN TODAY. If I'm worried about losing a job, for instance, I can remember that it didn't happen today. All those bad things that are maybes and could happens and might happens DIDN'T HAPPEN TODAY.
What's more, the real lesson that was reiterated to me again was that when I actually take the right action and go to a meeting, I seem to hear exactly what I need to hear. It always ends up that way.

Breaking Down the Wall of Denial Through Intervention

Suboxone: Miracle drug or more of the same?

As you may have heard, there is a new drug that is being used nationwide to assist opiate addicts with their withdrawal symptoms while trying to kick their habit. Buprenorphine hydrochloride, better known by its brand name, Suboxone, is a narcotic that is available for prescription from a regular doctor, as opposed to methadone, which is available only at approved clinics.
What does it do? In simple terms, it alleviates the addict from typical opiate withdrawal symptoms such as body ache, nausea, cravings, insomnia, cold and hot sweats and many other absolutely horrific symptoms. Sounds great, right? Yes and no.
Yes, this is a wonderful new drug when used properly, but like any other narcotic, if misused and abused it too can become addictive.
It is extremely important to remember that opiate addiction is no simple matter. Opiate addicts are still in need of intensive inpatient treatment, with or without Suboxone. The problem we are seeing with this new miracle drug is that doctors are freely prescribing Suboxone to opiate addicts with no program of treatment to go with it. When this happens, not only does the addict transfer addictions from opiates to Suboxone, but many times they are combining this new drug with their already out of control addiction to heroin, Oxycontin, etc. One may see proof of this in the headlines from Google News:

"They allege he stole the prescription medication Suboxone from a residence in Lisbon earlier this month."

"Suboxone is an opiate therapy drug, and “what we’re finding is, just like methadone, it is being widely diverted and sold, just like methadone,” Crandall said, adding that one “can” get high off it."

"Police tell the Patriot-Ledger of Quincy that they raided the home at about 5 p.m. Tuesday and arrested 56-year-old Janet Evans and seized 70 small bags of heroin, Suboxone and Seroquel pills, marijuana, and a small amount of cocaine with a street value of about $1,500."

"Michael Wellman, 48, pleaded guilty to the three charges involving the prescription drugs Vicodin and Suboxone. He was arrested after police investigated the death of Aundrea Benson, 20, who died of a drug overdose in October."

This new epidemic was brought to my attention because as of late, I have been working with a plethora of families who are reaching out to Intervention 911 seeking advice and guidance about a loved one who is on Suboxone, but still seems to have a flourishing addiction. This is because Suboxone is not a miracle drug. Although the withdrawal symptoms may be alleviated for a time or the addict is not using nearly as much of their drug of choice, their addiction and the sickness that accompanies it is still alive and well. This drug is not an effective replacement for treatment and must be used ALONG WITH a program of recovery. Otherwise, we will continue to see what we are seeing now: prolonged addictions and no realistic, life of freedom in sight. A life lived dependent on any chemical is a life lived in bondage.
Our goal at Intervention 911 is to help families free themselves and their loved ones from the ties of addiction. This doesn't mean finding a less harmful alternative to opiates, it means getting to the core of the problem and dealing with the issues that are causing the addict to continue to use.

Dear Ken...

A note from a family member we worked with, which speaks to the effectiveness and overall positive results that were created by doing an intervention.

I would just like to thank Ken for his support and dedication to his
job. It is 5 months since our intervention with Ken and I am proud to
say my husband has been in treatment for 14 days. Ken brought me the
education I needed, the best treatment facility and a caring ear to listen.
Thanks to Ken, my sons will get their father back and I will have my
husband back. Ken is a credit to his profession and the compassion and
support he gives a client goes above and beyond. His dedication to
helping others is amazing. I will always be grateful and advise anyone
who doubts the power of an intervention, then you haven't had it
done by the best. Everyone has a bottom and Ken helped me through that
process. What is the other alternative, death? Ken keep doing what you
do best, one intervention at a time.

Restoration Through Recovery

I look at recovery in the same sense I look at restoration. Allow me to explain.
My sponsor, whom I adore, is thorough. My stepwork involves typically ten typed pages of work. Not all sponsers sponsor this way but mine does. As I go through these steps I am seeing a very clear thread come to fruition. This is the overall thread of restoration.

As I've heard a wise man say, "This is not about making a bad man good. This is about making a good man well." This is incredibly true. Addicts and alcoholics, whether born with a predisposition to addiction or not, were not born to be bad people. The process of becoming addicted and allowing that addiction to become the most important and sometimes the only priority in life is par for the course for an addict. We were born to be well, born to be whole and born to be happy. Anything that veers away from that original design is not part of the original design. The life of an addict is like building a monument. Each resentment, each painful experience in life, each time we are shorted our end of the deal is like placing a brick in the monument. There comes a time when the monument is so big and so daunting it seems insurmountable. Enter hopelessness.
Drug and alcohol treatment is the first step toward loosening the bricks of this monument. With each step taken in honesty and right motives, we are removing a rock from that wall and allowing ourselves to be accessable to the good that lies ahead if we continue walking in recovery.
My sponsor has made it clear that by working the 12 steps, we will find our "true selves" and let go of the "false selves" that addiction has created. I hear families I work with talk about how their loved one just "isn't the same ___________ we used to know." They are right. Only through progressing in sobriety will we find out exactly who we were meant to be. By the time we get sober, the wall between who we are and who we were meant to be is extraordinarilly large.
Once we get into recovery, there are very simple steps that must be taken on a regular basis to keep the monument from being formed again. In addition to working with a sponsor, going to meetings and participating in service to others, there are little things that can have a big impact in the quality of our lives. These things, in my opinion, consist of holding onto anger, negative self talk, ungratefullness and self pity. Each time we pick up the brick of negative confession (speaking negative things about ourselves, our lives or otherwise) we are building our monument. Each time we refuse to see the good that we have in our lives because we are more comfortable in our misery, we are placing a brick in the wall.
Even in sobriety, the wall can become so insurmountalbe, we feel hopeless and even angry. Nothing is so scary as a hopeless sober alcoholic or addict. It simply should not be. We have been restored. We are in recovery. These things alone are a testament to the goodness at play in our lives.
Building a monument of negativity will do much: it will cut us off from peace, it will steal our joy and will make us inaccessable to the "sunlight of the spirit". This sunlight is what allows us to see the good in our life, the good in others and the good works taking place as a result of no longer being spiritually bankrupt. See, through recovery, we are no longer living in the darkness of addiction. There is light, and not just as the end of the tunnel. We no longer have to live in the tunnel at all. By relieving ourselves of the fear, shame, hate and other character defects we discover in ourselves, we are becoming reachable and teachable to our Higher Power and the blessings He so desperately wants to impart to us.
Leave the bricks alone! They will build a monument that cuts us off from the goodness in the world and the gratitude we are to have for this new life we've been given. Take positive steps, create solid positive bricks and build on the foundation that we are creating in our sobriety. Declare positive affirmation, speak positive words and take a moment each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. Simple? Yes. Tedious at times? Yes. Powerful? Bet on it.

The Reality of Meth

This poem was written by a recovering meth addict years ago. This is the reality of the drug and if you or a family member have a problem with meth, please call us right away. This addiction is not going to go away on it's own and needs serious treatment to assist the addict with reclaiming a life of freedom in recovery.


Hello, My Friend

I destroy homes. I tear families apart.
I take children and that’s just a start.
I’m more valued than diamonds, more precious than gold.
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.
If you need me, remember, I’m easily found.
I live all around you, in school and in town.
I live with the rich, I live with the poor.
I live just down the street, and maybe next door.
I’m made in a lab, but not one like you think.
I can be made under the kitchen sink, or in your
Child’s closet, even out in the woods.
If this scares you to death, it certainly should.
I have many names, but there’s one you’ll know best.
I’m sure you’ve heard of me. My name’s Crystal Meth.
My power is awesome. Try me. You’ll see.
But if you do, you may never break free.
Just try me once, I might let you go.
Try me twice and I’ll own your soul.
When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie.
You’ll do what you have to, just to get high.
The crimes you’ll commit for my narcotic charms
Will be worth the pleasure you’ll feel in my arms.
You’ll lie to your mother, you’ll steal from your dad.
When you see their tear, you must not feel sad.
Just forget your morals, and how you were raised.
I’ll be your conscience. I’ll teach you my ways.
I take kids from parents. I take parents from kids.
I turn people from God. I separate friends.
I’ll take everything from you, even your good looks and
Pride. I’ll be with you always, right by your side.
You’ll give up everything. Your family, your home.
Your money, your friends, you’ll be all alone.
I’ll take and I’ll take till you’ve no more to give.
When I finish with you, you’ll be lucky to live.
If you try me, be warned. THIS IS NOT A GAME.
If I’m given the chance, I’ll drive you insane.
I’ll ravage your body. I’ll control your mind.
I’ll own you completely. Your soul will be MINE.
The nightmares I’ll five you when you’re lying in bed,
And the voices you hear from inside your head.
The shakes, the sweats, and the visions you’ll see.
I want you to know, these are your gifts from me.
By then it’s too late, and you’ll know in your heart,
That you are now mine, and we shall not part.
You’ll regret that you tried me. They always do.
But you came to me. Not I to you.
You knew this would happen. How many times were you told?
But you challenged my power. You chose to be bold.
You could have said “no” and just walked away.
If you could live over, now what would you say?
My power is awesome, as I told you before.
I can take your mother and turn her into a whore.
I’ll be your master, you’ll do as I say,
Even when I tell you to go to your grave.
Now that you’ve met me, what will you do?
Will you try me or not? It’s all up to you.
I can show you more misery than words can tell.
Come, take my hand. Let me lead you to hell.

A Solution for Video Game Addiction

Just because an addiction is uncommon or not taken seriously doesn't mean that it isn't just as painful and destructive. Enter Video Game Addiction and yes, there is help.

One of the issues that I've encountered more than once in working with families who have a loved one in the throws of addiction is an addiction to video games. Some people may not consider this a real issue and that it cannot possibly affect someone in the devastating ways that drugs and alcohol do. Not so. In fact this particular addiction can present problems that do not occur in cases involving drugs and alcohol.
First, video games are a form of entertainment and most people know they can be very attractive, possibly relaxing and incredibly entertaining. However, anything, let me say again, anything that is causing someone negative consequences, yet they continue to take part in the behavior, is not healthy and should be examined further. The families I've spoke with while working for Intervention 911 have told me about their loved ones losing jobs, losing friends and significant others as well as watching their finances slowly but surely go down the drain. The unfortunate aspect of video game addiction is that it is not highly regarded as life threatening and so treatment options for this addiction are very few and far between. I would consider anything life threatening if the addict is choosing to partake in the activity instead of shower, eat or even sleep.
Intervention 911 has a solution for this rare but still very serious condition. The In-Home Treatment that is offered is an excellent option for treating this type of problem. Basically, the program of treatment we provide is one where the treatment comes to famiy and the addict. It involves the same types of therapy and education that one could expect from a large facility, yet the treatment itself is tailored for that particular addict alone. It is as private as the family and addict desires, yet is very effective at treating the problem at the source in the very situation in which it takes place. Family groups, one-on-one therapy, meditation, life skills and intensive work on the source of the problem takes place. Guiding the addict in re-entry into society is crucial to the success of this and any treatment program.
I very seriously urge anyone who feels they may not be well suited to the group dynamics, travel or being away from one's job or responsibilities for the length of a treatment program to call us to discuss our Intensive In-Home Treatment Packages.
Don't waste another day. The solution starts here.

Video Introduction to Intervention911 and Ken Seeley

Emotional Sobriety

I sat in a meeting last night and listened to a wheelchair bound man talk. He didn't talk about how much it sucked for him to be handicapped, which he has been for over 17 years, or how much harder it is to stay sober without the use of his legs.
No, he spoke in depth about emotional sobriety.

That's the thing: life without drugs and alcohol is great, really it is. But without a solid program of recovery and spirituality in place, it simply will not be all that it can be. In fact, it may be downright miserable. Recovery is not about putting down the drink or the drug. That is only the beginning. Recovery is about getting inside of yourself, finding out what plagues you and dealing with the issues that make you want to run from reality. Once you can look at those issues and start to walk through them, leaving guilt, anger and blame along the path as you go, the real healing begins. Without a good program of recovery, an addict is left with themselves, and they are still suffering from the sickness. The substances are merely a symptom of the problem and left untreated, that problem will rear its ugly head again and again.
As I listened to "X" speak about emotional sobriety it dawned on me, as it has before, that if this were just about drugs and alcohol, 12 step meetings would be sparse, but they are not. You can walk into a meeting of AA or NA or the like and it will likely be packed. It will be packed with some people who are struggling to stay sober. The majority, though, are people who are struggling with regular life problems. As addicts, we behaved in ways that were shameful, bitter and unhealthy. As addicts in recovery, we are given the option of living differently. We have the choice to use the same survival mechanisms that we used in our addiction or use new ones where we don't get to hurt other people in the process.
That is what emotional sobriety is about. Being clean and sober isn't enough. Being clean and sober within one's heart and mind is more than enough. Getting there demands honesty and hard work.
This same man who was speaking last night once told me: "AA is not for people who need it, not for people who want it, but for people who are willing to work their ass off to get it."