AIR IN THE NEWS
The Morning Show, January 8, 2004
ROXANE BATTLE: Welcome back to Kare11 today. If you or someone you love has struggled with an addiction, you know all too well that taking that first step towards recovery can be a bit overwhelming.
This morning, Andrew Wainwright, the executive director of Addiction Intervention Resources, is here with us this morning to share some expert advice on how to start that intervention. Andrew, thank you so much for being here.
ANDREW WAINWRIGHT: Thank you, Roxane.
ROXANE: This is the time of year when really people are starting to start fresh, they want to put their best foot forward, start anew, and one of those things is to break the cycle of addiction, something that you know about first hand.
ANDREW: Sure, you know, my story is I've been sober for seven years, and the reason for that is that seven years ago, my family had the courage to step in and intervene in the process of my disease, and due to that courage, they got me help, they sent me to treatment, and I get to be sober because they had that courage that long ago.
ROXANE: You struggled both with alcohol and drugs.
ANDREW: I did.
ROXANE: Did you know you had a problem?
ANDREW: I knew I had a problem, I didn't know what the solution was, and I think that most folks out there struggling, that is their problem. They recognize that things aren't all that they could be; they have no idea what to do and how to fix it. So, when families step in and they say we recognize there's a problem too and we want to go look for the solution, I think that's were we're able to help. We step in and make those solutions available.
ROXANE: Recognize that there's a problem. Oh, I'm only just going to stop at one.
Oh, I only drink on weekends. Oh, I drink beer instead of vodka so I don't have a problem. You have a problem.
ANDREW: Well, I think there are certain signs that tell you if there's a problem, or if you're watching family or friends or coworkers and see if they're using more, they're using more frequently, they're attempting to control it, it's affecting other parts of their life, like work, like home life, consequences are piling up… I think when we start to see those things, then I don't think it's time to say you have an addiction or make an assessment on your own, but it is time to say, something's changed in here, there's a problem, let's at least take a look at what the problem is, the same way if you're limping around or have a bad cold that won't go away, you going to go to the doctor and look at it.
ROXANE: Do people go kicking and screaming towards intervention?
ANDREW: Well, I think the whole idea of intervention is frightening for folks; I think it comes loaded with a lot of history. The reality is, it's a very loving and caring family meeting is more of a way to come at it. And in the business situation, same sort of idea, we're going to do this with as much grace and dignity as we can to give folks the opportunity to make choices on their own.
ROXANE: Grace and dignity - you've got to like those two words.
ANDREW: I hope.
ROXANE: All right, so the five steps to intervene for someone you love who may be struggling with addiction, the first thing is talk about it - talk to family and friends.
ANDREW: Right, I think if you see something and you start to think, am I crazy? Or, am I really seeing what I'm seeing? Talk to other folks; see if they see the same thing. Begin to form a coalition so that there's other folks on your side, say we all see the same thing, we all recognize that there's a problem, let's work together to get some help.
ROXANE: How then, Andrew, do you deal with what may be inevitable resentment from the person who's struggling with that addiction? "You guys are all ganging up on me!" is a common reaction.
ANDREW: Sure. I think the idea here is that this is a progressive, chronic, and potentially fatal disease, and if left unchecked, folks are going to die, or the consequences are absolutely dire, so at the end of the day, it's incumbent upon us to have that difficult conversation and if I was the one who was sick, I'd want you to have it with me.
ROXANE: All right… get educated… in what way?
ANDREW: Do as much work as you can. I think the Internet is a great place to start. Go out there and learn about addictions, learn about how we treat addictions these days. If you have insurance, take a look at what your insurance covers. Learn about recovery. There's a lot of good information out there and the more you know, the better you're able to address the situation.
ROXANE: That's right, because the cost too is covered in some cases through certain insurance plans.
ANDREW: I think that, you know, not 100% yet, and we're working towards that goal, but I think it's absolutely worth the call to your insurance company saying, this person in my life is struggling, this is our insurance, what can you do to help?
ROXANE: Then you say, make a decision. What type of decision?
ANDREW: I think for everybody, it's really important to say in your own mind, "I can't go back from this day." Things have gotten to the place where it's no longer possible for me to live this way, or watch this person struggle, and I have a responsibility moving forward from today to commit to a decision to get them help.
ROXANE: Enlist professional help.
ANDREW: Well, organizations like ours; our group is Addiction Intervention Resources.
ROXANE: Addiction Intervention Resources?
ANDREW: Yes, we're the nation's leading crisis addiction company, this is what we do, we're a crisis consulting company that deals with addictions for families and organizations who's struggling with addictions in their homes and offices.
So we spend most of our day on the phone talking to individuals who say, this is what I have going on, and we work really hard to put solutions in place for them.
ROXANE: Solutions as part of that intervention plan, and that's your final tip is to work the plan.
ANDREW: Right, if we move forward with whatever the plan happens to be, especially if there's an intervention, recognize that this is a process, not an event, which means, working over the long haul, which means weeks, maybe months, rather than just a single day.
ROXANE: How different would your life be right now, Andrew, if your family hadn't intervened with your addiction seven years ago?
ANDREW: You know, I couldn't even tell you, but I can tell you how great my life is today by virtue of that single effort that my mother had the courage to make a phone call to say I need help to deal with the situation, and that puts me with you here today, for which I'm very grateful for.
ROXANE: And you like your life!
ANDREW: I do.
ROXANE: Thank you so much for the encouraging information. Andrew Wainwright with Addiction Intervention Resources. For more information, you can contact Addiction Intervention Resources. There's a 1-800 number, toll-free, 1-800-561-8158, and a great place to start would also be their website, addictionintervention.com.