SSyynneerrggyy BBrreeaakktthhrroouugghhss IInntteerrvveennee An Emergency Guide to Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism Step One of Ten Synergy Breakthroughs Henderson, Nevada [email protected] 303-400-8875 | 702-560-7196 Copyright ©2012 by Synergy Breakthroughs. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This is unpublished proprietary data of Synergy Breakthroughs protected under Federal Copyright Laws. The material contained herein is proprietary and confidential being exclusively owned by Synergy Breakthroughs. Any use, duplication, or disclosure not authorized by Synergy Breakthroughs is prohibited. SSyynneerrggyy Intervene: An Emergency Guide to BBrreeaakkttthhrroouugghhsss Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism Learn About Definitions, Steps and Stages Introduction The information in this program is not intended to be taken or interpreted as medical advice or advice of any other type – for medical or other advice, please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional. Most of what I’m going to say will be based on research. So if you don’t agree, please don’t shoot the messenger! This program will include information on AA, but it will not be about AA. My intention was not to provide one answer, but a smorgasbord of information from which you could tailor your own solutions. And, one final thing: Please have patience and hang in there as we cover this topic. For example, there will be times when you may think I’m saying that genetics is a big deal, and other times when you may think I’m saying it’s not – but try to take all of this with a grain of salt, because there are opposing views on many of these topics. I am trying to give everything its fair due so that, in the end, you can make your own choices. As for my background, I have a degree in Psychology and Masters’ degrees in Education and Organizational Behavior, and I have spent my career mostly as a trainer and technical writer. But my background in alcoholism and addiction is from self-study. Like you, I wanted answers and set out to find them. So I have done my best to find, interpret, and provide information, and I hope to make you aware of lots of tools and information; but, for medical or other advice, please contact a qualified healthcare professional. OK, let’s get started . Heavy drinking and alcoholism do not occur in a vacuum, and these problems are not resolved in a vacuum, either. I believe that, as the popular saying goes, “We are the change we’ve been waiting for” – and this means you, me, and the drinker. I’d like to start out by giving you a little background on me. I came from a family of heavy social drinkers, and my sister married into a family of social drinkers. Out of that marriage came my nephew, Ray, a precious baby that I To learn how you can help turn this program into a book that will assist families of alcoholics, go to https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/bYjG0 SSyynneerrggyy Intervene: An Emergency Guide to BBrreeaakkttthhrroouugghhsss Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism bounced on my knee and developed a special relationship with, as the years went by. I believe that, generally, too much alcohol will eventually make things difficult for almost everyone, and statistics indicate that one out of every two Americans is affected in some way by alcoholism. It was particularly hard on my nephew. However, we were trying to follow the prevailing wisdom – or so we thought – that said, “Wait ‘til they hit rock bottom” and “You can’t help them until they ask for help.” At the same time, this felt uncomfortable. I remember once, when my sister said to me, “This is counterintuitive to what a mother would do. If you’re a mother and your child gets hurt, you run and help him. This is like the opposite.” Imagine our shock when we found out that this actually was NOT the prevailing wisdom – even though we had been told this by so-called experts. I’d like to quote former presidential candidate and Senator George McGovern, in the Preface to the book, Love First, about his daughter: “During the years of Terry’s drinking, with its frequently sad results, she did seek help in treatment, counseling and Alcoholics Anonymous programs. But we were repeatedly told by well-meaning, supposedly informed friends that we would have to wait until Terry really “hit bottom.” The trouble is that when she ‘hit bottom,’ she died.” So heavy drinking and alcoholism can be very slippery slopes, and drinkers are sometimes at the bottom of these slopes. And if you leave the heavy drinker or alcoholic to face these challenges alone, I believe that you may be asking for a lot more trouble and heartache down the road. This is precisely why I created this teleconference/webinar – to learn, to share knowledge and solutions, and to brainstorm solutions with each other. As a friend of mine likes to say, “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.” Sometimes this journey is like being lost in a dark forest, and maybe some of you can relate to that. I know this was true for me and my sister. But you can be the person in the dark forest, not seeing the forest for the trees, or you can be in the helicopter above, with the navigation equipment, the searchlight, and the view of the whole forest. This is what this program aims to be for the topics of heavy drinking and alcoholism. You can find answers and solutions, and they can make a difference! It was too late for me and my sister, but I hope it won’t be too late for you. You may have figured out by now that the two greatest myths about alcoholism are: “You have to wait ‘til they hit rock bottom” and “You have to To learn how you can help turn this program into a book that will assist families of alcoholics, go to https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/bYjG0 SSyynneerrggyy Intervene: An Emergency Guide to BBrreeaakkttthhrroouugghhsss Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism wait ‘til they ask for help.” These are brutal philosophies that an evolved civilization does not follow willingly. Experts in the field of addiction do NOT support this philosophy, even though you might hear it from a medical or other health professional. There are many health professionals who do not know much about alcoholism, and we will discuss this later. You may even talk to some long-time AAers who support this philosophy – perhaps because they have become habituated to the idea of alcoholics being abandoned by everyone except AA. But the tide started turning over10 years ago, and we will be covering at least some of the information and approaches that have evolved over the years. This program is basically designed to be a roadmap of STEPS to take when problems arise due to heavy drinking or alcoholism. In addition, we’ll look at STAGES of heavy drinking and alcoholism, how each stage may AFFECT this roadmap of steps, and what this may mean as far as modifying the steps, or changing your response to a given situation. In the early stages, problems are less noticeable, and your days may pass, as usual. But in the later stages, problems may be overwhelming and you may feel that you’re racing against the clock. Because alcoholism is a progressive and fatal disease, your drinker may even die. The latter is what I am hoping the knowledge from this program will help to prevent. Overview Let me give you an overview of the modules of this program: Step One: LEARN ABOUT THE DEFINITIONS, STAGES, AND STEPS OF DRINKING.In this step, we’ll look at definitions, stages, and steps related to drinking, how the stages are related to the steps, and how this may apply to you and your drinker. We’ll also look at what I mean when I say this is an emergency guide, why the clock is ticking, and why, if you didn’t need to spring into action yesterday, you may need to spring into action today. Step Two: KNOW ABOUT THE RISK FACTORS, HEALTH COMPLICATIONS, HEALTH INSURANCE, AND LASTLY ASSESSMENTS FOR DRINKING. We’ll look at the risk factors of alcoholism, health complications of alcoholism, assessments for alcohol abuse and alcoholism, the ins and outs of health insurance, and why it is so important to check into health insurance BEFORE your drinker receives a medical diagnosis (IF you can do that SAFELY), and what you can do if the drinker has no insurance or can’t get insurance. Step Three: INTERACT AND COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY. We’ll clarify terms like “enabling” and “co-dependence,” learn what enabling is, and what To learn how you can help turn this program into a book that will assist families of alcoholics, go to https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/bYjG0 SSyynneerrggyy Intervene: An Emergency Guide to BBrreeaakkttthhrroouugghhsss Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism it is NOT, and look at better ways to interact and communicate that can lead to successful outcomes for you and your drinker. Step Four: BE PREPARED FOR CRISIS SITUATIONS. We’ll talk about and brainstorm how to handle crisis situations with your drinker. There are many kinds of crisis situations, and each of them is unique. Step Five: UNDERSTAND DETOX, INTERVENTION, AND TREATMENT MODELS. We’ll be looking at the detoxification process, different intervention models, and treatment models or belief systems that drive people in the direction of certain kinds of treatments. This will really help to give you a bird’s eye view of the treatment landscape, and why people feel and act so differently from others when it comes to treatment.