Intervention? Is it helpful?

[bleep]

Greetings all,

Someone I know is writing a thesis, the topic of which is:

"Do interventions delivered in hospital to heavy drinkers in hospital have any impact. And do hospitals screens effectively for heavy drinkers?"

Although documentary, and not anecdotal evidence, is required, it would be helpful if you'd give your views.

I'll chime in with mine after a few people have given theirs, I don't want to sway anything.

Many thanks!

EDIT: You're in hospital, not because you are about to die from alcohol abuse, but because perhaps you broke your arm when you fell over drunk. Does the hospital see the problem for what it is, do they act, and is it helpful?

If you wouldn't mind saying what country you are from, that would help, as local culture plays a big role in this sort of thing.

[Struggles 106]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Here in the US the answer would most likely be no. The attending physician would only have a medical history provided by the patient or family. So even IF the doc knew that alcoholism was involved (or alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, or whatever you want to call it) there would be variables.
In my experience working in hospitals there would be recommendations like AA, possibly medications, but an intervention? No.
THere may be a serious disussion about continued drinking and it's consequences but I don;t consider that an intervention.
Could be different in the UK; the Rain in my Heart documentary showed a different way of doing things. Eight free weeks in hospital for detox etc is not going to happen here.

Just my $ .02

[bleep]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Thanks Ann.

I think I need to clarify something quickly - by intervention, the person isn't meaning it in the sense of that TV series, where it's a massive sit-down affair. The question originates from the UK, and intervention can mean anything as small as alerting someone via a pamphlet. In terms of the question, it relates to perhaps sitting down with the person, and gently alerting them to the fact that a problem potentially exists.

[Nelz]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Well, to be honest, it was an AL induced trip to the hospital that brought my illustrious drinking career to an end.

When I came around in the ICU unit, I was visited by an addiction counselor. She did her job and was very pleasant and nice....kinda like the car salesman trying to become your best friend.

She finally got me to admit that I had a problem with AL, and asked me if I was interested in seeking some sort of help. I thought about it for a minute or two, and politely told her, I was not interested.

Enter counselor number 2. This one was quite a bit more "cold" and very direct, almost what I would call mean. She asked me the same questions the "nice" one did. We finished up the questions and she left.

Now, counselor number 1 comes back in and tells me we have a problem. I was in the hospital for an incident that looked very much like a self harming incident but in all honesty it wasnt. Number 1 had informed me, I would not be leaving that hospital bed anytime soon, and if I tried they would call the police and have me returned.

Im pretty convinced they were playing good cop/bad cop on me........and to be honest, I can now see how effective that technique is. Then came the worst part, the isolation. I didnt have my cell phone, or a hospital phone in the room, so I couldnt even call anyone if I wanted.

I was convinced I was going to lose my business and my wife, and was totally powerless to do anything.

A wave of fear like no other washed over me, and would not leave, that fear so intense, that your mouth completely dries out, your butt slams shut, and you can hear your stomach doing flips.

It was at that moment that I decided AL and I needed to end our relationship.

So in answer to your question, in my case, YES the intervention worked, because without the two ladies doing their job, I might still be slowly killing myself with poison.


If the person doing the research, would like to contact me and discuss the incident, I would be more than happy to answer, any and all questions, I really have nothing to hide, its actually very therapeutic for me.

[Supercrew]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

An intervention will only work if the problem drinker is ready to take action to quit drinking. Many people don't realize they really have a problem even when someone else points it out. Once you realize you have a problem on your own but you aren't sure what to do, then an intervention occurs it will probably be successful.

Many problem drinkers will be blind to the fact that they have a problem even if it puts them in the hospital and someone is saying, "you have a problem", because until they are ready to change they don't want to hear the truth. I know because I was blind to it for a long time.

[SKendall]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

I so agree S.C. I would promise family to quit, but already my head would be thinking of sneaky strategies. It has to come from self, although some sobriety time leads to more sensible thinking.

[RingingCedars]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

I agree that an intervention only works when one is ready to take action. However, I had a near fatal accident that was really a combination of things but al was involved and the surgeon that I saw recognized I also had bone loss in my cervical vertebrae via the cat scan. He told me that I should stop drinking in a very friendly manner because one he never wanted to see me for similar circumstances again and it would accelerate the bone loss. That still wasn't enough because the underlying reason for my drinking was still in full force. So, I would say that helpful intervention would be discovery of why a person is drinking and providing resources to deal with that. This, of course, may not be the solution for everyone but I believe it could stop alot of people from continuing down the slippery slope.

[bleep]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Many thanks for the responses.

I don't reckon it would be all that helpful, unless you got lucky, and caught the person at just the right moment/used the right phrase, etc. Something would really have to click for it to have any effect, and the chances are pretty low, I think.

[brittzak]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

I agree, I have been yelled at by my kids, disappointed people I loved dearly, but until I was ready to quit...I didnt

[Doggygirl]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Ann 221;1254736 wrote: Here in the US the answer would most likely be no. The attending physician would only have a medical history provided by the patient or family. So even IF the doc knew that alcoholism was involved (or alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, or whatever you want to call it) there would be variables.
In my experience working in hospitals there would be recommendations like AA, possibly medications, but an intervention? No.
THere may be a serious disussion about continued drinking and it's consequences but I don;t consider that an intervention.Could be different in the UK; the Rain in my Heart documentary showed a different way of doing things. Eight free weeks in hospital for detox etc is not going to happen here.

Just my $ .02

Actually, that is considered a Brief Intervention.

What they are teaching in addiction counseling classes these days is that over the long haul, brief interventions have been studied and are effective from the stand point that after hearing it enough times, people eventually take action more than they do if no brief intervention takes place. It is estimated that something like 70% (that might not be right off the top of my head - but it's a high percentage) of hospital emergencies involve drugs or alcohol, so there is a huge opportunity there for research.

Can't say whether it's true from first hand experience, but the research says brief intervention is effective compared to no intervention.

DG

[bleep]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Hi DG,

Any idea where I can lay my mits on that research?

[Guest]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Hey don't I know you?!?

bleep;1254729 wrote: Greetings all,

Someone I know is writing a thesis, the topic of which is:

"Do interventions delivered in hospital to heavy drinkers in hospital have any impact. And do hospitals screens effectively for heavy drinkers?"

Although documentary, and not anecdotal evidence, is required, it would be helpful if you'd give your views.

I'll chime in with mine after a few people have given theirs, I don't want to sway anything.

Many thanks!

EDIT: You're in hospital, not because you are about to die from alcohol abuse, but because perhaps you broke your arm when you fell over drunk. Does the hospital see the problem for what it is, do they act, and is it helpful?

If you wouldn't mind saying what country you are from, that would help, as local culture plays a big role in this sort of thing.

hiya bleep.....Pretty sure i know you and pretty sure you know me! Did you check your email for my latest update about my med change??

And...can't get on baclfen forum...but need to cause all of a sudden I am getting zillions of junk emails...and must get to bac forum to change my "options"!! Worried that the junk emails are gonna open up a virus!!! sorry this isn't about your discussion....just checking to see if this is "you".....panda (psh)

[JackieClaire]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Hi Bleep,

I volunteer with a Drug and Alcohol project and just finished training to be an IBA advisor and just awaiting my accreditation certificate.

Hopefully this may be of some help.

What is alcohol intervention and brief advice? | NHS local

[bleep]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Hi Panda,

This is indeed me! That said, however, I have a feeling that you're after a different me than me.

A couple of he online pharmacies are known for selling your email address to spammers, I definitely wouldn't open any attachments from them.

[bleep]

Intervention? Is it helpful?

Hi JC, we cross posted...

Many thanks, I'll have a look!