by Elaine Baker, Interventionist

Statistics show that only 20 percent of those afflicted with addiction and other illnesses seek help.

There are a few myths that we often buy into in order to survive, or simply because of lack of information and education about the disease or the state of “dis-ease.”

One such myth is that the person has to want to get better in order to get better.

How does an addict in the throes of their disease really know what they want?  Sometimes a court order for addiction related crimes or the fear of having one’s children taken away is sufficient to scare someone into sobriety for a time.  They end up getting sober and coming to a realization after the fact that they want to be sober, but not initially.

Another one these myths is that they have not hit a bottom. Often we have to raise the bottom to fit the situation. Bottoms are different for different people. There is no comparison chart. Each person is entitled to their own bottom.

Yet another myth about the illness of addictionand when to intervene is that they can beat this through sheer willpower.    If that were the case, then why are they still in the cycle of addiction that they are in?

Please don’t buy into these myths when it comes to getting help for you or your loved one.  Each person’s experience is their own.

copyright 2011 Elaine Baker Interventionist.  All rights reserved