Typically the person with an addiction is one who has a temperament that tends to be more sensitive than another person’s. I don’t mean that if you are not an addict that you are not as sensitive as they are, but rather that this is one of the contributing factors to their disease process. They are sensitive people and there is some pain that they are trying to compensate for by the use of their addiction. It is by understanding this that we can help them heal from their illness.
Sometimes just the knowledge that there may be an emotional component to the healing process is enough to get some into treatment. In this instance, individual therapy is a good place to start, along with support groups. For those of you dealing with an addict in your midst, though, that may not be enough. If a drug or alcohol addiction is present, entering a Christian treatment facility may be necessary.
It is also by understanding the big heart of the addicted person that the interventionist approaches the person. The interventionist is a person hired by the concerned people around the addict who want to see the destructive behavior stopped. He or she coaches the loved ones on how to approach the addicted one and is present during the “confrontation process,” gently guiding them through the process of explaining to the loved one why they want him or her to get the help they need. Due to the sensitivity of this event, it is necessary to have a professional interventionist, as it is almost impossible for the loved ones to do it themselves. This approach is most commonly seen in the chemical dependency environment.
We need these people who are struggling with addictions of various sorts in our community. They have so much to contribute and are often very bright, but they would be so much more free to offer what they have to us if they were free from the bondage they are under.
– Patricia, a New Life Network Counselor
