So I often hear commercials for 1-800-Gambler, where you can call to get help for a gambling addiction.
The language used to be, “If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-Gambler.”
Now, they say the following: “If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-Gambler.”
Why the change? It seems to me if someone you know has a gambling problem and DOESN’T want help for it, that’s the biggest problem of all, and that’s when a call to this service would be the most helpful. Or maybe I’m misunderstanding.
Does a service like this provide help only to those with the addiction, or to their loved ones as well?
It’s just a strange addition to me. Making the choice to call dependent on the person’s wanting help is kind of giving them an out. Isn’t addiction often treated by forcible intervention?
No actually, addiction can’t be treated by forcible intervention. People can certainly be forcibly prevented from practicing their addiction. But as soon as you release them from custody, they promptly go back to their old habits.
The only addiction treatment that gets lasting results is when the addict wants to quit but can’t. For that scenario, various helpful stuff can be done to break their physical and mental habits with their knowledge and consent and desire, and help the addict get into something like permanent remission, if not necessarily complete permanent recovery.
In short: Can’t is fixable; Won’t is not.
Which is all separate from the question about help for the immediate family of addicts. Who may themselves need help whether or not the addict is willing to change. For them it amounts to 1) how to cope, 2) how not to get dragged down with the addict, 3) whether to abandon the addict or not, and if and only if the addict is trying to change, 4) how to best help them succeed.
LSLGuy has it perfect. Sid Vicious had friends who forced him to get clean at least a few times. He would immediately leave rehab, get some heroin and get high. You CANNOT help an addict who doesn’t want help.