Helping parents, siblings, partners and significant others to get their addicted loved one the help they need to overcome their addiction and other mental health challenges.

Seeing someone you love self-destructing in front of you leaves you feeling powerless.

Most people who ask for assistance with an intervention have tried everything they can to help their loved one. They have threatened, denied and begged for their loved one to get help. Perhaps you can relate. You may feel like giving up and that this is the absolute last time you are going to try and assist.

When a person is stuck in the cycle of addiction, they are unable to stop themselves. They may promise you they will not drink or use drugs again, but inevitably they cannot keep the promise. This is not their fault. Addiction hijacks the brain and even though they want to stop, the compulsion to use is too great. They end up feeling guilt, shame and remorse for their behaviour but are unable to stop on their own.

When pressed into a corner they may become aggressive and blame others for the situation they are in. This process can be traumatic for families and often the family avoids confronting in order to maintain peace in their home.

I can help you and your family discuss different ways to assist your loved one. This can include preparing you as a family to do an intervention to convince your loved one to accept help, and if that does not succeed, we can start a process for involuntary committal to a rehabilitation centre in terms of Section 33 Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse Act 70 of 2008 to start their process of recovery or involuntary admission for psychiatric care in terms of Section 33 of the Mental Heath Care Act 17 of 2002.

How crisis intervention works

We will start off with a 60-90-minute session so I can hear your concerns. I will ask questions and provide guidance based on my experience as to the best way forward with your loved one and your family.

Here’s how it will work step-by-step:

1. First, I provide a safe, accepting space so that you will feel comfortable sharing your struggles with me.
2. Through hearing your story, I will start to get a picture of what your challenges are.
3. We will start with helping you with your immediate concerns like managing difficult emotions and current circumstances.
4. We will discuss the different options available.
5. You decide which course of action you want to take
   1. I will prepare you for the intervention and we will practice it before we invite your loved one.
   2. Alternatively, we can start the involuntary committal process. Which culminates in a court date and your loved one being ordered by the Magistrate to attend and complete a rehabilitation program. The involuntary process also requires follow up with a social worker for a year to monitor your loved one’s progress.

Let’s Get Started Today

Ready to start the process of getting your life back on track and your loved the help he or she needs?

Call me on 083 406 1303 or email me today at hello@mandystokes.co.za. I’m here for you.