Invite Intervention
“These are not bad people trying to get good, these are sick people needing to get well,” says Vincent Casolaro, an addiction specialist and cofounder of Casolaro and Smith in new York City. Casolaro focuses on a gentle approach, starting with intervention. “We invite people to change,” he says. “We don’t force them to change.” The process starts with a phone call, inviting the individual and family members to attend a group session, during which they share their history of substance abuse, ask questions and decide if they want to move forward with recovery. Once a patient is on board, Casolaro tailors a treatment plan for the individual and a plan for family members to support the recovery process.

A Three-Part Approach
“There is no one-size-fits-all treatment,” says Victor Carpoccio, program director of Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap at Open Society Foundations in new York City. The program uses a variety of approaches: medication (such as naltrexone to reduce alcohol cravings), clinical intervention (such as weekly group counseling) and patient self-management (actively keeping up with the first two). “This is a chronic health condition,” Carpoccio says. “Continuing care is crucial.”

Dual Diagnosis
“Most addicts suffer from addiction as well as a mental-health issue, such as an anxiety disorder or depression,” says Craig Benoit, director of professional relations at Challenges treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “The most effective treatment for substance abuse starts with a medical detox to get the drugs out of their system. next, there’s a thirty-to-ninety-day stay at a residential facility.” There, a patient receives a bio/psycho/social history report and a customized program to treat the addiction and any psychological issues. Benoit recommends at least a year of aftercare.

Resources

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935, is a fellowship that considers alcoholism a disease. There are no dues or fees. To find a meeting in your area, visit aa.org.

Al-Anon/Alateen has been a support group for friends and families of alcoholics for more than 55 years. To find a meeting—available in 115 countries—visit al-anon.alateen.org or call 888-4AL-ANON toll-free.
Alcoholism Center for Women hosts a residential program and out-participant services in English and Spanish for up to 12 months. There are also prevention programs for high-risk adolescents and youth (alcoholismcenterforwomen.org).

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics aims to eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families by distributing videos and booklets to spread awareness (888-554-COAS, nacoa.org).