Plan An Intervention For A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Food
Posted on: 26 February 2018
When many people think about hosting an intervention for someone who is struggling with addiction, they picture a scenario in which the individual is addicted to drugs or alcohol. One of the useful things about the addiction process is that it can compel anyone with any type of addiction to get professional help. Perhaps you know someone who doesn't use drugs or alcohol but has an addiction to food. A food addiction might not initially seem as serious as a drug or alcohol addiction, but it can be highly disruptive to the person's life and threaten his or her health. If you plan to move forward with an intervention of this nature, be sure to get these messages across.
Concern Over Long-Term Health
Regardless of the type of food addiction to the person in your life is contending with, there's a strong probability that it will negatively impact his or her health in time. Make sure that you and the other family members and friends share your concerns. For example, if someone is addicted to eating junk food, you may wish to emphasize that you're worried that his or her obesity will get out of control to the point that cardiovascular disease takes the person's life.
Sadness Over Dignity
An intervention is an opportunity for you and the other participants to express the emotions that you experience when watching the person in your life struggling with his or her addiction to food. Another point on which to touch may relate to your sadness over the person's dignity. By using specific examples, you can make this point come to life. Perhaps the addict often eats until he or she vomits, and then feels highly embarrassed — and you feel sad for him or her. Or, maybe the person's excessive eating habits have pushed away friends, and that makes you sad.
Distress About The Toll
As with other addictions, an addiction to food can take a serious toll on the person's life. A once-active person may gain so much weight as a result of his or her addiction to food that he or she can no longer work out or enjoy previous athletic pursuits. The person may also be unable or unwilling to work because he or she would rather be isolated and eat unhealthy foods. By making the above points in a clear and neutral manner, the intervention will have a significant impact — and will hopefully compel the addict to get treatment.
For more information on addiction intervention, contact a local intervention clinic.
Share