Intervention

Okay, so you're concerned. And someone else is in denial? So it's intervention time, right?

Ahahaha. No.

Whenever I'd needed help, it was impossible for me to accept it. Help was a form of judgement and control. Help meant giving up myself. Help meant letting go of all my dearly held "issues". Help was weak, and I was better than that.

I wasn't ready for an intervention. There was no way I would have accepted it and chances were I would have cut whoever was trying out of my life (at least until I got my shit back together [I'm so sorry, doll.]) What it really took was a horrendous series of event culminating in the sketched out revelation that

" this isn't fun anymore. was it ever? "

And it wasn't like:

Image by macieklew; via flickr

But more like:

Image by *Zara; via flickr

And I moved out of the house. And I deleted my dealer's number. And I stopped talking to everyone that still called me "canary" (as long as I did more than them and survived, they were okay; great nickname, huh?) And I learned how to cook. And I got a cat.

I don't think the lesson here is to just let your loved ones be, that they'll figure it out themselves. I hope its more that timing is of the serious essence. I'm sure the people who really cared about me watched me go up and down and felt like they couldn't say anything. But there are small things that can (and did) go a long way.

" I miss you. "

" I love you. "

" I want you to be okay. "

" If you ever need me, I am yours. "

Celebrity Doctors: Miraculous Ability to Diagnose in Absentia shows how easy it is for someone outside the situation (in this case talk-show doctors) to diagnose what the problem is. Although the article is geared towards the arrogance of Dr. Drew and the like, I think I know more than a few arrogant people in my time who wanted to make sure I knew exactly what they thought was wrong. Hell, I'm sure I've been one. Maybe I'm being one now (dundunDUN) ...

7 tips on alcoholism intervention has the essence of it down. The kicker:

" Tune in to your friend’s need and show compassion. It doesn’t help to accuse "

Trading a video-game obsession for school books from the Globe and Mail follows the classic video game addiction line (thrown in with a bit of "boys suck at school" pfft), but illustrates the positivity of having supportive people in your life, whatever role. I really believe that this is

essential to recovery and successful "intervention."

I really do believe that intervention is a gradual thing. The idea of a room filled with my peers telling me how much I hurt them would have sent me back to my dealer's place with $60. But having people in my life who are there for me, are willing to pick me up off the kitchen floor and get me a coffee and sincerely want to help makes me want to be better. And yea, having a list of numbers I could call to talk to someone on your phone so no one else in the house could hear me crying, that helped a lot.