I have worked with many families struggling to understand their loved one's situation, where it is headed, and how to help them. I always start by trying to understand what it has taken to get to where they are right now. What's happened up to this point can often be the best predictor for what may happen in the future.
Above is a chart that I often draw on the whiteboard in my office to show the continued effort of a person battling addiction, with the peaks and valleys over the years. I use this chart to help explain to families that there is clearly a desire to address the situation - otherwise, the chart would be a straight-line angling down, with no peaks or valleys. The continued attempts at treatment, shown by the peaks, outline the history of effort and the predictive nature of this cycle. It shows the repetitive approach taken by a struggling addict or alcoholic to get help without lasting success.
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Key ideas in this chapter
- Using addiction history to predict future patterns
- The repetitive cycle of peaks and valleys in addiction
- Breaking the cycle of trying the same failed approaches
- Gaining perspective by looking at the whole picture
"History is taught in our schools as a way to prevent our children from repeating past mistakes."