When someone you love is struggling with substance use, you are often told—directly or indirectly—that you should step back. That helping is enabling and making things worse. That the best thing you can do is confront the denial, detach, wait for rock bottom, or force change with ultimatums. At the Center for Motivation and Change…

For families facing addiction, there are kinder, more effective ways to help—grounded in science, not confrontation. When Families Ask for Help It’s one of the most common questions we hear: “My husband won’t stop drinking—it’s destroying our family. What should I do?” Despite decades of research, the same two answers still dominate: “Go to Al-Anon.”…

When people begin exploring residential treatment, one of the first—and most important—questions is about length of stay. Do I need a month of intensive treatment? Or do I need a more extended stay—three to six months, or even a year—to make fundamental changes?   These are reasonable questions that deserve thoughtful answers. At CMC:Berkshires, we…

When a loved one is struggling with substance use, families often feel desperate to do something.  Many turn to the idea of a traditional intervention: a structured, often urgent effort to push someone into treatment. It’s a standard recommendation from many treatment providers and a model most people have seen on TV. In moments of…

…and why these same tools work for any behavior change. When You Love Someone Who’s Struggling If you love someone who’s misusing substances, you probably want two things: for them to be okay and for things to change. You may also feel overwhelmed, scared, angry, or unsure where to begin. The good news? There’s a…