Interlock or Soberlink - Which Alcohol Monitoring System is Better for Treating Alcoholism?

Interlock device or Soberlink device? Which one is right for your situation? By the end of this video, you're gonna know the answer to that question. For those of you who are new here, welcome to Put the Shovel Down. I'm Amber Hollingsworth, and this YouTube channel is all about helping you understand the science and psychology of addiction so you can get your family and your life back on track. Get back out there and live the life that you want to live. I want you to know you are not powerless. You do not have to hit rock bottom. And there many things you can do to help an addicted loved one. Okay, before we go much further, I do feel like I need to tell you in all honesty that this YouTube channel is sponsored by Soberlink. But I want you to know I've been using Soberlink with my clients for years and years and years, like, way long before I ever had a YouTube channel. And I'm a huge fan. But besides that, I'm still going to give you my objective opinion about both of these devices, because I do think that each one has pros and cons, and each one fits a slightly different situation. And I want you to make an informed decision about what's right for you. Probably the most natural place to start is to tell you exactly what an interlock device is. And a soberlink device is. You may have heard of one of those, but you might not know about the other. So an interlock device is the alcohol breathalyzing device that gets installed into your car. And the car doesn't start until you've taken a blood alcohol test. Like, you blow into the thing and you pass it. Once you do that, then you can start your car. Now, it's not just for when you start the car. You actually have to continue to take breathalyzing tests as you drive down the road. A lot of my clients call this the blow and go. Most of the time, people are getting an interlock device after some kind of legal issue like a DUI or something like that. Now, a soberlink is also a breathalyzing device, but it's not attached to your car. When you use soberlink, you actually get tested, usually between two and three times a day on a schedule. A schedule that you know exactly when you're going to be tested, because you and your support person comes up with that schedule. So when it's time for you to take your test, then you get a text message that comes to your phone that reminds you that you've got a test. Like, for example, if you have a test at 5 o' clock in the evening, you'll get a text message at 4:45 that says, hey, don't forget your 5:00 clock test. And then you have an hour window to take it. So you would have all the way up to 6 o'. Clock. So really you kind of have like an hour and 15 minutes, which is one of the things I really like about soberlink, because you have the flexibility, which is what makes it doable in a real life situation. Now, if you're late on your test or you miss it, or you get a positive, then your support person that you've identified will get a text message that lets them know what's going on. And you might be thinking, well, what if you cheat your test, Amber? Well, that's another thing I like about SilverLink, because they're five steps ahead. It's got facial recognition in it, so there's not a whole lot of cheating. It kind of like the facial recognition on your phone doesn't open unless it's your face. But let's get into the question to help you figure out which one is right for you. I think that if the main concern is driving while intoxicated, the interlock is your better option. Because SilverLink doesn't prevent your car from starting and Interlock does. So it goes a long way to making sure that you can't drink while intoxicated. But if the concern are broader than just the driving while drinking and you're concerned about an alcohol use disorder or alcoholism, then you may want to consider soberlink. I've had plenty of clients that were on Interlocks who were drinking plenty, but they just didn't drink and drive, which I do think is a step in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, but my clients who are on Soberlink are actually trying to conquer alcoholism, as in they're trying not to drink because it's a preventative option. SoberLink actually makes it easier to stay sober in two huge ways. The first way it makes it easier to stay sober is because it takes drinking off the table. If you know you're going to be tested three times a day and it's going to take your picture while it does it, then you know you're not going to get away with the drinking. So it takes it off the table and you don't have to make the decision over and over again to stay sober. You don't have to go through this, will I wanna. My spouse will be gone for three hours. I'll just drink a couple beers. You don't have to do all that, which means you're gonna have a lot less cravings, and you can put all that energy and focus in some other direction. Now, the second way soberly makes staying sober much easier is because it helps the family let their guard down. They know it's being handled, it's being watched, and so stop all the surveillance and the smell checks and the checking up behind you and the questioning you when you walk through the door, they can quit doing all that because they don't have to do that anymore. It's been handled by Soberlink, and that makes a huge difference for you. Means when you need to go to the store or you want to go to an event or maybe you even have, like, a business trip you have to take, your family can feel calmer and more relaxed about it. So ultimately, soberlink gives you a lot more freedom and flexibility. Now, both of these devices can create a report that you can take to court for various reasons. So they're both really helpful in that way. So if it's just driving, that's the issue. Interlock is probably your best bet. But if you're trying to build trust and conquer an alcohol use disorder, then soberlink is probably your best option. I've actually got a story to tell you about both of these options. Now, the first time I ever saw an interlock device, like, in real life was with a client. Actually, I had a client who had been soberlink for a really long time and had been doing really well with it, no issues. But she had previously had some legal issues related to driving. And part of what she had to do was get this interlock device. This particular client had extreme social anxiety. I mean, way worse than the normal kind of social anxiety. She was very nervous about going in public and having conversations. So the idea of showing up to the place to get this thing installed and asking for it to be installed in the car felt very, very intimidating. In fact, it felt so intimidating that I actually went along with her because she was just that nervous. So we show up to the place. I'm actually sitting in the waiting room with her. We're waiting for this thing to get installed, and it takes a good while for it to get installed. But then they call you out there, they tell you how it works, and of course, they want you to take a test to make sure that you're good to go, you know how to do it, everything's working properly. Well, my client could not get the thing to activate. You have to breathe into it a certain way for a Certain length of time. And I. You even had to hum as you breathe into it. So it's not some kind of alternative air source. So it requires a bit of coordination and some practice. And this client just couldn't get enough breath to make the car start. And so her social anxiety was going crazy. My anxiety was really getting up at this point. I'm, like, sweating because I'm anxious and nervous for her. And, you know, because you're sitting there like the mechanics people, they're watching you do it. It's just awkward. It's a little uncomfortable. But she just can't get the test to take. And I know she's not been drinking because I've been sitting with her in the lobby for an hour or two at that point. And she takes the soberlink test, so I know that she's not drinking. So I know that's not why the test isn't working. So we're standing there, she's trying to blow into it. She's tried several times. It's awkward. I can see her sweating bullets. I'm beginning to sweat bullets. So I say, hey, let me give it a try. Maybe I can see if I can do it. So I hop into the seat there and I take the test. And I don't get it on the first time, but I eventually do get it. I can't remember if it was the second or third time after I practiced. A couple times I did get it to start, but my client never was able to get the interlock device to work for her more than just a few times, which resulted in her not being able to drive herself places. Now, that's not the case in most situations. I'm not telling you that to say that you can't do the interlock or it doesn't work. I'm just telling you that because it's my first experience with interlock. I've had many other clients on interlock devices, and they're able to use it, although they do say that it is pretty highly sensitive and that even if you drank the night before, if you have to go somewhere in the morning, that you can't drink the night before because it'll still pick it up. So it's pretty legit. Now, my first experience using the SilverLink device was with a client who was actually in a fraternity. Like, I think maybe he was even, like, president of the fraternity or something, and he had gotten himself in some trouble. I think he had gotten himself a dui. And that's how he landed in my office. And if I remember right. I don't think it was the first one. And so he and his family, they were looking for some solutions. And I was researching, like, recovery monitoring systems, and that's how I came across SilverLink. And so I talked to him about it. I said, hey, I found this. Would you like to try it? I think it might be a really good option. And he and his family decided it was a good option for him. So I ordered it and it came in and we got him set up. I just want you to take a second here and just really imagine this. This is a college student, like a junior or senior, maybe a senior in college. And he was in a fraternity, and he definitely held some kind of position in the fraternity. I don't know if it was vice president, treasurer, president was something who is on a sober link. And because it takes your picture. It was kind of funny because he would purposefully take his picture in front of, like, certain signs or certain places. Kind of like, here I am sober at the ball game. Here I am sober in the. In this city or in that state. Here I am sober at Christmas. And it was kind of like our thing. Sort of like it was his Instagram picture to prove that he was sober. Now, those are just my experiences with these devices. I'll put links in the description so you can learn more.