A Guide to Interventions

If your friend, family member, or loved one is struggling with addiction, substance abuse, or another disorder and either doesn’t seem to recognize his or her problem or refuses to get help, you may want to consider organizing an intervention. Here are a few guidelines and suggestions to aid you in the process. Remember, the best time to initiate an intervention is now—not when the person of concern has hit rock bottom. By giving your loved one a reason to seek help, you could be saving his or her life—and greatly improving your own.

Intervention Basics
An intervention is simply an orchestrated attempt to get someone to seek professional help. During an intervention, family and friends gather together to confront a loved one in a compassionate way, encouraging him or her to seek professional help with alcoholism, drug addiction, or another problem. An intervention team usually includes three to eight people who are important in the life of the loved one.

If you are initiating an intervention, you’ll want to form a group and gather information about your loved one’s problem. You’ll also want to make arrangements to enroll your loved one in a specific treatment program, keeping it confidential. Each group member should write a letter to read during the intervention—the letter should express love and concern as well as detail specific problems brought on by the loved one’s behaviors. The letters should also outline consequences of not accepting treatment, such as asking the person to move out or explaining that he or she will be allowed less contact with certain loved ones.

When the intervention date arrives, the loved one should be asked to the intervention site without revealing the reason. Then the letters are read and a specific treatment option is given, which the loved one is asked to accept on the spot. Keep the tone of the conversation loving and compassionate but powerful—you don’t want to come off as if you’re attacking your loved one, but you still want to get your point across. The intervention shouldn’t last longer than an hour.

Intervention Professionals
You may want to hire an intervention professional if you feel you need additional support. Interventionists can also serve as neutral, unbiased coaches and can even escort your loved one to the treatment facility. You may want to consider using a professional interventionist if your loved one has a history of serious mental illness and/or violence, has previously attempted or talked about suicide, is taking several mood-altering substances, or is prone to significant denial or anger. To find an interventionist, ask for recommendations from a reputable treatment center or online resource.

Ensuring Success
Interventions involve intense emotions and can cause conflict and resentment, so they need to be carefully planned and executed. Here are some tips to help ensure a successful intervention:
1.) Research your loved one’s problem using reputable sources, and make sure each team member is using the same resources.
2.) Appoint one person to act as a liaison for all team members, and ask him or her to hold conference calls or meetings with the team to discuss the progress.
3.) Create a list of tasks to complete and assign at least one task to each team member.
4.) Stage a rehearsal of the intervention with all the team members to decide the order of reading, sitting arrangements, and other details so the actual intervention goes smoothly.
5.) Talk about the objections your loved one might have with the team and write down calm, logical rebuttals so that you are all prepared.
6.) Don’t offer your loved one time to think about accepting treatment—this can lead the person to go into hiding or go on a dangerous binge.

Refusal of Treatment
In some cases, a loved one will refuse the treatment offer and become extremely angry and resentful. You’ll need to prepare yourself for this possible reaction. If treatment is refused, make sure you and your team members follow through on the consequences you warned your loved one about. These can be powerful motivators and may lead your loved one to seek help shortly down the road. Try to remain hopeful and know that while you don’t have control over your loved one’s actions, you do have control over whether you are affected by them.

For more information on interventions visit Addiction Intervention or contact a treatment center.

Tags: intervention, Types of Addiction