Intervention With Drug Addiction
Drug addiction intervention, or intervention with drug addiction, is a process where family and friends come together to encourage the individual to seek help. It’s an intervention because it might be time for them to stop using drugs altogether. We’ll break down what intervention with drug addiction looks like on both sides of the table so you can decide if this is right for your loved one.
Intervention with an addict
*Full disclaimer, we don’t love the word addict as we feel it’s limiting, however we have just used it in this article for the purpose of reach, on Google etc.
So what is an intervention? Here are the basics…
Family members and/or concerned loved ones can employ a trained therapist and interventionist to help the family establish boundaries and convince their loved ones that they need formal help with their addiction.
The interventionist will help the individual to see that maybe their substance use has gotten out of hand and that perhaps it’s a good idea for them to check into treatment and that their loved ones are there to support them. The intervention might be a turning point for the individual and can act as that defining moment that breaks the destructive cycle and helps lead to successful drug addiction treatment admission. However, it’s important to note that interventions are not always successful. If you’re considering this route for your loved one, it’s important to adjust your expectations and try not to judge the success of the outcome on whether or not your loved one books into treatment, but how the event establishes boundaries and a healthier relationship for all involved.
Intervention Specialist for drug addiction
Intervention with drug addiction – what happens during an intervention?
The intervention therapist will often meet with the family members several times before the actual intervention happens to understand the addict’s situation, the family dynamics and what’s important to the person who uses drugs, along with understanding what will motivate them to make a change.
This process allows everyone in the family unit to get on the same page, adjust their expectations and role-play how the intervention may go down so that there are no surprises on the day.
Practicing and role-playing the intervention is super important because conducting an intervention is a highly emotional process and if families haven’t prepared for all the variables, they can become overwhelmed on the day and make decisions and choices that are regrettable in the heat of the moment.
On the day, the intervention is often a surprise to the addict and will often be conducted in the family home or in a setting that is more comfortable for all involved. Throughout the intervention process, the interventionist will facilitate the conversation allowing each member of the family to express their emotions and how they are feeling about the situation. This extreme vulnerability and outpouring of emotion often helps to break through the addict’s denial and they may become more open to receiving help. At that moment, the interventionist will work towards getting the addict to commit to treatment.
The intervention process will vary depending on the addict’s level of addiction and willingness to get help. Typically, an interventionist will work with the family to develop a treatment plan that is tailored specifically for the addict. If the addict agrees to go to treatment, then the interventionist will accompany them and ensure they check in to a facility or program that is most suitable for the individual.
If the addict is unwilling to go, the process is not over, the interventionist will work with the family to find a rehab facility or treatment option that they will commit to.
Again this can be a highly stressful time and often very chaotic. Check out our programs page and if you are looking for a professional interventionist and want some guidance on what might be right for you and your loved one, you can book a free consultation with us using the link below.
www.connectionbasedliving.com/bookcall
What if the intervention doesn’t work?
When it comes to intervention with drug addiction, things may not always go according to plan. If the interventionist feels that the person is not in a state to fully commit to rehab, they will oftentimes recommend what’s called a “holding intervention”. This type of intervention means that the addict will be held at a facility until they are ready to go into treatment. Obviously, you cannot lock people up against their will however this option will be presented as a short stay detox, usually around 7-days or something of that nature. This may seem somewhat insignificant however as the old saying goes, “a lot can happen in a week”.
Often once a person starts to clean up in that week their mindset can shift, emotions can come flooding back that was being pushed down with substances and in these moments a person may actually decide that they need treatment.
As we stated above, it’s important to appropriately adjust your expectations around the outcomes of intervention because after all, we are dealing with a complex issue. All in all, however, most of the families that we have worked with through this intervention process have always said that it has been a positive experience no matter the outcome and led to their loved one getting help, even if that help-seeking wasn’t engaged right away.
Again, this can be a highly stressful time and often very chaotic. If you are looking for a professional interventionist and want some guidance on what might be right for you and your loved one, you can book a free consultation with us using the link below.
www.connectionbasedliving.com/bookcall
We hope that you found this article helpful, and hope that we can connect soon.
