Addiction Intervention: A Guide On What to Expect

If someone you care about is struggling with substance abuse, you may feel unable to help him or her. Many people in your position experience hopelessness and guilt as they struggle to assist their suffering loved ones. Luckily, you can find hope and help by planning a drug or alcohol addiction intervention. An intervention can offer the opportunity for your suffering friend or family member to get addiction treatment!

Thankfully, you don’t have to work alone to help your loved one overcome addiction. With help from a professional intervention team, you can begin the process of assisting the person you love. A successful intervention often requires a group of family and friends to get involved in helping your addicted loved one get treatment. The goal is to show your loved one that continuing drug abuse will have specific consequences. However, if they are willing to seek treatment, they can finally end the cycle of addiction.

In theory, it seems like an easy process however, the person struggling often refuses to accept treatment. This can make your intervention much more difficult and even feel overwhelming. An intervention should be a carefully planned process that will encourage positive change so you’re loved one’s addiction can be addressed. Ultimately you want them to accept treatment.

Why You May Need to Plan Intervention

Undoubtedly, it’s extremely difficult for you to watch your loved one struggle with addiction. Seeing someone you care about battle with addiction is one of the hardest things anyone can experience.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in these situations. Most likely, you have felt alone and afraid, unsure about how or if you can help your friend or family member consider treatment options.

Whether your loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, the effects on the individual’s life can be very serious. But, as you already know, substance abuse doesn’t just change the life of the addicted individual; it also changes the lives of their whole family and anyone around them.

You and your family have all felt the effects of your loved one’s addiction. You have all been negatively impacted by the issue and things will only worsen with time if your loved one doesn’t get the treatment he or she needs.

But, what can you do about it? If you’re like many others who are in your situation, you probably feel that there’s nothing you can do to end your loved one’s substance abuse problems. Addiction is a disease and you can’t simply talk someone out of using drugs or drinking excessively. So, is there anything you can do to help the person you love?

Simply put, yes!

You can help the individual you care about by performing an alcohol or drug addiction intervention. And, with your help, your loved one can get the addiction treatment he or she needs and work towards living in long-term recovery.

What is An Addiction Intervention?

An intervention is when friends and family members gather together to confront a loved one about the consequences of their alcoholism and drug dependence. The goal of a successful intervention is to convince the individual to confront their alcohol or drug problem and seek addiction treatment.

Many times, people feel unsure about what to do for their loved ones who are suffering from substance abuse. It often seems like, no matter what you say, the individual seems to return to drug or alcohol abuse. An intervention is a powerful tool for loved ones to rally against addiction and convince the individual to seek treatment.

Addiction is Not A Choice

The truth is that addiction is not your loved one’s choice. In other words, the person you care about didn’t choose to become dependent on alcohol or drugs. And, most likely, the individual doesn’t want to be struggling with destructive behaviors. But, his or her body depends on substances like drugs and alcohol. And, when the individual doesn’t drink or use a particular drug, he or she experiences extreme discomfort (withdrawal). So, to stop feeling that way, the individual resorts to substance abuse.

Often, people who struggle with addiction feel trapped. They feel stuck in a lifestyle they never asked for, never expected. Deciding to plan and execute a formal intervention will bring the person struggling with addiction one step closer to attending a treatment center.

Helping Your Loved One Through An Intervention

Of course, the best thing people can do when they’re trapped in the world of substance abuse is to ask for help. But, it’s not always easy to do so. Sometimes, people may not even realize how far their drug abuse problem has gone.

So, it takes a little nudge from people they love and trust to bring the truth to their attention. This nudge comes in the form of an alcohol or drug addiction intervention. If you have a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse you can help him or her by intervening in an understanding, loving, yet serious way.

Interventions are never easy for people to perform. But, sometimes, it’s the best way to help. Your loved one may not see the truth about his or her substance use disorder. The negative effects that substance use disorder has had on the individual’s life may not be evident to the person. This is where you come in.

During an alcohol or drug addiction intervention, individuals select a neutral and comfortable setting where they and their loved ones can meet to talk about the substance use disorder.

Addiction Intervention Best Practices

There are a few things to keep in mind when planning and performing an intervention. It’s best to reach out to your loved one if he or she is sober, if possible. And a calm, loving demeanor will always get the best reaction. An intervention should never be confused for an attack.

Essentially, the family members and/or friends gather with professionals to talk to the individual about the consequences of the person’s drug or alcohol abuse. They also work to persuade the person to get professional addiction treatment for their substance abuse issue.

Signs That An Intervention is Necessary

The idea of performing an intervention may make you feel a little nervous. That’s completely understandable! No doubt, you’re wondering if you need to do this. Well, it might help to know about a few signs that an intervention is necessary. If you do see any of the following signs, it might just be time to contact a professional and discuss the best way to intervene and help your loved one get treatment.

Your loved one may need an intervention if he or she:

Again, if you’ve noticed any of these signs, then an intervention is likely necessary. Without intervention, the signs and symptoms of addiction will only get worse and worse without treatment. If you’re not sure how to go about planning an intervention, contact a professional treatment center that specializes in interventions. They can help you plan the intervention and help your loved one find the right treatment program!