How to Intervene On a Loved One's Addiction with an Effective Intervention

Finding Help for Family

If your loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it is important to know that help is available. Although an addict is often aware of many avenues to seek help, it is often difficult for them to reach out. This is what makes interventions important. Being able to step in and assist your loved one with finding the help they need, is often the beginning of a lasting recovery. Sure, some addicts may have to seek treatment several times before being successful in their recovery, but knowing there are people who care and support their efforts, can make a big difference.

The Funnel of Addiction

Experiencing addiction first hand doesn't always come from the addict themselves. It's a fact that families face many of the same ups and downs which their loved ones face except they're not actually using the drug. Unfortunately, it is for this reason that many households become torn and dysfunctional in the process- leaving an intervention as the last resort.

Planning an Intervention

It is essential to carefully plan an intervention to increase chances of it being successful. Knowing effective steps of an intervention will ensure that you give your loved one the best, overall effort at starting a new life. The three most important steps of an intervention are:

• Setting up a time and place
• Determining who will be there
• Arranging treatment

Though these steps may seem simple, unless they are carried out in an uniformed fashion, chances are they will have little effect on the addict.

Deciding on a Time and Place

Arranging a time and place for the intervention will take a bit more than simply saying "meet at my house". It should take place in a mutual location, where the addict does not feel inferior. Comfort is important, as it will allow the addict to feel less threatened. Knowing that you are there to support, and not judge will make all the difference. Choose a place with a relaxed atmosphere, and if possible add a few planted flowers. Plants can be soothing, and often change the mood of a room, from dismal to comforting. You will also want to choose a time of day which is normally a good time for the addict. Early mornings are usually a bad time, as sleep does nothing for someone addicted to any substance. Addicts usually wake up anxiously looking for something to calm them down. Arrange the intervention mid day. This will not encourage the addict to use, rather make sure they are "feeling" their best. The worse possible scenario is having your loved one show up agitated. Doing so will likely end with a negative outcome. Who to InviteWhen choosing who will be present at the intervention, you must be careful. There is no need to have individuals who will come down on the addict too hard. Making an addict feel like they are scum only adds to the misery they are already facing. Nobody wants to be an addict, so don't talk down to them. Instead, invite individuals who are likely to share good times, and reasons why getting clean will make their lives better. This doesn't mean that everyone needs to be soft spoken, however when sharing disappointment, there should always be a rebuttal which smoothes out the statement. For example "You are not around for your kids like you should be... they need you and are always saying how much they miss you". This statement will tell the addict how their behavior is wrong, yet it ends on a positive note. It's okay to write out what you wish to say during the intervention, doing so will ensure you make all points intended. Also, if possible you may want to have a professional on hand to serve as "mediator" so to speak, providing important information regarding why treatment is so crucial at this point.

Choosing Treatment

Making sure there is treatment arranged will be the most important step to the intervention. You will need to arrange for a bed which your loved one can be taken to the minute they agree to go. This is because addicts are known for wanting "just one more" and changing their minds. This is not an option on intervention day. Have everything arranged beforehand. Holistic treatment facilities are a great choice for treatment, because they don't focus on medication. Instead, they assist addicts with learning to deal with life in more of a natural way. Addicts are already addicted to substances why have them medicated even more? Be sure to have their clothes and personal items packed, and all business taken care of. This will avoid all possible excuses. Remember, all it takes is one minute away from the room for the addict to change their mind. Make sure everything moves like clockwork. Planning is going to make all the difference. If you are able to get your loved one to say yes, and on the road to a holistic treatment facility chances are you may save their life.

Positive Outcomes

Having an intervention will take a bit of work, however if all goes well it could change your loved one's life tremendously. Taking the proper steps of an intervention and carrying them out is essential for effective treatment. Going to a drug free facility will allow your family member to see that life can be lived without the use of any mood altering substances. This is why holistic facilities are the better choice. Treatment consists of working with one's way of thinking instead of simply medicating them. You will be amazed at how healthy they become once they are no longer using drugs or alcohol. It is then that you will see just how much of an impact your intervention had on changing their lives for the better.