Interventions

An intervention is a method by which the family and friends of someone abusing drugs confronts them about their addiction in order to motivate them to seek treatment. When an intervention is conducted properly, it can serve as a powerful tool. The key to a successful intervention is to help the person in need understand how destructive their behaviour is to both themselves and those around them.

Interventions should take place in an environment the person is comfortable with. It should only involve people the individual tends to trust. Outside of these two controls, it can be difficult to conduct a successful intervention without professional help.

How it works

Private Rehab Guide would be happy to advise you on conducting an intervention if you are not sure how to go about it. Please get in touch with us if that’s the case. In the meantime, here is a brief overview:

Assemble the group – The first step is to assemble a group of family members and friends willing to participate. One person normally leads the group, but everyone should participate for maximum effect. Every member of the group must be willing to be open, honest, and willing to hold them accountable.
Plan your strategy – With a group assembled, the next step is to plan your strategy for confronting the individual. Plan to allow each member of the group to speak, in turn, as a means of directly addressing them.
Treatment options – As part of your planning, it is important that you have various treatment options ready to go after the intervention. Why? Because you may have a very narrow window of opportunity immediately following the intervention. If your loved one is ready to seek treatment, you want to take advantage of that right away – before they change their mind.
Follow through – Assuming your intervention proves successful, your job isn’t done until you follow through. In other words, the intervention group must take the responsibility of making sure they check into the programme they are being admitted to. They must also make sure the individual completes that programme as prescribed.

Intervention hints

Now that you know the basics of the intervention, we would like to offer you some hints to increase your chances of being successful. As mentioned earlier, Private Rehab Guide would be happy to advise you further if you need help. That said, consider the following:

Honesty – As you speak to your loved one, be open and honest about what they are doing. You will not help them by hiding the truth from them.
Care and concern – Make it clear during the intervention that each member of the group is generally concerned about the person’s health and future. Make it known that your care and concern is what is driving you to confront the individual.
Make it personal – In the likely case that the person with addiction is in denial about their behaviour, each member of the intervention group must make it personal. They must convey how the actions of the person is negatively affecting them.