What exactly are drug interventions, and how do they work? Here’s what you need to know about staging a successful intervention.
What Is a Drug Intervention?
A drug intervention is a carefully planned meeting where you confront your loved one about his addiction and help him understand why he needs drug rehab treatment. The goal of an intervention is to help your loved one realize how his substance abuse is affecting themselves and others as well as how it can lead to more serious problems down the road, such as incarceration and death, if left untreated. By the end of an intervention, your loved one should feel motivated and ready to seek treatment so he can safely overcome drug dependence and addiction.
Drug interventions usually involve your loved one’s closest friends and family members. In some instances, interventions may be led by addiction counselors, therapists, doctors, or interventionists. These professionals can often help you plan for the intervention or conduct the intervention. Evidence suggests that people who suffer from addiction tend to be more receptive to professionals like doctors than to friends and family when talking about drug rehab.
How Do Drug Interventions Work?
Careful planning must go into drug interventions to ensure they have a powerful, positive effect on those being confronted about their addiction. Interventions that are poorly staged or executed can lead to heightened feelings of isolation, betrayal, and agitation in those suffering from addiction — leading to major setbacks in recovery.
Here are the stages of a carefully planned drug intervention:
1.Form an intervention team that consists of family members and close friends affected by your loved one’s addiction and who are motivated to help your loved one become healthier and addiction-free.
2.Take time to learn more about your loved one’s addiction and about effective drug detox programs that can safely treat the addiction type.
3.Decide on consequences for your loved one in the event he refuses treatment, such as asking him to move out or revoking his access to your bank account.
4.Have every member of the intervention team prepare notes to share at the meeting about how your loved one’s addiction has affected them on a personal level.
5.Ask your loved one to attend the meeting without revealing the reason for the meeting.
6.Hold the intervention, and ask each person at the meeting to deliver their statements, feelings, and concerns to your loved one. Each person should state their own consequences your loved one will face from them if your loved one refuses to get help.
7.Make treatment arrangements for your loved one, or drive your loved one to a nearby rehab center so he can begin the recovery process.
How Do I Choose the Best Interventionist and Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs?
The best interventionists will help you prepare, coordinate and treat substance use disorders in full to help people overcome drug dependence, addiction, and co-occurring mental illness at the same time. Contact Baystate Recovery Services to find out more options about our interventions, family planning and recovery services today.
Sources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/
