The Intervention Process for Addiction Treatment

Interventions are not an actual form of therapy or treatment for addiction. They are part of the process of helping a family member or colleague who suffers from substance addiction or behavioral addiction realize that he or she does have a problem that needs to be addressed and that indeed can be addressed. The goal of interventions is often to break down the walls of denial that an addict has built around himself or herself.

Denial is usually part of the process of addiction, and while those close to an addict are affected by the changes which the addiction has made in the social, personal and financial status of the addict, the addict is not able to admit to these changes. Interventions work by having a team of concerned family members, colleagues and professionals confront the addict in a home or similar familiar situation, and help the addict to realize that he or she must seek therapy. The members of the intervention team will make it clear to the addict that they are very willing to provide any kind of necessary support so long as the addict does his or her part in seeking therapy. The team will also make it clear that failure on the part of the addict to seek therapy will result in complete abandonment, leaving the addict alone to face the consequences of his or her addiction.

How Drug Interventions Work

To succeed, an intervention must make an addict aware that he or she has a severe problem and that immediate treatment is the only option that will allow the addict to retain normal relations with the people that he or she is closest to or depends upon. A professional, usually a psychologist or other licensed counselor with experience in addiction treatment interventions, must be consulted at the very beginning of the intervention planning process. Those closest to the addict should be very open with the intervention professional, so that the professional can plan the exact form in which the message needs to be presented. The professional should also be apprised of the relationship of each potential member of the intervention team to the addict. This helps the intervention specialist decide each member’s role in the intervention process, and the professional may suggest replacing or omitting possible members of the team for various reasons.

If you need to stage an intervention for a loved one, we can help you find a professional who has had experience leading successful interventions that have led addicts to seek treatment which brought about an end to their addiction issues. Please call our 24-hour help line at (800)660-0896 or please fill out our contact form so that we can help you find a professional to lead your intervention and make sure that it produces the proper results.

Setting Up A Drug Addiction Intervention

Confidentiality is very important when it comes to interventions. The patient should not have any possible way of finding out that an intervention is going to occur or that any intervention is being planned. Even though staging an intervention in a patient’s own residence may be the only way to ensure that the patient appears at the event, the patient should not know that an intervention has been planned until all members of the intervention team have arrived. If this means relying on a patient, who has become extremely irresponsible in general, to show up at another location, a professional can provide advice as to how to ensure that the addict does indeed attend the intervention.

In addition, interventions should be carefully planned in advance. Professional leaders of interventions usually suggest that all participants write down or otherwise record everything they plan to say at the intervention. More importantly, they advise intervention teams to decide on goals before the actual intervention. If a family member has researched a particular treatment option, arrangements should be made to begin with that option as soon as the addict expresses willingness to start treatment. Television shows that depict a confessed addict being whisked away to a treatment center are actually quite realistic; a comfortable car should be waiting outside to take the patient to a residential rehabilitation clinic if this is indeed the planned final goal of the intervention.

Interventions succeed in helping addicts when they are well-planned and everyone works toward common goals. Please call us at (800) 660-0896 or fill out our confidential contact form so that we can help you find a professional who has the right experience with interventions that will convince your loved one or colleague to immediately seek out the right addiction treatment.