Turning Concern Into An Intervention

27 Aug Turning Concern Into An Intervention

If a person is engaged in a dangerous compulsive behavior like drug addiction, their friends and family will likely become extremely worried about them. There are few things as frustrating as watching someone you care about putting themselves and those around them in danger. When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, they are not in control of their actions. Their mind has become fixated on using and doing whatever they must do to find more drugs or alcohol. This often comes at the price of their jobs, their relationships, and their general well being. People around the addict may be very hurt by the things the addict says or does to them, and have no idea what they can do to help the situation.

It is important that anyone close to an addict realizes that they cannot make a loved one stop using drugs or alcohol. That is ultimately a decision that only the addict themselves can make. What friends and family of an addict can do, however, is make sure that their loved one knows how their addiction is affecting them and making them feel. This is what an intervention is for. If you are ready to stage an intervention, you should make sure that you do the planning and work necessary to make it as effective as possible. Here are the steps you should plan on taking:

Talk to other people in the addict’s life who you think may want to be a part of the intervention. You are probably not alone in being concerned. Talk to others close to the addict and tell them that you are planning on staging an intervention. While everyone involved is no doubt frustrated by the addict’s behavior, try to keep these meetings as constructive as possible, avoiding gossip and simply saying negative things about the addict.

Consult with a professional interventionist.

Once you have a good idea of who would like to be included in the intervention, consult with a professional interventionist. If you are the person who initiated the intervention, you may want to go to this meeting alone, but you should also consider inviting anyone else who will be involved. It is absolutely crucial that you seek the help of a professional. The success of an intervention depends on how well it is planned and the degree to which everyone involved keeps their focus in the right place. A professional interventionist will talk to you about the addict’s behavior and your own interactions with them. They will then help everyone involved formulate productive statements and prepare for the possible ways the addict may react when confronted.

Carry out the intervention as calmly as possible.

The interventionist will attend the intervention and work to make sure everyone involved gets a chance to say what they want to say. They will make sure that everyone avoids accusatory statements and help keep the conversation on track even when emotions get heated. Everyone involved should remember what was discussed when the intervention was planned and remember that the ultimate goal of an intervention is to make clear to the addict the ways in which their addiction is affecting those around them. This is all done in the hopes that the addict will process this information and that it will be an impetus for them to decide to enter treatment. Make sure that the goal of convincing the addict to enter rehab is never out of sight.

Confronting a loved one about their addiction is never easy, but it can often be a very good way to help them move into recovery.