Drug & Alcohol Interventions

Drug and alcohol addiction is sweeping the nation, afflicting millions of people in the US alone. Although, there are plenty of rehab facilities for drug users and alcohol abusers, for these centers to start helping such people, these people must willingly enter the programs.

Addiction Crossroads

Over the years, family and loved ones have tried speaking to the drug or alcohol addict in their homes and tried to convince them for getting in to helpful rehab centers. However, convincing drug addicts or alcohol abusers is not an easy task. Therefore, people use programs or approaches such as interventions to convince their loved ones to improve their life by quitting drinking or drugs for good.

The Real Reason behind Using Intervention:

Intervention is often the last option used by families to help their loved ones who are addicted. The process of an intervention requires effort from all the loved ones. This is because, since everyone has already tried everything on their personal level to help the addict, so as a last resort, family and friends join their efforts in the shape of intervention to try and to convince the addict one last time.

Extensive Planning Results in an Actual Intervention

For a successful intervention, you will have to plan the whole process extensively. Everyone needs to be on the same page, including the intervention therapist, if you are planning to have a successful intervention. Therefore, your first step is to contact addiction treatment center or an addiction treatment and intervention specialist who has experience with not only drug and alcohol addicts but family dynamics as well.

Addiction Intervention

Pre-Planning Meeting

All of the members of the intervention need to be debriefed and perhaps more than once on how the event is to take place. This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same path so that the intervention is a success.

All members will be required to visit a 2-hour pre-planning meeting. This meeting will not include the addict himself. So, make sure that everyone included in the intervention is available at this meeting and contributes. This meeting will also include details about treatment of the addict while he or she is in the treatment center.

Moreover, the intervention will also include the following steps.

1. At the pre-planning meeting, all of the family members will write letters to the addict. These letters will include their love and concern for the addict. There is a simple pattern to follow here and make sure that each letter ends with, "I want you to seek help today."
2. Keep in mind that the intervention will come as a surprise to the addict. The drug and alcohol interventions are often emotionally draining for the people participating in it. The addict may feel trapped at first or blindsided so family and friends must be prepared for this person to either walk away or express anger.
3. Each participant must read his or her own letter to the addict.
4. Keep in mind that the people participating in the intervention should be the people who the addict respects and listens to. Including people who have a bad history with the addict will not make the intervention successful and could derail the process.
5. The intervention, if successful, will make the addict realize that how their behavior is affecting others around them. Often times the love and affection is not driven home until a group intervention takes place and many times the addict is willing to make a change in behavior (such as going to rehab) in order to reconnect with family and friends plus stop causing them pain.

After the drug and alcohol intervention session is complete, the family members give a packed suitcase to the addict and send him to the treatment center. Keep in mind that the addict will try to resist, but it is the responsibility of the interventionist to stay firm on their decision.

It is important to note that the addict may not stay the course in rehab. Drug and alcohol rehab is a rocky course for many and falling off the wagon is actually part of that course. Some families will experience multiple interventions with an addict, to the point where there may be a cut-off in relationships if the addict does not follow through with rehab.

The cut off of relationships is the course of last resort. This is usually done when there is a high risk of death of the addict. It is up to the intervention specialist, family and friends to decide the consequences for not following through with rehab.

Other consequences may include asking the addict to leave the home (if they are staying there), not giving them money, no longer employing them in the family business and not inviting them to normal social activities, to name a few.

The point, however is not punishment. The point is tough love for the addict and helping them to want to get themselves on a path to recovery. The recovery is not only from addiction, but of the social relationships, employment and enjoyment they may have lost along the way.