An intervention for substance abuse is a professionally structured process that assists the loved ones and friends of someone who needs help with addiction. Often, the addicted person is in denial about their issue and may resist accepting treatment.
A drug intervention specialist can help family members and loved ones to get on board with optimal treatment options and the best course of action. A family often decides a professional intervention is needed after trying numerous times on their own (unsuccessfully) to get their loved one help for their issues with drugs or alcohol.
Family Patterns and Dynamics
The very best drug intervention specialists will be board certified and may also have other degrees or specialties. The intervention process usually starts with the interventionist interviewing the family members who will be involved in the intervention.
This allows them to identify factors that could result in issues during the actual intervention, including:
- Behaviors
- Patterns
- Triggers
Family issues can be complex and run very deep, and the interventionist will work to get all of the persons present onto the same page in a way that fully supports the intervention process.
In many cases, the addicted person has become adept at manipulating some or all of their friends and family members. The usual method is a “divide and conquer” strategy, which means different people have different information about what exactly is going on with the addicted person. They are then able to play family members off one another to continue indulging their addiction.
Getting on the Same Page
An intervention creates a controlled environment for the addicted person to learn how their issue has impacted their friends and family members, and then learn about treatment options. Family members and other loved ones should be fully ready and willing to listen to the interventionist and commit to the best plan of action.
If any persons present at the intervention are not fully committed to the process, the addicted person is likely to find a way to manipulate the situation through these “weak links” and, in effect, avoid treatment.
Making a Commitment
Ideally, the intervention process brings everyone to the table at once and gets them on the same page so that the addicted person can no longer manipulate anyone. After the initial planning meeting, everyone should know everything, making it more difficult for any family member to be duped.
Because of this, all family members should be fully committed to total transparency about how they might have enabled the addicted person in the past, and commit to ceasing these behaviors.
Choosing the Best Program
An intervention specialist can also help the family and the addicted person to choose the best treatment program and facility for receiving care. From detox to counseling to aftercare, a quality interventionist can often intuit the best course of action for the addicted person and act as a case manager.
Ultimately, the addicted person will have to come around to committing fully to the chosen treatment program, but it all starts with their friends and family members committing fully to the intervention process.