Austin Interventionist

Austin Drug and Alcohol Interventions

Drug use statistics for Texas as a whole show higher instances of methamphetamine use, heroin and other opiate use and benzodiazepine use in the past 5 years than at any other time before. Additionally, synthetic and psychoactive drugs including synthetic cannabinoids has spiked since 2014. Pair this with consistently growing use of alcohol and you have a real recipe for disaster — or at least for addiction. Often times, use of these types of substances leads to increased need for intervention — especially when a loved one is unable or unwilling to seek the help that he or she needs to get sober.

According to NIDA, alcohol use accounts for 3.3 million deaths every year and drug overdose accounts for over 50K deaths annually. Many of these deaths can be prevented either by seeking treatment or by seeking an interventionist to help you get a loved one to accept treatment. If you believe that someone you care about in Austin needs an intervention, don’t be afraid to call for help.

Why Choose an Intervention?

Intervention provides the user a chance to learn about his or her substance abuse from a third party that can be objective. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “it relies on the premise that advice from an expert has been shown to promote change.” What this means is that an intervention is a good choice to help a loved one get into treatment because research shows that addicts are often more accepting of advice from an expert versus advice from someone close to them such as friends or family.

Innovative Family Intervention Tips for Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Many families struggle with a sibling, son, daughter or another relative who has a drug or alcohol problem. Some are already in the throes of addiction while others are just in the infancy of dependency. Issues with any kind of substance abuse can lead families down a dark path and negatively affect all aspects of life. Often, it’s also friends who are as close as family but suffering from addiction who need help. With an intervention, close friends, family members, and even colleagues come together to meet with someone addicted to drugs or alcohol. The ultimate goal is to help that person seek treatment or help. These are loving, comfortable atmospheres that promote a positive feeling about treatment and ending addiction. These are some helpful intervention tips for families to use with loved ones.

1. Invite Those Who Are Close

Families often believe that addiction is a closed door topic and never speak out to friends or other family members who may be closest to the individual. There should be at least three people present at an intervention with no more than 10 people. In some cases, even 10 is too much for one individual to handle. The main focus is who knows this person well enough and understands how they feel in order to persuade them into treatment. It can be difficult with younger persons who are addicted as well. They will likely get upset. That’s why it’s important to have a voice who cares about them who is their own age as well. Involving children is a questionable practice, but it has been shown to help with interventions as they can often persuade an individual to make the best decision just by being present and expressing their feelings.

2. Prepare in Advance

Those who are invited to an intervention must prepare ahead of time together. There should be a structure to the meeting. Each participant must claim a responsibility towards the person who is the subject of the intervention. It’s also a great way to identify helpful and unhelpful feelings. Meeting in advance also gives people time to rehearse and come with ideas to help the individual. Testimonials are also very powerful in an intervention. These are prepared statements that offer insight and develop a persuasive stance to help an individual consider treatment.

3. The Right Time and Location

Scheduling an intervention is often difficult because it’s based on an individual who is addicted and may have an erratic schedule. The key is to pick a convenient time and an appropriate location for an intervention. Earlier times in the day are best for drug or alcohol addictions because a person will most likely be sober by this point. Locations should also be familiar and comfortable to the individual. However, they should not be connected in any way to addiction or a rehab facility. Most families choose to have interventions in a gathering place such as the living room or dining table. Restaurants and public places should be avoided as it is likely to cause embarrassment, and people won’t be able to speak freely. Those who are addicted may also feel humiliated or angry towards family members if they are the subject of public intervention. It’s best if interventions are held away from the person’s living residence so that they don’t feel empowered and too comfortable. Private meeting places at a relative’s home or friend’s house are good options.

4. Never Be Confrontational

No matter how much anger you feel towards someone addicted to substances, it’s essential to never judge or confront a person. This only leads to defensiveness and more anger. A tone of intervention can have a big impact on whether the individual seeks treatment at the end of the meeting. Being positive and supporting a person is more important than expressing a judgmental opinion or choosing to argue. It’s also beneficial because addicts are more likely to listen to those who are being kind, gentle, honest and caring rather than confrontational or angry. You can stop yourself from taking on a confrontational attitude by doing the following:

• Speak in “I” statements instead of “you” statements
• Practice what you’ll say beforehand
• Prepare a written statement
• Never insult a person
• Listen to someone even if you don’t like what they say

You can also encourage the benefits of seeking treatment. While there are negative aspects to any addicted person’s behavior, it’s better to focus on how this person will be positively impacted by counseling and treatment. For example, you can talk about a person’s health, sleeping better, physical fitness and emotional stability. By focusing on what a person will achieve through rehab, you are placing the attention on what they want for themselves as well.

Finally, everyone at the intervention must be respectful and speak to one another with encouraging tones. Part of that respect is to listen to one another and allow everyone a chance to speak.

5. Focus on the Goal

The goal of any intervention is to help an addicted person make a decision to save his or her life. Part of organizing an intervention is setting a concrete goal such as seeking treatment at a rehab facility. Perhaps you want them to simply join a self-help group to start. However, everyone must agree on the goal and choose to support that goal throughout the meeting. This will help structure the intervention and maintain a structured meeting. At the end of the intervention, you need the person to make an immediate decision, and hopefully, the person selects the goal that you had in mind. By presenting the goal together, you create a united front. Beforehand, you can also make arrangements to help that goal be met. This includes contacting a treatment center and keeping them on standby in case the person chooses to attend.

Most importantly, an addict must understand the consequences of choosing not to go with the goal. You can state their deteriorating health, loss of relationships or other consequences that are appropriate. However, everyone must agree on the consequences ahead of time as well to represent a united front.

What is the Role of an Austin Interventionist?

When you meet with an interventionist, their role is to help you, the family members and loved ones of an addict, to define the goals of the intervention—what is it that you expect to happen during the intervention process? What will you do to make sure that your loved one seeks help? How has your loved one’s drug or alcohol use created a burden or impact on YOUR life and how is it impacting his or her life?

The intervention process will go something like this:

• The interventionist will explain your role in the intervention process.
• The interventionist will act as the liaison between you and your loved one who is addicted.
• The goal will be to first recommend quitting, and then to provide specific medical and personal reasons IF the individual doesn’t accept treatment right away.
• The interventionist will educate the user on the risks of using even in small amounts, what will happen if he or she does not choose treatment and what the next steps in the recovery process are.
• If the intervention is unsuccessful, the interventionist will provide the family members and loved ones with support options to help them heal.

Find an Interventionist in Austin Today

Are you ready to get help for your loved one? Don’t allow drug or alcohol addiction to ruin another day of his or her life. A professional interventionist in Austin can help you define a recovery goal for your loved one and encourage him or her to accept treatment help.