What is the main purpose of intervention services?
The purpose of addiction intervention boils down to helping someone with a substance use disorder (SUD) to see for themselves the negative impact of drugs or alcohol on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. This is why families and friends of addicts are brought together for an intervention, to show who and how their addiction is affecting not only themselves but others and their relationships.
Professional intervention is an intentionally structured process guided by a qualified interventionist, which is designed to break through the barriers addicts will use to excuse themselves from recovery, including outright denial, encouraging them that change is both necessary and possible. This could mean getting them into a detox program, starting a residential recovery program, or accessing any other relevant addiction recovery services that suit their needs. The interventionist will also guide the addict’s loved ones on how to establish and maintain clear boundaries in the case that he or she refuses recovery.
What is the difference between a program and an intervention?
A recovery program is the entire process of breaking an addict’s dependency on drugs or alcohol through different addiction treatment modalities, from detox through residential and outpatient services all the way to aftercare support.
Professional addiction intervention services are an attempt to show the addict that their addiction is a problem and to convince them to accept recovery and guide them into a recovery program.
How do interventions work?
An intervention is ultimately an educational service for both the addict and their loved ones–educating everyone about the nature of addiction, how it’s a problem for not only the individual but also those around them, and what it takes to either overcome the addiction or support another in their recovery while also recovering from the effects of addiction themselves. Again, the goal is to help an addict see their addiction as a problem and that this problem can be solved through a commitment to recovery; it’s meant to both be a service of showing the guilt and shame associated with addiction while especially emphasizing the hope there is in recovery.
Our intervention services include:
- Pre-Intervention Counseling: We will meet with family and friends to explore the issues faced by the subject and the family and to understand their type of addiction. Our staff helps the family prepare for the intervention by reviewing what to say to the loved one and the behavior they might receive in return. Interventions are emotional, demanding events, and we work with the family to anticipate how they will feel and present strategies for coping.
- Intervention Services: Our intervention professionals are experienced in facilitating interventions for different types of addictions. They understand the fears each addicted person faces and the difficulty he or she may have in admitting the addiction. They are skilled in managing an emotional, extremely difficult meeting.
- Development of Treatment Programs: Based on the subject’s addiction and behavior, we will work to develop a treatment program designed to start them on the road toward sobriety.
- Admission to Treatment Program: We can assist with the selection of a treatment program designed to meet the addicted person’s specific needs. At our drug treatment center, we offer a range of treatment options, from long-term residential programs to outpatient treatment and support programs.
What to do when someone needs an intervention
The first step is knowing when someone has a substance use problem, and they don’t see it as such. If they refuse any advice or encouragement to control their substance use, and you notice the signs of their addiction maintaining, if not growing worse, then the next step is to gather support from other loved ones who notice and acknowledge the problem as well. Ideally, consulting a professional interventionist or counselor will guide you all through the process, what pitfalls to avoid in communicating with an addict, and how to best encourage recovery while maintaining boundaries for your own health and protection.
When is an intervention needed?
There are various signs to be aware of that show someone’s substance use has reached a level of harm to themselves and others and requires confrontation for the sake of their recovery:
- Increasing tolerance of a substance to feel it
- Lacking control of substance use
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Significant changes in behavior, appearance, or hygiene
- Financial or legal troubles
- Neglecting responsibilities
- Isolation, secrecy, deception regarding their substance use
What comes after intervention?
If an addict accepts recovery, they will typically begin a residential rehabilitation program. Many will have to go through a medically-assisted detox program first, depending on the nature of the substance and the degree of their addiction to it, as withdrawal may sometimes have a high risk of death. The recovery program will provide various therapies and treatments tailored to their individual case and typically includes family therapy, which involves an addict’s family in their recovery process.
What not to say at an intervention
During an intervention, you want to avoid language that is accusatory, shaming, or aggressively confrontational for the best chance of successfully communicating your concern for them without any confusion or miscommunication.
Consider the following:
- Avoid labels like “alcoholic,” “addict,” or “junkie,” which can make the person feel defined solely by their addiction.
- Don’t focus solely on blame or past mistakes. Steer clear of statements like “You’ve ruined everything” or “I can’t stand you anymore.”
- Avoid ultimatums phrased in a way that sounds punitive rather than supportive.
- Refrain from using generalizations or judgmental comments that imply the person’s character is inherently flawed.
- Do not use language that minimizes their struggle or suggests that recovery is a simple matter of willpower.
- Steer clear of “all-or-nothing” statements that leave no room for understanding the complexity of addiction.
Using “I” statements allows for clearer expression that focuses on the effects of their behavior on you and others, supporting a more constructive and empathetic conversation and environment.
Who attends an intervention?
The most effective addiction interventions will typically include immediate and even extended family members, their spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend, their own children, close friends, their religious leader/advisor, and a professional addiction interventionist.
