How to Stage an Intervention to Help a Loved One Overcome Addiction
Although there are many instances where a person who suffers from addiction realizes the issue they have and seeks out help themselves, this isn’t always the case. There are certain situations where addicted individuals refuse to recognize that they have an addiction problem. Moreover, some of them may not even be aware of the negative impact of addiction on themselves and those around them. It’s at this point where an intervention may be required to help someone you care to overcome their addiction. An intervention can be a turning point for your loved one, here’s a guide for staging an intervention to help them express their feelings and start on the path to recovery.
Develop a Plan
One of the first things that you’ll need to do is to formulate a plan. This primarily entails creating a trusted team of people that have your loved one’s best interests in mind. For this stage, we recommend that you reach out to a professional with experience in staging successful interventions who can work with you to develop a plan that is both effective and productive. Because of the personal nature of the situation, it’s best to have someone who has an outside perspective to help mediate any disagreements.
Do Your Research on Treatment Options
There are many different treatment program options available which means that you’ll need to do thorough research on which treatment program is the most appropriate for your loved one. Whether it’s behavioral therapy, drug detox, or addiction treatment, learn as much as you can about these services and how they can impact your loved one. If necessary, get in contact with treatment centers and ask them about the approach that you should take with your loved one.
Create an Intervention Team
The members of your intervention team should be those who are close to your loved one and have been affected in some way by their substance abuse. Get in touch with family members, friends, or even coworkers. Form a team of people who truly cares about your loved one and is interested in helping them achieve long-term success and sobriety. Keep in mind that all of this needs to be done discreetly and without the knowledge of the addicted individual.
Establish Consequences
Have some members of your intervention team establish consequences for your loved one if they fail to seek treatment or attempt to delay doing so even after committing to it. Although it seems harsh, having consequences can help motivate your loved one to get the help that they need. With how common relapse occurs during the recovery process, consequences can be particularly helpful in fighting against the possibility of it occurring.
Have Speeches Prepared
Every member of your intervention team should be prepared to speak about how your loved one’s addiction has personally affected them. Encourage them to provide specific anecdotes and events for those who do have one. Members of your intervention team should also remember to stress the importance of seeking professional treatment for your loved one. This is intended to be a revelatory experience for the addicted individual and how their behavior has negatively impacted those around them.
Hold the Intervention
Agree upon a place and time to meet for the intervention and then hold it. Give everybody on the team a chance to talk and give their speech to your loved one. The hope is that your loved one will recognize that they have a problem and will commit to seeking treatment. Once a commitment has been made, have each person inform your loved one of the consequences of not attending treatment.
Stay Committed to the Plan
Support your loved one on their journey to recovery and give them a push whenever necessary. There may be instances where they will feel discouraged or suffer setbacks, it’s up to you and the rest of your loved one’s support system to help out whenever needed. It certainly won’t be an easy process which makes it especially necessary for you to stick to the plan and help facilitate the process.
By starting your journey towards recovery, you are beginning a new chapter in your life. Going through such a dramatic change in your life requires both support and guidance. At Twin Town Treatment Centers, we provide useful resources and evidence-based treatment programs that have been tailored to fit the individual needs of our patients in Laguna Hills and throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. For more information about our programs, please call us at (866) 594-8844 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment for a no-cost assessment.
