How to stage an intervention and plan one to intervene an alcoholic or drug addict.

Watching someone you know struggle with the negative and destructive forces of drug abuse and addiction can be excruciating, to say the least.

Those who are drug and alcohol addicted are, in most cases, in denial and do not seem receptive to your (or anyone else’s) please that they seek help. In many cases, a staged intervention can motivate the addict to seek help for his or her drug, alcohol or other substance abuse issues.

An intervention is a structured way in which people who love and care about an addict can gather to confront that person about his or her addiction. Sometimes it is this very intervention that can mean the difference between recovery and addiction, and perhaps even life and death. The desired outcome of an intervention is for the alcoholic or drug addict to agree to immediate treatment.

How To stage an intervention
There are certain guidelines that are universal for staging or planning an intervention, whether it is a drug addict intervention or an intervention for alcoholics.

• Preparing/presenting specific examples of the addict’s destructive behaviors along with their impact on those gathered as well as on the addict him or herself.
• Having a pre-planned/arranged plan for treatment ready to present
• Being ready, emotionally and verbally, to be specific about a loved one will and will not longer do or accept should the drug or alcohol addict refuse treatment following the intervention
• Not waiting until the addicted individual indicated that he or she wants or is ready for help. They may never offer such a possibility, and many a loved one has waited until it was tragically too late for the addict in their lives to indicate his or her readiness.

Who Needs An Intervention
Interventions are generally staged for those who are addicted, often dangerously so, to alcohol and drugs (including prescription medications as well as “street” drugs), as well as those who exhibit compulsive behavior such as eating disorders or compulsive gambling. This is where everything else has not worked and the person either gets help or faces serious consequences and the family and friends must intervene for the good of the person in trouble.

Those who are addicted, in this case to drugs and alcohol, often do not see or even care about the potentially devastating effects their actions and addictions have on those around them. An intervention is a chance for loved ones to help the addict get back on the right path before it is too late.

Good planning is a key to the potential success of the intervention for the drug addict or the alcoholic. A poorly planned intervention can make things worse for everyone involved, including the addict. Intervention professionals (known as interventionists) or addiction specialists can be brought in, especially if the addict has a history of violence, suicidal behavior, is addicted to multiple mood-altering substances and/or has a history or current signs of mental illness.

Author - Dr. Jeffrey Huttman Ph.D.

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