Staging an intervention is not something family and friends should ever attempt alone. The loved one they care about that is struggling with addiction can feel attacked. The good intentions one hopes for do not always turn out well which is why it’s best to seek advice from a professional on how to plan an intervention for a drug addict or alcoholic.
At DreamLife, we understand the challenges family and friends face when their loved one has developed an addiction and refuses to acknowledge its impacts on their lives and the lives of those closest to them. To help family and friends bring to light the effects of addiction, we offer professional addiction intervention services in Pennsylvania.
Why Get Alcohol and Drug Intervention Help?
Planning an alcohol and drug intervention is much more than family and friends gathering and getting the addicted loved one present. The process has to be carefully planned and prepared to ensure it is beneficial for those involved.
Addiction is a serious disease that affects people in different ways. It is one the more difficult disease to overcome and manage due to the very nature alcohol and drugs have on the body and mind. When someone develops an addiction, eventually, it will impact your family in some manner.
Fortunately, you are not alone. Help is available from DreamLife when you have questions about addiction, what you should do to help your loved one, and when to stage an intervention.
How Do I Know When It Is Time for an Intervention?
The problem with addiction is that it can leave family and friends wondering what they did wrong, why they cannot help, and feeling helpless as they watch their loved one sink deeper and deeper into their addiction.
Eventually, family and friends reach the point where they are exhausted and do not know what they should do to help. It is at this point you will know it is time to get help planning an alcohol and drug intervention for your loved one.
The addict’s behavior is another indication it might be time for an intervention. If they become aggressive, abusive, start stealing from family members, lie, or simply do not care about a substance abuse problem, it is time to call in an interventionist for help.
How to Do an Intervention for an Alcoholic or Drug Addict?
There are several crucial steps in the intervention process long before the actual intervention takes place.
Step #1: Contact DreamLife to speak to an addiction intervention professional.
It is essential for our interventionist to get to know you, your family, and your particular situation to create an effective intervention strategy.
Step #2: Educate yourself about addiction and recovery.
It is vital that everyone that attends the intervention have some knowledge about addiction and recovery. Our interventionist will provide the resources you need.
Step #3: Schedule an intervention rehearsal.
If you anticipate an intense confrontation with the addict, it can be beneficial for family and friends to go through a rehearsal with their interventionist.
What Should I Expect During the Intervention?
Alcohol and drug interventions have uncertainties because it is hard to know how the addict will react once confronted. During the intervention itself, your interventionist provides many valuable services by working as a:
- Host – The interventionist is the one to host the intervention and lead it. They will call the meeting to order, state the purpose of why the family has gathered, and keep the intervention process moving along. They also adjourn the intervention when the process is finished.
- Coach – The interventionist encourages everyone to speak their minds and share their feelings.
- Referee – The interventionist steps in when people start speaking out of turn, using hurtful or hateful language, or placing blame as these things are counterproductive to the intervention.
- Medical Expert – The interventionist is there to answer questions from the addicted person and their family and friends about addiction, how addiction affects the mind and body, and the recovery process.
What Should I Expect After the Intervention?
The end objective is, of course, to get your loved one to admit they have an addiction and instill with them the desire to seek recovery. Ultimately, the goal is to get your loved one to want to take the first steps to make a change. It is equally important for the addict to realize how their addiction is impacting their family and friends.
Although, the outcome after the intervention process is not always clear and concise. The addict may say they need time to think and reflect. Other times, they admit their family and friends are right and say they want to start treatment.
However, it is vital for family and friends to remember, the decision to seek addiction treatment and take the first steps to recovery must be made by the addict.
Alcohol and Drug Treatment for Your Loved One
At DreamLife, we have a full-time Director of Addiction Intervention – Curtis Rodgers. Curtis has helped lead numerous families through the intervention process in Pennsylvania. For further information about planning an intervention for a loved one and our alcohol and drug treatment programs, please feel free to contact DreamLife at (844) 402-3592 today.
