How do you know when to stage a family intervention for a loved one—there is no instruction manual, and your loved one is not likely asking for help. However, there are some outward signs to indicate if your loved one is struggling with an addiction. Most addicts engage in secretive behavior or are borrowing money frequently, whether from family or friends. Also, because of how drugs affect the mind and body, an addict may engage in aggressive behavior or experience rapid mood swings. Addiction also leads to a deterioration of the physical appearance, along with a lack of energy or motivation, problems at work or school, and health issues.
Staging a family intervention is not a complicated process, and it is the only successful way to help an addict make the necessary changes. The first step in staging any family intervention is contacting an intervention specialist. The intervention professional helps the family organize and plan the intervention while also keeping the communication between the parties moving. An interventionist helps an addict break the cycle of denial. Someone who is addicted to drugs will not always admit they have an addiction or admit it is out of control. Unfortunately, when families confront addicts alone without any help, the situation tends to become worse.
Family Intervention Begins with Forming a Family Intervention Group
After you have hired a professional interventionist, the next step is forming the intervention group. These are people who are not easily manipulated by the addict or who become emotional during a difficult situation. There is no one size fits all plan, which is why having a professional interventionist there is essential. The intervention professional will help develop the proper strategy, organize the people involved, and ensure the drug user makes it to the treatment program. The intervention process is about addressing the specific needs of the addict and removing the excuses and replacing it with solutions. The people to have at an intervention include children, grandparents, family members, siblings, or even friends. However, everyone should be prepared for intense moments during the intervention.
Once an intervention group is organized, it is about learning and rehearsing the roles and what is going to be said. Knowledge and compassion are essential when convincing a drug user they need help. Anyone involved must rehearse and prepare for the intervention with the intervention specialist. When struggling with addiction, you are not seeing how your drug abuse is affecting the people around you. Substance abuse changes the way you think and feel, and the only objective is to keep using no matter what the cost. The people who are confronting the addict are those who see the problem for what it is and who knows what must be done to help them get treatment.
Be Prepared for Anything During a Family Intervention
When choosing the time and place for family intervention, the place should be familiar but not threatening. Typically, these are places where the person feels more at ease and comfortable. Also, the professional interventionist will help the family schedule an intervention when the addict is sober and not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is impossible to perform an intervention when an addict is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A typical intervention can last between 30 minutes and multiple hours, depending on how unwilling the person is.
The family and anyone involved should be prepared for anything, and you cannot control or predict how your loved one will react when they are confronted. Intervention specialists have particular training and a skill set to know what to expect, which helps them better prepare the family. The presence of an interventionist is essential to keep the intervention moving and create a calming and non-hostile environment. Family interventions are common practice and are effective, but the family or anyone organizing the intervention should also be in contact with a professional interventionist.
The Benefits of a Family Intervention
Anyone involved in a family intervention will recognize and develop insight into how the addiction has affected their loved ones’ life. Also, the people involved begin to recognize the signs of addiction and how an addiction deteriorates a person’s life. The intervention process also improves family communication skills and is linked to new understanding and better communication, both within the family and groups. Everyone involved in the intervention learns to solve problems and become more able to help their loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol. Overall, it lets your loved one know that the family fully supports the choice of going to treatment.
Someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol is not prepared to stop using and does not see the benefit of living a life without drugs or alcohol. However, through the course of the intervention, they begin to see a glimmer of hope and understanding. It does not take much to convince someone once they realize what their actions and choices have done to the people around them. Family interventions are successful and work, and with the help of a professional interventionist, you can convince your loved one to get help.
