One of the biggest, and most unfortunate, misconceptions about substance abuse is that you have to wait for people to be ready to accept help. There are very effective methods of working with people to bring them to the point of being willing to go to treatment, and these usually come in the form of various types of drug or alcohol interventions.
We work with local interventionists who can help your loved one. Call today for more information 1-800-556-2966.
What is an Intervention?
An intervention is a process where family members and friends, often with the help of a professional, approach their loved one who they feel is in need of help. Through organized methods of educating all those involved, the end result is that the individual agrees to go to treatment and families start to learn how they can improve their behavior as well.
Interventions come from a place of love and caring. Despite having bottom lines that are communicated to say they will no longer enable the person, interventions are not about blame or punishment. A drug and alcohol interventionist is an expert at helping guide the family through the steps and serves as an advocate for the individual as well. Most interventionists are either former substance abusers who have now recovered or professional counselors of some sort. Many are actually both.
Why You Can’t Wait for Rock Bottom
The majority of people with substance abuse problems will not seek out help on their own – they require some form of intervention. This may come from the legal/justice system through an arrest, it could come from a spouse through separation or divorce, it could come from a doctor after an accident or illness related to the drug or alcohol use, or any number of ways. However, in this day and age, overdose deaths from substance abuse – particularly opiates – are at record levels, so waiting really isn’t an option.
These are reasons why you can’t wait for someone to hit their ‘rock bottom,’ as bottom may be too late.
How Does it Work?
When working with an intervention specialist, they usually start first with a phone consultation with the organizers of the intervention and lead family members. After that there will be a family day in person where the interventionist meets with all necessary people to take the time to educate them more about addiction, treatment and the intervention process. They will often be asked to write letters that may be used the next day when they meet with their loved one. These are heartfelt communications about wanting their family member back, and an additional letter of consequences or bottom lines that are only read if they are refusing to get help.
Interventions lead by professionals are successful more than 80% of the time, meaning that the end result is that the substance abuser agrees to get help and enrolls in treatment.
Find out more about the intervention process and how Centered Recovery Programs can help.
