Planning An Intervention For Your Loved One
Addiction has taken over the lives of over 40 million Americans. And, that’s only counting addicts that are involved in the opioid crisis. When you think about how many others are dealing with addictions to alcohol, gambling, sex, and even social media it can be staggering.
Addiction affects people of all ages, races, religions and economic backgrounds. Families are being ripped apart, with many people feeling powerless to help their loved ones. Being supportive can only go so far with an addict until it can enable the addiction itself.
Many families of addicts turn to an intervention to try to get their loved one the help that they need. Before you find out how to choose a rehab facility, you need to get the addict to agree to treatment. A supportive and loving intervention can give them the push and encouragement that they need.
Dealing with an addict in your family can be stressful and highly emotional. When you decide that an intervention may be needed it will take some planning. Such meetings and confrontations should not be done on the fly. Follow these tips to help you plan your intervention for the best success.
Choose A Strong Team
Many people can be directly affected by the addiction of a loved one. Whether it is gambling or drug addiction, the hold that it has on your family member can be incredibly strong. When you are gathering together your team of people to participate in the intervention, you need to have the addict’s best interest at heart.
Loving family members and others with important relationships with the addict should be included. It’s not a good idea to include anyone in the intervention that has a volatile relationship with the addict. Interventions are stressful situations and it’s not a good time to let old relationship issues cloud the purpose of the confrontation.
It is recommended that you talk to or hire a professional interventionist to help you through the process and to give advice.
Choose A Sober Time
An intervention is a serious business for everyone involved and should be scheduled during a time where the addict is as sober as possible. The first thing in the morning is probably your best chance to have an intervention. Trying to deal with someone while they are high or using can be fruitless and may even escalate the confrontation into a violent situation.
Choose A Spot
Although you want everyone to be as comfortable as possible during an intervention, it should not be held in the family home. Issues and bad memories can easily make the addict feel uncomfortable and more likely to reject the help that is being offered.
Talk to your interventionist about holding the meeting at their offices or in a therapist’s office. You can even talk to your church or recreation center about renting space if necessary.
Rehearse
Interventions can be highly emotional, making them very unpredictable. To keep things going as smoothly and calmly as possible it’s a good idea to have the team rehearse before the day. Work out which order people will speak and have everyone write out their comments so they will be easier to stay on track.
Express Your Support
An intervention can be an embarrassing and emotional shock for an addict. The most important part of the process is to let the addict know that they are loved, supported and not alone. Offer your love and let them know how their addiction is negatively affecting more than just their own lives. The push to get them into a rehab program should be the goal of each intervention. Don’t give up.
Conclusion
Addiction can ruin many lives. With the love that you have for your family member who is battling addiction, you can come together and help them to voluntarily get the help that can save their life through an intervention. Properly done, interventions have a high success rate. Give your loved one the chance to take the first step towards their recovery through the support of their family.