Dealing with your family member’s or friend’s drug addiction is no easy ordeal. Part of you wants to help them to realize that what they are doing is damaging to their health and life yet part of you is afraid that confronting them will ruin the relationship. The right thing isn’t always the easiest thing to do but if you truly care about your loved one, planning a drug and alcohol intervention could be the best thing you can do to support and love them. It is imperative that they have someone in their life who is willing to lay out the harsh facts and impacts of their behavior without fear of offending them. If you have a loved one who is struggling with a drug addiction problem, read on to find out how you should plan an intervention to get their life back on track.
1. What is an Intervention?
As daunting and confrontational as it sounds, an intervention is simply a gathering of close family and friends. This meeting serves the purpose of sitting your loved one down and discussing with him/ her about the negative repercussions that their drug addiction behavior has on their life. The main goal of an intervention is to encourage your loved one to seek the right treatment in order to ditch his/her addiction problem. Moreover, by involving your loved one’s close family and friends, he/ she will feel more supported and realize that drug addiction has a heavy impact on the people around him/her. Your loved one will feel less alone when surrounded by people who want the best for him/her; as such, he/she may be more receptive towards advice to seek treatment.
2. When is an Intervention Needed?
More often than not, drug addicts do not realize the impacts of their behavior. They are unable to see how drug addiction is not a personal problem, but one that involves the people around them as well. As such, family and friends are usually needed to push and encourage them to seek help for their problems. Having said that, there are a few things to look out for when deciding if you should plan an intervention for your loved one.
First of all, if you notice that he/she is facing personal, social or financial problems because of their addiction, it is imperative that you step in to stop them from spiraling deeper into their problems. Secondly, it is a serious case if your loved one recognizes the issues that addiction causes but refuses to do something about it. Thirdly, he/she is in denial and refuses to acknowledge the predicament that their addiction has placed them in. Lastly, if you’ve tried to talk to him/her about it in casual settings but he/she remains uncaring, it is definitely time to confront them in a more serious, formal setting.
3. Who is Involved in an Intervention?
Deciding on who to involve in an intervention can seem tricky at first but as long as you include people who love, care, and genuinely want to help your loved one, you’re off to a great start. Be sure not to involve people who support drug abuse or are drug addicts themselves as they will do no good in such a setting. Your loved one should feel safe and cared for during the intervention instead of feeling judged and scolded; this will further convince him/her to seek treatment. If necessary, you can include professionals like counselors and therapists if you think that they will aid in making the intervention more smooth-sailing and successful.
4. How do I Plan an Intervention?
There is a myriad of things to consider when planning an intervention. It is not merely a casual gathering that can be planned in a matter of minutes. It is imperative that you choose the right group of family and friends to involve as well as the appropriate location; preferably somewhere where your loved one feels safe. Next, do your research on your loved one’s drug addiction problem so that you’ll know what to say during the intervention. Doing ample research will also help you in educating your loved one as well as help you to craft the central message that you want to convey. Remember to involve everyone present when you craft the message as everyone needs to be on the same page and convey the same ideas for it to be effective. After that, prepare for what you want your loved one to do after the intervention. If you want to check them into a rehab or treatment center, be sure to have already chosen a suitable one for them like the many drug rehab centers in henderson nv which you can check out here:Desert Hope Treatment do the necessary administrative work so that everything is ready for your loved one after the intervention.
5. Why do Interventions Sometimes Fail?
Regardless of how much you prepare for the intervention, there are times when you might miss out or fall short on some important points; thus resulting in a failed intervention. Some of these factors are things like not being well prepared with everything that intervention requires, choosing the wrong location and picking a time when your loved one is high and unreceptive. Sometimes, a one on one approach may be better as your loved one may feel attacked or intimidated when faced with a big group of people. Speak to them in a compassionate and patient manner so that they’ll be more willing to listen and think about what you’re saying. Last but not least, while it is best to only have closed ones during an intervention, professional help is needed at times; during those times, it is better to involve professionals to ensure that the intervention is successful.
Confronting a loved one about a drug addiction problem is a position that nobody wants to be put in. Despite so, it is a necessary course of action in order to ignite change and give your loved one the chance to turn their life around. There are times when your loved one needs your help without even knowing it, and tough love is the right measure to truly aid them in getting over this ordeal; they’ll be thankful to you in the long run so don’t hesitate if you feel that a loved one needs an intervention.