A loved one will not easily enter into substance abuse treatment. If a loved one needs intervention, it is going to be difficult to convince that person to go. Many people with addiction who need intervention may also be in financial or legal trouble. Find out the best way to intervene on a loved one’s behalf for best results.

Intervention Goals

A few very important goals and strategies of drug and alcohol intervention exist to make a person realize that the current path is self-destructive. One of the most important and obvious goals is to help the person stop drinking and doing drugs. It requires loved ones to convince the person to go into treatment. If he or she refuses, loved ones should be prepared to stop enabling behaviors and inadvertently supporting alcohol and drug abuse.

First Steps First

The first steps of an intervention can be the hardest but typically planning takes the most time up front and is emotionally consuming to find the right person. Here are some ways to get started:

Meet with professionals

Professional interventionists are one of the first steps to a drug and alcohol intervention. The professionals will understand all issues involved and work to deal with addictions as needed in the process while planning and staging the intervention (taking the leg work out for families).

Decide Who and When

The planning process is crucial in that a family must decide who will attend and when it will take place. During the planning stages, a person will decide this and also think about what to say to the loved one with addiction.

What to Say

Many people find writing down what to say helpful, especially as it pertains to an intervention. Rehearsals should alo be helpful before the actual event takes place to support preparation for each participant.

Getting started can feel intimidating but with the above steps in mind it helps to take it slowly, one foot in front of the other and not try to do things too quickly. Finding the right professional to help is a crucial first step to making sure all goes smoothly. Take time to find that person and everything else will likely fall into place.

The Villa supports individuals who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. If you are trying to get clean and sober, now is the time to get started. Call us to find out how we can help you move forward.