INTERVENTION
The Top Ten Tips for Doing an Intervention
Although doing an intervention can be highly stressful it is oftentimes the very thing that saves an addict’s life.
The Nuances of Intervention—Addressing the Myths in How Intervention Works
Most of us who know anything about addiction or who have seen this crippling affliction first hand have also heard the term “intervention” tossed around. Intervention is a broad term, with multiple definitions and applications in several fields.
Intervention 101: Step one—Create a Plan
When people ask me how I succeed, I tell them I do a lot of planning, and then I plan some more…
What If We Succeed?
No matter what the drug—when I took it, bought it, prepared it or used it—I knew that what I was doing was inherently wrong. But, that didn’t stop me.
Drugs Are Not the Real Problem
If drugs or alcohol were an addict’s fundamental problem, recovery would be easy. Simply detox the person and you’re done! But—that isn’t how it works.
Intervention 101: Finding the Correct Information
In your preparation for doing an intervention, you are bound to get advice about how an intervention should be done, but be forewarned: A family member, friend or someone you met at a support group who’s been involved in one or two interventions isn’t necessarily giving you advice you want to bet the farm on—maybe yes, maybe no.
Intervention 101: Handling Objections
Most families go into an intervention knowing there will be objections, but with no real plan on how to handle them. The key is in the word, ”plan.” The simplicity of it is this—an addict will object, so plan to handle the objections.
Bottom’s Up
Some people say an addict or alcoholic who is in denial hasn’t hit bottom, but this concept is very problematic when applied to real-life. First, there is no such place as “bottom.” It’s an abstract idea.
The Truth About Denial
Many believe that if an addict does not admit to having a problem, he does not know he has a problem. We are taught to see this as a lack of self-awareness on the part of the addict. I can assure you, it is not. It’s simpler than that.
How Do We Get Him to Admit He Needs Help?
When I began working as an interventionist, I found that many families believed they needed to get their addict to admit to needing help before treatment will work. This may sound logical but as an to me it’s always been puzzling.